Forest Whitaker to make Broadway debut in Hughie

It has been reported that Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker is getting set to make his Broadway debut in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's Hughie at a yet-to-be confirmed Shubert Theatre. The production will be directed by Tony Award winner Michael Grandage and is expected to open on the Great White Way in Spring 2016.

Synopsis: "Hughie, set in the lobby of a small midtown hotel on the West Side of Manhattan, tells the story of Erie Smith (Whitaker), a drunken, small time hustler who is mourning the recent death of the hotel's night clerk, Hughie. Erie regales the new night clerk with tall-tales of his glory days and times spent with his late colleague."

The creative team features the Tony-winning designers behind Grandage's Tony-winning production of 'Red': scenic and costume design by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Neil Austin and sound design by Adam Cork.

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Hughie premiered on Broadway in 1964, earning Jason Robards a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play. It was then revived in 1975, this time earning Ben Gazzara a Tony nod in the same category. The last Broadway revival was staged in 1996 at the Circle in the Square. It starred and was directed by Al Pacino.

Forest Whitaker won an Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA in 2007 for "The Last King of Scotland." He also received a Golden Globe nomination for "Bird" in 1989. His many screen credits include "Southpaw," "Taken 3," "Black Nativity," "The Butler," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "Platoon," "The Color of Money," "Ready to Wear," "Smoke," "Good Morning Vietnam," "The Crying Game," "Panic Room," "Where The Wild Things Are," "The Great Debaters," and "Phone Booth," amongst many others.

- by Tom Millward