Oslo begins previews at Vivian Beaumont Theater tonight

The Broadway transfer of the Lincoln Center Theater production of Oslo, a new play written by J.T. Rogers and directed by Bartlett Sher, begins performances at LCT's Vivian Beaumont Theater tonight. An official opening is scheduled for April 13.

We previously interviewed the show's leading man - Tony winner Jefferson Mays - and he had this to say about the new play:

"It's a history play about the Oslo Peace Accords in 1993 which unfolded and resulted in the signing of the accords in the space of nine short months. It was the first time that the Israelis and Palestinians met in the backchannel of Oslo to work towards the beginnings of peace in the Middle East. A declaration of principles. It was facilitated by a Norwegian Professor of Sociology Terje Rød-Larsen - I play him and Jennifer Ehle plays Mona Larson, his wife, who is in the Norwegian Foreign Service. Currently she's ambassador to the Court of St James. It's simply a play about these implacable enemies coming into a room and getting to know each other, drinking together, eating together, going for walks in the woods together, fighting, laughing, getting drunk and establishing these very complicated relationships which ultimately turn into long-lasting friendships in their efforts to bring peace. It's extraordinary to be working on it because, not only is it a fascinating part of history, but we live in this fragmented age where it seems that a Democrat and a Republican cannot get in a room together and break through the gridlock that is government these days. I think this is a useful reminder and lesson not just about the Middle East but also about America itself."

Oslo initially played a limited engagement at LCT's Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater (an off-Broadway venue) from June 16 to August 28, 2016, opening to positive reviews on July 11.

Synopsis: "It's 1993. The world watches the impossible: Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, standing together in the White House Rose Garden, signing the first ever peace agreement between Israel and the PLO. How were the negotiations kept secret? Why were they held in a castle in the middle of Norway? And who are these mysterious negotiators? Oslo tells the true but until now untold story of how one young couple, Norwegian diplomat Mona Juul and her husband social scientist Terje Rød-Larsen, planned and orchestrated top-secret, high-level meetings between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which culminated in the signing of the historic 1993 Oslo Accords. Featuring dozens of characters and set in locations across the globe, Oslo is both a political thriller and the personal story of a small band of women and men struggling together - and fighting each other - as they seek to change the world."

The original cast returns for the Broadway engagement, including Tony winner Jefferson Mays (Terje Rød-Larsen), Tony winner Jennifer Ehle (Mona Juul), Michael Aronov (Uri Savir), Anthony Azizi (Ahmed Qurie), Adam Dannheisser (Yossi Beilin), Daniel Jenkins (Ron Pundak/Jan Egeland), Dariush Kashani (Hassan Asfour), Daniel Oreskes (Shimon Peres/Yair Hirshfeld), Henny Russell (Marianne Holst/Toril Grandal), Joseph Siravo (Joel Singer) and T. Ryder Smith (Jonah Jorgen Holst/Finn Grandal).

The creative team features scenic design by Michael Yeargan, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Donald Holder, and sound design by Peter John Still.