Photo Flash: First Look at J. Bernard Calloway and Kikiya Mathis in Milwaukee Rep's THE MOUNTAINTOP

On the eve of his assassination, DR. Martin Luther King, Jr., cools down in a lonely Memphis hotel room after delivering the speech of a lifetime – when an unexpected visit from a feisty, young hotel maid pushes King into a confrontation with his doubts, fears and haunting premonitions. A soul-stirring hit in London and on Broadway, The Mountaintop's humorous, magical storytelling fuses theatricality with spirituality to reach a summit that will leave audiences breathless. The Mountaintop is written by playwright Katori Hall and will be directed by Rep Artistic Associate May Adrales, who returns to The Rep after directing last season's critically-acclaimed production of Yellowman. The Mountaintop opens tonight, September 28 and runs in The Rep's Stiemke Studio through November 4.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

The Mountaintop premiered in London in 2009 to great critical acclaim. After a sell-out run at Theatre503, the play transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in The West End. The Mountaintop premiered on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on September 22, 2011 with an official opening on October 13. The production won the Olivier Best New Play Award in 2010 and was nominated for Whatsonstage Awards and Most Promising Playwright in the Evening Standard Awards.

J. Bernard Calloway (DR. Martin Luther King, Jr.), making his Rep debut, was last seen on Broadway in the 2010 Tony Award-winning musical Memphis where he originated the role of Delray; Off-Broadway he has performed at The Public Theater in the ground-breaking Pulitizer-Prize nominated drama The Good Negro, where he portrayed the role of Henry Evans to rave reviews and received an Audelco Nomination for his work; regional credits include: Jitney, Othello, Piano Lesson, Lobby Hero, A Soldier's Play, Dreamgirls, Aida, Dinah Was and Spunk, to name a few; Nikiya Mathis (Camae), will also be making her Rep debut; New York credits include Kirsten Greenidge's Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights Horizons and La Jolla Playhouse; The Brother/Sister Plays Trilogy at The Public Theater and McCarter Theatre; Seed at Classical Theatre of Harlem Regional and Intimate Apparel at Two River Theater, to name a few; she received her BA at Temple University and her MFA at New York University.

The Creative Team for The Mountaintop includes: Lee Savage (Scenic Designer), Holly Payne (Costume Designer); Barry G. Funderburg (Sound Designer); Jared Mezzocchi (Video Designer); Sandy Ernst, (Casting Director); Stephanie Klapper (New York Casting Director); Jill Walmsley Zager (Dialect Coach); Richelle Harrington Calin (Stage Manager); Jason Simpson (Stage Management Intern); Kaitlin Kitzmiller (Stage Management Intern) and Maggie Ellsworth (Assistant Director).

Tickets for The Mountaintop are from $25 - $40 (prices are subject to change). Half-price RUSH TICKETS are available 30 minutes before curtain time based on availability at The Rep's Ticket Office. Single Tickets for all of Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 2012/13 productions are now on sale and can be purchased online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, through The Rep's Ticket Office by calling 414-224-9490 or in person at 108 E. Wells Street. Group tickets are also available for purchase by calling Patron Relations Manager Christine Yundem at 414-290-5340.

Photo Credit: Michael Brosilow