Denzel Washington

The Iceman Cometh, starring Denzel Washington, begins performances on Broadway

Washington takes on the iconic role of Hickey in the latest Broadway revival of the Eugene O'Neill classic.

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

The Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, starring Tony and two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington as Hickey, begins previews at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre tonight, ahead of an official opening on April 26 and a limited engagement through to July 1, 2018. Originally scheduled to begin performances yesterday, the first preview was postponed because of a late delivery of set pieces due to inclement weather conditions.

Synopsis: "The Iceman Cometh follows Hickey, a troubled alcoholic who takes it upon himself to dissuade fellow drinkers in a NYC bar to give up their pipe dreams and face the harsh realities of life, uncovering the secrets of his own past in the process."

Joining Mr. Washington on stage are Golden Globe nominee Colm Meaney (as Harry Hope), two-time Emmy Award nominee David Morse (as Larry Slade), Tony Award winner Bill Irwin (as Ed Mosher), two-time Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Tammy Blanchard (as Cora), Carolyn Braver (as Pearl), Austin Butler (as Don Parrit), Joe Forbrich (as Lieb), Nina Grollman (as Margie), Thomas Michael Hammond (as Moran), Neal Huff (as Willie Oban), Danny Mastrogiorgio (as Chuck Morello), Dakin Matthews (as Piet Wetjoen), Jack McGee (as Pat McGloin), Clark Middleton (as Hugo Kalmar), Michael Potts (as Joe Mott), Tony Award nominee Reg Rogers (as James Cameron), and Tony Award winner Frank Wood (as Cecil Lewis).

Under the direction of five-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe, the creative team behind The Iceman Cometh features scenic design by four-time Tony Award winner Santo Loquasto, costume design by Tony and Academy Award winner Ann Roth, and lighting design by nine-time Tony Award winner Jules Fisher & three-time Tony Award winner Peggy Eisenhauer.

The Iceman Cometh is produced on Broadway by Scott Rudin.

This production marks the fourth Broadway revival of the O'Neill classic, which first premiered on the Great White Way in 1946. Subsequent revivals were staged in 1973, 1985 and, most recently, in 1999.

Denzel Washington won a Tony Award for his performance in Fences in 2010, which he reprised opposite Viola Davis in the 2016 film adaptation, earning Oscar and Golden Globe nominations last year. He has also just been nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the title role of "Roman J. Israel, Esq." He was last seen on Broadway in the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun and his other Broadway credits include Julius Caesar (2005) and his Broadway debut in Checkmates (1988). He has also appeared in two "Shakespeare in the Park" productions for the Public Theater - The Tragedy of Richard III in 1990 and Coriolanus in 1979. On screen, he has won Academy Awards - "Training Day" in 2002 and "Glory" in 1990 - and received Oscar nominations for "Flight" (2013), "The Hurricane" (2000), "Malcolm X" (1993), "Cry Freedom" (1988) and for the aforementioned "Fences". Other notable screen credits include "American Gangster," "Inside Man," "Man on Fire," "The Bone Collector," "The Preacher's Wife," "Crimson Tide," "The Pelican Brief," "Philadelphia," "Much Ado About Nothing," and "St. Elsewhere," among many others.

The Iceman Cometh Tickets are available for performances through to July 1, 2018.

Originally published on

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