Barack and Michelle Obama are expanding their media footprint with a new venture on Broadway.
The former president and first lady announced that their production company, Higher Ground, will help produce a revival of Proof, the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn.
The production will run for 16 weeks and is scheduled to begin performances in April at New York City’s Booth Theatre. Opening night is set for April 16.
The revival will feature several notable Broadway debuts, including actors Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri. They will be joined by Pachinko actor Jin Ha and Orange Is the New Black alum Samira Wiley.
Tony Award-winning director Thomas Kail will direct the production while also serving as a producer alongside Mike Bosner and Higher Ground.
“We’re incredibly honored to bring this seminal work back to Broadway with such a talented team,” the Obamas said in a statement announcing the project.
“At its core, Proof embodies the kind of thought-provoking storytelling that Higher Ground strives to support, exploring themes of genius, self-doubt and the legacies people inherit from those they love.”
The play follows Catherine, the daughter of a brilliant but troubled mathematician, as she grapples with grief, identity and the discovery of a mysterious notebook after her father’s death.
Originally premiering in 2000, Proof went on to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. It was later adapted into a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins.
While the Broadway revival marks Higher Ground’s first theatrical project, the company has already built a strong track record in film and television.
Since partnering with Netflix in 2018, Higher Ground has produced a number of high-profile projects including the Oscar-winning documentary American Factory, the film Leave the World Behind, Michelle Obama’s documentary Becoming, and the Oscar-nominated biopic Rustin.
The company has also produced several podcasts and audio projects while earning multiple Emmy and Grammy awards across its productions.
With the Proof revival, the Obamas are now adding Broadway to their growing entertainment portfolio.
