A Must See
Billy Porter Returns to Huntington Theatre Company to Direct Topdog/Underdog
Billy Porter is back in the director’s chair! After a busy 2016, the Tony winner has reunited with the Huntington Theatre Company to bring Suzan-Lori Parks‘ Topdog/Underdog to the BU Theatre Stage. The play is as famous as the man calling the shots. With a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and incredible casts from both regional and Broadway productions, it’s a show you don’t want to miss.
Topdog/Underdog tells the story of two brothers and their reliance on each other to survive the world of gambling, relationships, poverty, and racism. Forced to live with his brother after his wife kicks him out, a former Three-card Monte player, aptly named Lincoln, ends up taking a job as a Lincoln impersonator while the younger brother, Booth, turns to shoplifting.
Matthew J. Harris returns to the Huntington stage as the hot-headed Booth, having recently played Antwoine at Huntington in Kirsten Greenidge‘s Milk Like Sugar. Tyrone Mitchell Henderson (Bring In Da’ Noise Bring in Da Funk tour) plays opposite Harris as Lincoln.
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The play premiered Off-Broadway at the Public Theater in July of 2001, directed by George C. Wolfe, and starring Don Cheadle as Booth and Jeffrey Wright as Lincoln. It then opened on Broadway in April 2002, with Mos Def replacing Cheadle. One year later, the show’s cast transferred to London’s Royal Court Theatre.
While Billy Porter has given us Tony-winning performances and incredible albums, his return to Huntington brings a special kind of anticipation. His 2015 production of The Colored Museum shook audiences with its grit and unapologetic comedy. Though different in tone, the topical Topdog/Underdog is sure to ignite conversations about family and community. Porter’s attentiveness and exceptional talent have already been praised by local publications, and his keen sense of musicality and gift of communication will give new life to the Broadway classic.
The show currently runs through April 9th. For tickets and more information, visit Huntington Theatre.
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