The Pulitzer Prize-winning play officially opened on Wednesday for a 14 week run at the American Airlines Theatre.
Directed by Saheem Ali, the comedy Fat Ham is a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet with an all Black cast. The play, written by James Ijames, received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2022. After a successful run at The Public Theater, Fat Ham officially opened Wednesday, April 12 at the American Airlines Theatre.
Co-produced with National Black Theatre, the play was commissioned by and received its world premiere at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. The Broadway transfer of Fat Ham represents National Black Theatre’s first production on Broadway, and only the fifth play to be transferred by a Black theatre in Broadway’s century-long history.
The cast includes Nikki Crawford as “Tedra,” Chris Herbie Holland as “Tio,” Billy Eugene Jones as “Rev” and “Pap,” Adrianna Mitchell as “Opal,” Calvin Leon Smith as “Larry,” Marcel Spears as “Juicy,” Benja Kay Thomas as “Rabby.”
Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid dealing with issues of self-confidence and identity, but also coping with the murder of his emotionally absent father, Pap. As Juicy sets up for a family cookout celebrating the new marriage between his mother and his uncle, which occurs literally a week after his father’s death, he comes in contact with his father’s ghost who asks Juicy to seek vengeance for his death. However, is Juicy truly up to the task?
Opening night was quite eventful with noteworthy guests including—Lupita Nyong’o, Audra McDonald, Will Swenson, Kenny Leon, Jonathan Burke, Bridget Everett, Celia Keenan Bolger, Somi Kakoma, Grantham Coleman, Jordan E. Cooper, Erich Bergen, Michael Greif, Sandra Oh, Martyna Majok, Antwayn Hopper, Carl Clemmon Hopkins, and Jocelyn Bioh.
The major topics of the night—family and celebration. The sheer amount of attendees celebrating such a historic night is proof of how theater truly brings people together of all backgrounds. Joy was palpable on the red carpet, and each interviewee noted how special they felt while speaking with us on the carpet.
Tickets for Fat Ham are available now. The production will close this Summer, so see it as soon as possible.
