Manhattan Theatre Club kicks off its 2019-2020 Broadway season with the American premiere of Tony Award nominee Florian Zeller's The Height of the Storm.
2-time Tony and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Pryce and 3-time Olivier Award winner Eileen Atkins reprise their roles of André and Madeleine, respectively, from the widely acclaimed West End run of The Height of the Storm, which played the Wyndham's Theatre in London from October to December 2018.
The word 'icon' is used rarely in the theatre industry, but these two celebrated British actors have truly earned the right to be described as icons of the stage and it is always an event when they cross the pond to grace the New York stage. This production marks the first time Jonathan Pryce has been seen on Broadway since 2006 and he, of course, will forever be remembered for his infamous performance as The Engineer in Miss Saigon and the controversy that surrounded his casting at that time in 1991. Dame Atkins' last Broadway appearance was also in 2006, as she took on the role of Sister Aloysius in Doubt. So, it's been a long 13-year absence for this pair of stage veterans, but New York theatregoers are finally getting the chance to see them up close and personal again, thanks to Manhattan Theatre Club.
MTC enjoyed some previous success with French playwright Florian Zeller, earning a Tony Award nomination for "Best Play" for the Broadway premiere of The Father in 2016. The character of André in this play was portrayed with harrowing impact by Frank Langella, who took home the Tony for "Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play" for his efforts. Will The Height of the Storm brew up similar triumphs for MTC in the 2019-2020 Broadway season?
Zeller is slowly becoming a regular contributor to both the London and New York theatre scenes with The Mother and The Son joining The Father in recent years, alongside comedies The Truth and The Lie, on either or both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, his plays have been staged in over 45 countries to date. We have no doubt that The Height of the Storm, although it arguably comes at the height of his young career, won't be the last we hear from this exceptional talent.
(Photos by Joan Marcus)
