Barack and Michelle Obama said they’re excited about a new project they’ll be taking on side by side.
Although many have urged either Barack or Michelle to return to the political spotlight, the pair are focusing their attention elsewhere for now.
The former president and first lady have revealed they’ll be collaborating through Higher Ground to help bring their first Broadway production to the stage.
The title they’re backing is David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof.
The story follows the daughter of a renowned mathematician, who discovers a notebook containing startling evidence after her father’s death.
Don Cheadle and Ayo Edebiri will take on the leading roles—Cheadle as the professor and Edebiri as the daughter—marking Broadway debuts for both performers.
In a statement on Wednesday ( 11 March), the Obama couple said: “To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and Mike at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production.
“Proof is exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was built to champion, a play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most.
“A play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most.”
The limited engagement is set for a 16-week run beginning in April. Tony Award winner Thomas Kail will direct, and will also produce alongside Mike Bosner and the Obamas.
This marks a new step for Higher Ground, which has primarily centered on film, television, and podcast work to date. The company has earned three Academy Award nominations, won for American Factory, and has also collected six Emmys and two Grammys.
Bosner and Kail also shared their thoughts on teaming up for the revival.
It read: “We’re thrilled to welcome Higher Ground as partners on Proof and to have their creative vision and passion behind this production. Their impeccable taste in storytelling and community-building makes them ideal collaborators for this revival.”
Proof first debuted Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000, selling out before making the move to Broadway, where it went on to collect multiple major awards.
The play later received a 2005 film adaptation, featuring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow in the central roles.
With the revival about to open, it won’t be long before audiences see whether this new run finds the same kind of acclaim as its earlier successes.