Interesting. The cast was a stellar one. I've seen Phyllicia Rashad in two
plays here in Atlanta--Pearl Cleage's "Blues for an Alabama Sky" (which
co-starred Tauren Blacque from "Hill Street Blues") and "Medea". She's great
onstage, and I image Forrest would be a powerhouse as well. Kenny Leon is a
legend here among Black theatre goers--well, maybe not among those who only see
Tyler Perry and gospel musicals. But Leon did a lot to bring the likes of
August Wilson's work to Atlanta, making people see that serious Black works can
be intelligent and successful. He also directed a lot of things that weren't
race-specific, like "A Christmas Carol". Brother's can't skills...
Leon quits ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,’ apparently taking Forest Whitaker with him
By Wendell Brock | Thursday, April 12, 2007, 11:25 AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta director Kenny Leon has resigned from the highly anticipated
African-American production of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,”
citing artistic differences with the Broadway producer.
“It just wasn’t working out,” Leon said Thursday morning from New York, where
he is in rehearsals for the Broadway run of August Wilson’s “Radio Golf.”
Leon said he was disappointed, because he had assembled an A-list cast,
including Oscar winner Forest Whitaker for the role of Big Daddy; four-time
Tony Award winnner Audra McDonald as Maggie the Cat and his longtime colleague
Phylicia Rashad as Big Mama. Actor Anthony Mackie was to play Brick and is
still said to be a candidate.
“I spent time talking with Forest Whitaker and Phylicia and Audra McDonald and
Anthony Mackie, and I thought they would have been a great production,” Leon
said. “But not everyone thinks the same.”
Meanwhile, producer Steven Byrd has hired Broadway actress and choreographer
Debbie Allen to direct and still plans an October opening. Rashad, who is
AllenÂ’s sister, is expected to remain on board, while the part of Big Daddy has
been offered to Danny Glover, a publicist for the show said Thursday.
“I care about the relationships I have cultivated with Forest and Phylicia and
Audra and Anthony, and in terms of protecting those relationships, I thought it
was best to walk away from the project,” Leon said.
Leon, who worked with Allen when he was head of AtlantaÂ’s Alliance Theatre,
said: “I know Debbie and I wish her well.”
Under consideration for the part of Maggie are actresses Thandie Newton and
Anika Noni Rose. Besides Mackie, Blair Underwood and LL Cool J have been
mentioned for the part of Brick.
Byrd — a former investor with Goldman Sachs who now runs a private equity fund
— is a Broadway newcomer.
“Radio Golf,” the final installment of Wilson’s 10-play cycle about
African-American life in the 20th century, is set to begin previews on April 20
and open May 8.
Leon said there was “no doubt in my mind” that he would be working with
Whitaker and the cast he had lined up for “Cat” in the near future.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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