Broadway’s Merchant of Venice Sets New Press Opening Night

Broadway's The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino as Shylock, has announced a rescheduled press opening night for November 13. The original November 7 press opening was postponed after Lily Rabe, who plays Portia, was out of the show for several performances due to the illness and death of her mother, Jill Clayburgh. Rabe returned to the show on November 6 and will be performing as scheduled for the rest of the run.

The Merchant producers included the following statement in their announcement: "So as not to conflict with the Broadway opening of Elf on Sunday, November 14, the producers respectfully request that Merchant reviews be embargoed until Tuesday, November 16." Theater reviews do not appear in Sunday editions of New York City newspapers.

In addition to Pacino and Rabe, the Broadway cast of Merchant includes Jesse L. Martin, David Harbour, Christopher Fitzgerald, Byron Jennings, Gerry Bamman, Heather Lind, Matthew Rauch, Charles Kimbrough, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Richard Topol and Seth Numrich.

The show, which enjoyed a sold-out run at Shakespeare in the Park before transeferring to Broadway, is currently running at the Broadhurst Theatre, directed by Daniel Sullivan.