Cicely Tyson to Make Broadway Return Starring in THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL this Spring at Sondheim Theatre!

Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson will return to Broadway for the first time in 30 years to star in a new production of Horton Foote'S beloved classic, The Trip to Bountiful, directed by Michael Wilson and produced by Nelle Nugent.

This 14-week limited engagement will begin previews on Easter Sunday, March 31st at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 W 43rd St). Opening night is scheduled for Tuesday, April 23rd. Additional casting will also be announced shortly. For ticket information please visit www.TheTripToBountifulBroadway.com.

"For years I have been searching for the perfect project to bring me back to my true home - the stage," stated Ms. Tyson. "In many ways Broadway is my Bountiful and I'm eager and honored to return with this strong, passionate, and funny character in a timeless American classic."

"The Trip to Bountiful is among Horton's most beloved plays, and Carrie Watts, one of his most memorable characters. To do the play and role justice, you need an actress of rare stature and command, " said director Michael Wilson. "Cicely Tyson has, over the span of a distinguished career, depicted iconic Americans engaged in immense struggle. Her legendary performances - from Jane Pittman to Coretta Scott King to Harriet Tubman, to name just a few -- have contributed mightily to our sense of national identity and character. I am thrilled that she is returning to the stage now to have her trip, to lead us all on a journey that promises to be unforgettable."

The touching American classic, The Trip to Bountiful, tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman who dreams of returning to her small hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son and domineering daughter-in-law. Her journey becomes a heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming and inspiring tale that examines the fragility of memory and celebrates the enduring power of hope and faith.

One of the most celebrated actresses of the last 50 years, Cicely Tyson became both the first African American to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and the only actress to receive an unprecedented two Emmy Awards for the same role as Jane in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974). She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1972 feature film Sounder. Ms. Tyson's first professional stage performance, in the highly acclaimed, long running stage production of Jean Genet's The Blacks, along with her performance as Mavis in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, earned her the coveted off-Broadway Vernon Rice Award. Her last stage appearance was in the Broadway revival of The Corn is Green in 1983. Other Broadway credits include Trumpets of the Lord (1969), A Hand Is On The Gate (1966), Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright (1963), The Cool World (1960), and Jolly's Progress (1959), in which she understudied Eartha Kitt. She received an additional Emmy Award for "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All" and was also nominated for her performances in "Roots," "King" (portraying Coretta Scott King), "Sweet Justice," "The Marva Collins Story," "A Lesson Before Dying," and "Relative Stranger." Other television credits include "The Road to Galveston." Her many film credits include The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Fried Green Tomatoes, Because of Winn-Dixie, Hoodlum, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, The Help, which garnered five awards and, most recently, Alex Cross. Ms. Tyson is among the elite number of entertainers honored with a star on the world famous Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame. In 2010 Ms. Tyson became the 95th recipient of the NAACP's highest honor, the prestigious Spingarn Medal, in addition to being the recipient of a record number of NAACP Image Awards. The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts in East Orange NJ was opened in 2009 where she generously shares her time and talent.

More Articles by This Author...