Barack and Michelle Obama are making their Broadway debut as producers. Their company, Higher Ground, is co-producing the upcoming revival of Proof. The star-studded revival features Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle in lead roles.
Barack and Michelle joined the Broadway production team
The media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama, i.e., “Higher Ground,” is set to co-produce the Broadway revival of Proof, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by David Auburn. Higher Ground is set to join producer Mike Bosner and director Thomas Kail on the production. The show is set to run for a limited 16-week engagement, with performances beginning on Tuesday, March 31, before its official opening night on April 16.
The Obamas stated in a release, “To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and Mike at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production. Proof is exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was built to champion. A play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most.”
Bosner and Thomas Kail added, “We’re thrilled to welcome Higher Ground as partners on Proof and to have their creative vision and passion behind this production. Their impeccable taste in storytelling and community-building makes them ideal collaborators for this revival.”
The revival features Edebiri as Catherine and Cheadle as her father, Robert, who are making their debuts on Broadway. The production also features Jin Ha and Samira Wiley. The story is about Catherine and her struggles with authorship and achievement as a person after a notebook containing potentially groundbreaking proof is found after her father’s death.
Higher Ground’s venture into theatre is a diversification from its work in films, TV shows, and podcasts. The company has received three “Academy Award” nominations, winning one for “American Factory“. Higher Ground has received 12 Emmy nominations and won six. Additionally, Higher Ground has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and won two. Some of its past shows include Leave the World Behind, Crip Camp, Rustin, and American Symphony. Bosner has worked on Broadway shows such as Cats: The Jellicle Ball and Shucked. Kail has worked on Broadway shows such as Hamilton, Sweeney Todd, and In the Heights. Kail has produced Sweeney Todd and Freestyle Love Supreme.
This is not the first time politicians have been involved in Broadway shows. Hillary Clinton acted as lead producer on Shaina Taub’s musical Suffs in 2024.
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