Denzel to star in 'Raisin'....

[ljay889]

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/sun_to_shine_on_denzel_RS9Jur79ZrnbviUx8aZ2RL

Spring 2014

[PlayItAgain]

jesus christ Leon directed the last revival are you kidding me?!?!

[henrikegerman]

OK, I'm going to say the obvious but here goes. Washington is way too old to play Walter Younger.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Agreed. I kept thinking isn't Walter Lee Younger usually, well, younger?

[Visceral_Fella]

Long.In.The.Tooth.

[welcometothetheater]

Denzel may be too old, but I would kill to see Whoopi play Lena.

[Jordan Catalano]

I was hoping he'd be Ralphie next year in A CHRISTMAS STORY.

[ljay889]

LOL

[StageManager2]

Long.In.The.Tooth.

I think his teeth are nice, but he's too old for the part.

[Visceral_Fella]

Hahahaha Jordan. I literally laughed out loud.

I too would like to see Whoopi as Lena. I didn't take to Rashad. However; I'd like to see Condola as Beneatha. She'll be a good Ruth in a few years too.

[somethingwicked]

This is a very disappointing choice for Washington, considering how recent the last revival Kenny Leon did was and the fact that ABC made a television movie of that version directed by Leon with the same cast. That's not even mentioning the fact that (as others have said) that Washington is too old to be playing Walter, though I will say it's crazy to think it will already have been ten years since the last revival by the time this one happens. What is with this trend of bringing back things so quickly? Where are the new plays being produced on Broadway? Both GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS and THE BEST MAN came back this season very quickly after their last revivals too.

All that being said, if this really is what this particular team ends up doing, I can almost guarantee they'll go after Viola Davis for Ruth and Condola Rashad for Beneatha, both of whom would be inspired. I love Whoopi, but she is way too young to play Lena to Washington's Walter (he's one year older than her, so how could she ever play his mother?) The issue becomes the fact that now all the characters will have to age up. Walter is supposed to be 35, Ruth is supposed to be 30, Beneatha is supposed to be 20, and Lena is supposed to be 55. With Washington, Beneatha will have to be closer to 30, Ruth will have to be closer to 40, and Lena will have to be closer to 70.

I'll never understand why Kenny Leon is the sole director of choice when it comes to plays with African-American themes on Broadway. I generally find his work lazy and uninspired, and I think he's coasted by on the talent of his actors and their ability to turn in strong work rather than any genius of his own.

[broadwaydevil]

Oh, yes, a black show! Let's cast famous black people that are all wrong in every way for every role.

Denzel Washington - Walter
Michelle Obama - Ruth
Condoleezza Rice - Lena
Whoopi - Beneatha
Gary Coleman - Travis (if he can still be in Avenue Q postmortem, why not?)
Allen West - Bobo

[Jordan Catalano]

You forgot about Jesus. He was black.

[broadwaydevil]

Guys, guys, Jesus was Jewish.

[JayG 2]

Who's Washington playing? The ghost of the dead father? (Maybe Rob Ashford is really directing this.)

[Visceral_Fella]

broadwaydevil, All your cast is missing is Honey BooBoo as Lindner.

[RippedMan]

I know it was much debated, but I think Sher was pretty inspired with "Joe Turner." I'd love to see him handle "Raisin," and I'd love to see the performance he gets from Washington.

[Younger Brother]

Perhaps this could be Anika Noni Rose's return to Broadway as Ruth with Loretta Devine as Lena? Please?

[CarlosAlberto]

LOL. The title of this thread is somewhat misleading. I thought it was a revival of the musical version, "RAISIN".

[best12bars]

Whoopi Goldberg as his mother will only make him look that much older. She's only one year older than he is. And they look their ages.

You'd have to cast Ruby Dee to pull that one off.

Talk about Raisins in the Sun ...

[CarlosAlberto]

^Ewww...

[best12bars]

Maybe Denzel can play Tulsa in Streisand's Gypsy.

[CarlosAlberto]

Yes! Phylicia Rashad can be Rose and James Earl Jones can be Herbie!!! Oh and Paula Patton can be Louise/Gypsy. Valerie Pettiford can be Mazzepa.

The world needs an ALL BLACK version of GYPSY

[Auggie27]

Won't happen.

[CarlosAlberto]

What won't happen?

[bjh2114]

I would love to see Whoopi take on that part. I'd much rather see a production of this starring her WITHOUT Denzel than one with him.