The Mountaintop: Tickets now on sale

Tickets are now on sale to the general public for the American Premiere of Katori Hall's 2010 Olivier Award winning drama The Mountaintop.

Taking place on April 3, 1968, The Mountaintop is a reimagining of events the night before the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., as he retires to Room 306 in the now famous Lorraine Motel in Memphis, after delivering his legendary 'From the mountaintop' speech to a massive church congregation. When room-service is delivered by a young woman, whose identity we puzzle over, King is forced to confront his past, as well as his legacy to his people.

Movie star Samuel L Jackson will make his Broadway debut when he stars as 'Martin Luther King' in the American Premiere of The Mountaintop, directed by Kenny Leon. opening at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on 13 Oct 2011, following previews from 22 Sep 2011.

Jackson has a personal connection to the story of Martin Luther King. An active participant in the Civil Rights movement, Jackson was an usher at King's funeral in Atlanta.

This is the first time that Jackson has been cast as a principal on the Broadway stage. His only previous outing on Broadway was as an understudy in the 1990 production of 'The Piano Lesson.'

Jackson won a Bafta, and was nominated for an Academy Award, for his role as 'Jules Winnfield' in "Pulp Fiction." He stars as 'Nick Fury' in 'Iron Man 2' a role he will also play in the upcoming Marvel movies "Nick Fury," "Captain America: The First Avenger" and "The Avengers."

In a joint statement, Ms. Doumanian and Ms. Friedman said, "The Mountaintop is a brilliantly conceived gem of a play. An ambitious work of fiction that is powerful, heartbreaking, humorous and exhilarating. We are thrilled to be bringing Katori Hall?s remarkable, Olivier-winning work to New York, and to present a singular new American voice to Broadway audiences. And we are honored to be presenting the Broadway debut of the great Samuel L. Jackson."

It had been rumored that actress Halle Berry would play 'Camae,' starring opposite Samuel L Jackson in the two-hander drama, however the producers have announced that "The casting for the role of 'Camae', a mysterious maid at the Lorraine Motel, will be announced shortly, and Ms. Berry will not be appearing in the role, due to child custody issues.

American playwright Katori Hall's The Mountaintop was named Best Play at the 2010 Olivier Awards in London on 21 Mar 2010. Marking the first time a female African American playwright has received the honor in the Olivier Awards' 34-year history. Hall's play was nominated alongside such new works as 'Jerusalem,' 'Enron' and 'Red' - all of which are to be presented on Broadway during the 2010-2011 season.

The Mountaintop received its world premiere to critical acclaim in a three-week run at Theatre 503 in Jun 2009, and subsequently transferred to the West End's Trafalgar Studio 1. The production featured performances by David Harewood as 'Martin Luther King, Jr.,' and Lorraine Burroughs as the mysterious 'Camae,' under the direction of James Dacre.

The play opened to excellent reviews: An ambitious work of historical fiction draped in magical realism. (Time Out UK); "Sometimes a play comes out of the blue and knocks everyone for six... It is a beautiful and startling piece... A play that keeps you marveling to the end." (The Telegraph); Wondrous, hilarious, and heartbreaking. (The Independent); Faultless. (The Times); and Future life Stateside is beyond doubt (Variety).

Katori Hall, an American actress and playwright, grew up in Memphis and is a child of the post-civil rights era. She is a recent graduate from the Juilliard School playwriting program and was the recent recipient of William Inge Theatre Festival's 2010 Otis Guernsey New Voices in the American Theatre Award. She is an alumnus of both Harvard and Columbia Universities.

The Mountaintop is being produced on Broadway by Jean Doumanian, Sonia Friedman Productions, and Ambassador Theatre Group.