THE MOUNTAINTOP Expected to Hit Broadway This Fall; Kenny Leon to Direct

Producers Jean Doumanian and Sonia Friedman announced today that they expect to bring their Martin Luther King Jr. play, THE MOUNTAINTOP, to Broadway in fall of 2010, The New York Times reveals. The play surrounds King's last nights before his assassination. The play premiered in London in summer 2009 and was written by Katori Hall.

The play received critical acclaim in its first production, garnering a 2010 Laurence Olivier nomination for Best Play, and producers hope to continue that success on a Broadway stage. The Broadway production is expected to be directed by Kenny Leon, whose work will next be seen on Broadway in August Wilson's FENCES, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.

The producers state, "‘The Mountaintop' is a brilliantly conceived gem of a play. An ambitious work of fiction that is powerful, heartbreaking, humorous and exhilarating. We are honored to be bringing Katori Hall's remarkable work to New York, and to present a singular new American playwright to Broadway audiences."

No casting or opening dates have been announced.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride