An initial cast of 28 actors has been announced for the upcoming Broadway revival of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Our Town.” Tony Award winner Kenny Leon will direct the previously announced production, which has now set a first-preview date of Sept. 17 and an opening night of Oct. 10 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Leading the cast will be four-time Emmy Award winner Jim Parsons in the central role of the Stage Manager, with Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ephraim Sykes as George Gibbs and Zoey Deutch as Emily Webb. The company will also feature Katie Holmes as Mrs. Webb, Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Richard Thomas as Mr. Webb, Tony nominee Michelle Wilson as Mrs. Gibbs, Billy Eugene Jones as Dr. Gibbs, Isabelle Stevenson Award recipient Julie Halston as Mrs. Soames and Donald Webber Jr. as Simon Stimpson.
Rounding out the company will be Ephie Aardema, Heather Ayers, Willa Bost, Bobby Daye, Safiya Kaijya Harris, Doron JéPaul, Shyla Lefner, Anthony Michael Lopez, John McGinty, Bryonha Marie, Kevyn Morrow, Hagan Oliveras, Noah Pyzik, Sky Smith, Bill Timoney, Matthew Elijah Webb and Nimene Sierra Wureh. Two additional actors will be announced at a later date.
Parsons, who is currently appearing on Broadway in “Mother Play,” won four Emmys for his turn as Sheldon Cooper on the series “The Big Bang Theory.” He also received Emmy nods for performances in “Special,” “Hollywood” and the screen adaptation of the play “The Normal Heart,” reprising his Broadway turn as Tommy Boatwright. Parsons’ additional Broadway credits include “Harvey,” “An Act of God” and “The Boys in the Band” as Michael, a role he also played again on-screen.
Sykes is a Tony nominee for his performance as David Ruffin in “Ain’t Too Proud,” which earned him a Grammy nomination as a principal vocalist on the musical’s cast album. Sykes has also appeared on the Main Stem in “Hamilton,” “Motown,” “Newsies,” “Memphis” and “The Little Mermaid.” Sykes’ screen credits include “Hairspray Live!,” “Detroit” and Vinyl.”
Deutch will make her Broadway debut in “Our Town.” Her screen credits include “The Politician,” “Not Okay,” “Something from Tiffany’s,” “Why Him?,” “Dirty Grandpa,” “Good Kids,” “The Outfit” and “Beautiful Creatures.”
Holmes is perhaps most known for her small-screen turn as Joey Potter on “Dawson’s Creek.” She has appeared on Broadway in “All My Sons” and “Dead Accounts” and Off-Broadway in “The Wanderers.”
Thomas, a Tony nominee for his performance as Horace Giddens in “The Little Foxes,” is a Broadway veteran whose past credits include “The Great Society,” “Race,” “Democracy,” “The Front Page,” “Strange Interlude” and “Sunrise at Campobello.” He won an Emmy Award for his turn as John-Boy Walton on “The Waltons.”
Wilson was Tony-nominated for her performance as Cynthia in “Sweat.” Her New York stage credits also include “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Coast Starlight,” “Confederates,” “The House That Will Not Stand” and “Detroit ’67.” Wilson’s screen credits include “Clean,” “Amazing Stories,” “Blue Bloods” and “A Shot Through the Wall.”
Jones was recently seen on Broadway as Gitlow Judson in “Purlie Victorious.” A longtime Broadway actor, his past credits include “Fat Ham,” “A Soldier’s Play,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “The Big Knife,” “The Mountaintop,” “Passing Strange” and “Gem of the Ocean.” His screen work comprises “Wishbone,” “Hexed” and “The Blacklist.”
“Our Town” explores the relationship between two young Grover’s Corners neighbors, George Gibbs (Sykes) and Emily Webb (Deutch), whose childhood friendship blossoms into romance and then culminates in marriage. When Emily loses her life in childbirth, the circle of life portrayed in each of the play’s three acts — growing up, adulthood and death — is fully realized.
“Our Town” is being produced by Jeffrey Richards, Hunter Arnold, Craig Balsam, Irene Gandy, Rebecca Gold, Louise Gund, Willette & Manny Klausner, M/B/P Productions, Daryl Roth and Jayne Baron Sherman.
