Barack and Michelle Obama are expanding their entertainment footprint to Broadway through their media company, Higher Ground Productions. The production company will serve as a co-producer for an upcoming revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof.
The production marks the Higher Ground’s first venture into Broadway theater. After years of producing film, television, and podcast projects, Higher Ground, founded by Barack and Michelle in 2018, has built a stellar reputation in Hollywood. The company has produced award-winning documentaries and scripted programming. In a statement, Barack spoke about his excitement to revive the play, which explores complex questions about lineage, Variety reported.
“To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and Mike at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production,” the Obamas said in a statement Wednesday. “‘Proof’ is exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was built to champion, a play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most.”
The revival of Proof, written by playwright David Auburn, will begin preview performances on March 31 at the Booth Theatre in New York. Opening night is scheduled for April 16, with producers describing it as a strictly limited 16-week engagement.
Taking the stage are Black Hollywood elites. Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri will play the character of Catherine, and Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle will play her father, Robert. Though both actors are known for their work on screen, their stints in Proof
will mark their Broadway debut. The ensemble also features Samira Wiley and Jin Ha.First staged in 2000, Proof became a theater gem, earning the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Additionally, the show earned a Tony Award for Best Play. The story follows a young woman grappling with navigating the intellectual legacy of her brilliant but flawed mathematician father.
Tony Award-winning director Thomas Kail will direct the revival. Kail is known for his work on Hamilton
. For Higher Ground, the Broadway project represents the latest expansion of a production company that has already won major industry honors, including an Academy Award for the documentary American Factory.RELATED CONTENT: George W. Bush Is Invited To The Opening Of The Obama Presidential Center, Trump Not Invited