Michael Urie to star in ‘Richard II’ off Broadway this fall

The Emmy nominee and three-time Drama Desk Award winner will reopen the Astor Place Theatre, the former longtime home of Blue Man Group, with Shakespeare’s drama.

Michael Urie will play the title role of Shakespeare’s Richard II off Broadway this fall, in Red Bull Theater's new production running at the Astor Place Theatre from October 28 to November 30. Opening night is November 10.

Urie, a 2025 Emmy Award nominee for Shrinking and three-time Drama Desk Award winner for his NYC stage work, currently stars as Mary’s Teacher in the hit Broadway play Oh, Mary! through September 28. The actor is also known for his Broadway performances in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Spamalot and for playing Marc St. James on the TV series Ugly Betty.

In Richard II, Urie stars as the 14th-century English king whose noblemen plot his downfall, in an adaptation set in 1980s Manhattan. Urie previously led a reading of this production, adapted and directed by Craig Baldwin, for two nights only with Red Bull Theater, with which Urie has repeatedly collaborated, in September.

The full-length run will be the first show to reopen the Astor Place Theatre since the closure of Blue Man Group, which ran there from 1991 to 2025, and since the venue's acquisition by No Guarantees Productions.

“I’m delighted to return to my favorite theatre company for this bucket-list role under the direction of my old friend and genius Craig Baldwin," Urie said in a statement. "We come back to Shakespeare over and over again to see what his take on the human condition can teach us about the moment we’re in and this play will certainly sing in 2025. With Red Bull and Craig, we’re making something intelligent, beautiful, sexy, funny — it’s gonna be rad.”

The complete cast also includes Grantham Coleman, Ron Canada, Kathryn Meisle, David Mattar Merten, Lux Pascal, James Seol, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Ryan Spahn, Emily Swallow, and Sarin Monae West.

The creative team includes set designer Arnulfo Maldonado, costume designer Rodrigo Muñoz, lighting designer Jeanette Yew, sound designer Brandon Wolcott, and fight director and intimacy coordinator Rick Sordelet.

Check back for information on Richard II tickets on New York Theatre Guide.