Kenny Leon directing 4 Broadway shows in 2022-23?

[willrolandsframes]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 6:06pm

Kenny Leon just said at the Tony Red Carpet that he has FOUR shows coming to Broadway next season, including a revival of Top Dog/Underdog and a new play about the Ohio State murders starring Audra.

 

Can anyone vouch for this being real?

[jpbran]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 6:15pm

That four likely includes Trading Places, currently in Atlanta in advance of a potential Broadway opening. Saw it the other night — it ain’t ready. 

[troynow]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 11:42pm

FACTUAL.

 

Kenny Leon is confirmed to be directing Top Dog/ Under Dog at The Golden Theatre

Ohio State Murders with Audra MacDonald 

Trading Places is trying to come in from ATL

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/12/22 at 11:45pm

troynow said: "FACTUAL.

Kenny Leon is confirmed to be directing Top Dog/ Under Dog at The Golden Theatre
Ohio State Murders with Audra MacDonald
Trading Places is trying to come in from ATL"

What's the 4th show, then? And any hints about the TOP DOG cast??

EDIT: Oh, duh, another thread answered this: Steppenwolf's KING JAMES, which I know Leon has said also has eyes on Broadway and is now running in LA.

Updated On: 6/13/22 at 11:45 PM

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 12:24am

I'm thinking King James is the other show 

[OhHiii]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 9:14am

Wishful thinking on his part for Trading Places.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 1:40pm

Not to be a broken record, but there are other directors that can handle plays dealing with the black experience, right?

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:02pm

Would this be some kind of record, that’s insane.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:20pm

willrolandsframes said: "Kenny Leon just said at the Tony Red Carpet that he has FOUR shows coming to Broadway next season, including a revival of Top Dog/Underdog and a new play about the Ohio State murders starring Audra.

Can anyone vouch for this being real?"

Is he not a reliable source?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:41pm

everythingtaboo said: "Not to be a broken record, but there are other directors that can handle plays dealing with the black experience, right?"

Of COURSE there are. But Kenny has powerful agents, he likes to work, and he's surely turned down more offers than he accepted. He and George C. Wolfe are the most-lauded Black directors working in theatre today, stars like to work with them, and they have good commercial track records (not with musicals for Kenny). But yes, there need to be more Black directors working at the highest levels of Broadway –– that's a systemic problem and change will occur slooowly.

As with anything in this biz, projects can be in development for years and suddenly all come together at the same time, which is partially the case here.

Updated On: 6/13/22 at 02:41 PM

[Kimberly Ahimbo]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:58pm

Billy Porter directed a well-received Topdog/Underdog a few years ago in Boston, too. Why not a transfer of that production? Either way, a great play that deserves a revival. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 2:59pm

ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure said: "Would this be some kind of record, that’s insane."

We don't know if all these productions will ACTUALLY happen on that schedule. There's some wishful thinking here.

Either way, it would not be a record. George Abbott did 3-5 shows in the span of one year several times. Perhaps there are more recent examples, too.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 6/13/22 at 3:24pm

There haven't been a ton of updates on it recently, but as far as I know, the Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death revival is still supposed to be happening as well. So either that or King James could be the 4th show that's aiming for Broadway this season.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 6/14/22 at 8:51am

KING JAMES is definitely looking to move to Broadway, but the fly in the ointment is Chris Perfetti's schedule. I hear they're hoping to bring it in late next season, in time for the Tony cutoff, after filming wraps on ABBOTT ELEMENTARY season two. 

Also worth noting that OHIO STATE MURDERS is not a new play; it's more than 30 years old, although this will be its Broadway premiere.

[willrolandsframes]

Posted: 6/14/22 at 5:15pm

Topdog/Underdog is official:

https://playbill.com/article/suzan-lori-parks-pulitzer-winning-topdog-underdog-sets-20th-anniversary-broadway-return

1 down, 3 to go...

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 6/15/22 at 12:05am

Apparently he is directing something called A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

King James wouldn't be able to happen til the Spring at the earliest due to Chris Perfetti shooting Abbott Elementary but I could see 2ST program it for the Hayes in the summer perhaps? I think Trading Places is aiming for another regional production before transferring 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/15/22 at 12:12am

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Apparently he is directing something called A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch"

That's a revival of PURLIE VICTORIOUS. Its producer is known for playing irritating games with the press. There was a reading of it a few months ago with Leslie Odom Jr and Danny Burstein, but who knows if that actually materializes.

Is 2nd Stage the producer attached to KING JAMES or is that something you're trying to will into existence?

[ATerrifyingAndImposingFigure]

Posted: 6/15/22 at 12:27am

If there’s the possibility of a show starting Leslie Odom Jr and Danny Burstein, then it better materialize.

[Dolly80]

Posted: 6/15/22 at 2:14am

Hmm I’m just trying to work out how this very mediocre director gets all this work…

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/15/22 at 10:49am

Just posted about this in another thread, but King James was just announced for an OFF-BROADWAY run at MTC. I wonder if MTC was initially planning to put it at the Friedman (since they still have a Spring show to announce), and something didn't work out. Or maybe the speculation about King James in this thread was just incorrect. Or maybe Leon was just speaking casually, and didn't feel like clarifying that one of his 4 shows wasn't actually on Broadway.

In any case, here's part of our answer: 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/-THE-BEST-WE-COULD-KING-JAMES-and-POOR-YELLA-REDNECKS-Join-Manhattan-Theatre-Clubs-2022-23-Season-20220815

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/15/22 at 11:16am

Have to wonder if KING JAMES’ NYC plans have anything to do with the (abysmal) outlook for new plays. Unless MTC is hoping for a HEISENBERG or COST OF LIVING situation where it hits big off-B and then can move to the Friedman.