Former U.S. president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have announced an exciting new creative project they will work on together. While some supporters have encouraged one of them to return to politics, the couple has chosen a different direction. Instead, they are expanding their storytelling efforts through their production company Higher Ground Productions by helping produce their first Broadway show.
The project is a revival of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Proof, written by David Auburn. The story follows the daughter of a brilliant but troubled mathematician who discovers a notebook after his death that may contain groundbreaking work. As she investigates the discovery, the play explores deeper themes of genius, inheritance, trust, and the complicated relationships between parents and children.
The new Broadway production will feature Don Cheadle as the mathematician and Ayo Edebiri as his daughter, marking both actors’ Broadway debuts. In a statement released on March 11, the Obamas said they were honored to help bring the celebrated play back to the stage, adding that the story reflects the type of meaningful storytelling their company was created to support.
The revival is scheduled to run for 16 weeks beginning in April and will be directed by Tony Award winner Thomas Kail, who will also produce the show alongside Mike Bosner and the Obamas. Originally premiering Off-Broadway in 2000 before moving to Broadway and winning several major awards, the play was later adapted into a 2005 film starring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow. With the Obamas now involved in its revival, many theater fans are eager to see whether this new production will match the success of the original.READ MORE BELOW