Comedian Chris Rock Headed to Broadway in a Mother of a New Play

Hollywood funny man Chris Rock is set to make his Broadway debut in spring 2011. He will star in the ensemble of Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Motherf**ker With the Hat  alongside Bobby Cannavale, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Annabella Sciorra and Yul Vasquez. The production, directed by Tony winner Anna D. Shapiro, will begin previews on March 22, 2011 at the Schoenfeld Theatre.

The play examines the relationship of a longtime couple (Cannavale and Rodriguez) that is put to the test when one becomes sober and the other remains hooked on drugs and alcohol. Rock will play the AA sponsor of Cannavale’s character.

Rock is a four-time Emmy winner and three-time Grammy winner, who is listed as number five on Comedy Central’s “100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.” He made his feature film debut in Beverly Hills Cop II in 1987. His critically acclaimed HBO stand-up specials include Chris Rock: Big Ass Jokes, Bring the Pain, Bigger & Blacker, Never Scared and Kill the Messenger. His film credits include Boomerang, CB4, New Jack City, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!, Lethal Weapon 4, Dogma, Nurse Betty, Head of State, Bad Company, Down to Earth, I Think I Love My Wife, The Longest Yard, the Madagascar films, Grown Ups, Death at a Funeral and the upcoming 2 Days in New York. His first documentary Good Hair won the 2009 Sundance “Special Jury Prize.” His TV credits include Saturday Night Live, The Chris Rock Show and Everybody Hates Chris. He also wrote a bestselling book, Rock This.

Although this will mark Rock's debut, he's seemingly been on the hunt for a theater project before. Last year, he was rumored for the cast of Martin McDonagh's A Behanding in Spokane, but Anthony Mackie wound up taking the role instead.

The Motherf**ker With the Hat will open on April 11.