Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker’s production of Othello, starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, has made history.
The Shakespearean tragedy, which opened on Sunday (March 23) at the Barrymore Theatre, is now Broadway’s top-grossing play of all time, generating over $2.8 million with just eight preview performances.
According to Deadline, the play—directed by Kenny Leon—surpassed the record previously held by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which earned more than $2.7 million in December 2023.
Washington and Gyllenhaal recently sat down with CBS News Sunday Morning to discuss the groundbreaking production.
“It’s the most excited I’ve been this century. Seriously, I haven’t been this excited about anything I’ve done as much as I am about this,” Washington said.
The Oscar winner, 70, plays the title character, while Gyllenhaal takes on the role of the manipulative Iago.
But this isn’t Washington’s first-time tackling Shakespeare. The actor first played Othello as a college student at Fordham University in New York City and has since portrayed Richard III and Julius Caesar on stage.
His Shakespearean experience also extends to film, with roles in Much Ado About Nothing and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Asked how his relationship with the language and themes of Othello has evolved since he first performed it at 22, Washington replied:
“I know a lot less now. I thought I knew everything then! I didn’t really like the part, ’cause I wasn’t wise enough to understand it. Now I understand it’s really about a bond, you know, that these characters have. He loves not wisely, but too well.”
According to CBS, Othello has been staged on Broadway more than 20 times, though for much of its history, the title role was played by white actors in blackface.
That changed in 1943 when Paul Robeson delivered a legendary performance, redefining the role for Black actors.
The last actor to play the Moorish general was James Earl Jones in 1982.
“James Earl Jones was my northern star when I was in college,” Washington shared. “He was who I wanted to be. I didn’t get to see his Othello, but I know it wasn’t as good as my 22-year-old interpretation! But you know, it’s my turn.”
And what a turn it’s been. As of today, premium seats for the play are going for nearly $1,000, according to sources.
“You get to a point where you’re like, ‘Oh, I’ve worked my whole career for this, for this moment,’” Gyllenhaal said of the show’s success. “I feel tremendous gratitude. And he makes me feel it when I walk in that rehearsal room every day.”
“That’s what it feels like for me, too,” Washington added. “I worked my whole career for this moment. This is a 48-year journey for me. It’s fascinating to have been too young for the part, and some may say now too old. But 48 years of experience, so 48 years of pain and pleasure and life has informed my approach to playing the role.”
