Trip to Bountiful: Cuba Gooding Jr. departs 27 Aug 2013

Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. ("Jerry Maguire") will give his final performance in the Broadway revival of Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful on 27 Aug 2013.

Gooding Jr., who made his Broadway debut in the production starring as 'Ludie Watts,' is leaving the show due to a change in schedule for an upcoming film project. His understudy, Leon Addison Brown, will assume the role of 'Ludie Watts' from 28 Aug 2013.

Leon Addison Brown has previously appeared on Broadway in 'On the Waterfront.' His off-Broadway credits include 'The Train Driver,' 'Two Trains Running,' 'The Orphans' Home Cycle,' 'The Alexander Plays' and 'The Lights.'

The Trip to Bountiful, starring Cicely Tyson in her Tony Award-winning role as 'Carrie Watts,' opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre from 23 Apr 2013, following previews from 30 Mar 2013, where it is playing an extended engagement through to 09 Oct 2013.

The show also stars Emmy Award nominee and recording artist Vanessa Williams (Jessie Mae Watts), Adepero Oduye (Thelma), Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat (Sheriff), Devon Abner, Curtis Billings, Pat Bowie, Arthur French (Roy), Susan Heyward, Bill Kux, Linda Powell and Charles Turner.

The production, which was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play, opened to mostly excellent reviews: Tyson is simply glorious (newyorktheatreguide.com); Generally sluggish (NY Times); Make sure you have tissues handy (NY Post); Not-to-be-missed (Back Stage); Doesn't, ultimately, amount to much (Record).

The Trip to Bountiful tells the story of Carrie Watts (Cicely Tyson), an elderly woman who dreams of returning to her small hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son (Gooding) and domineering daughter-in-law (Williams).

The creative team includes set sets by Jeff Cowie, costumes by Van Broughton Ramsey, lighting by Rui Rita and sound by John Gromada.

The Trip to Bountiful premiered as a teleplay on NBC in 1953, starring Lillian Gish as 'Carrie Watts.' The play had its Broadway premiere later that year with the same cast, which also included Eva Marie Saint. The play was adapted by Foote into an acclaimed 1985 film starring Geraldine Page, for which she won the Academy Award. In 2005, Signature Theatre produced the play Off-Broadway starring Lois Smith, for which she won Lortel, Obie, Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards.