Cate Blanchett & Richard Roxburgh Begin Performances in The Present on Broadway

Cate Blanchett, Richard Roxburgh and more will make their Broadway debuts in The Present, when the drama begins performances on December 17. Directed by John Crowley, Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's Platonov will officially open on January 8, 2017 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

The cast will feature the 11 additional members of the world premiere Sydney Theatre Company production, including Anna Bamford, Andrew Buchanan, David Downer, Eamon Farren, Martin Jacobs, Brandon McClelland, Jacqueline McKenzie, Marshall Napier, Susan Prior, Chris Ryan and Toby Schmitz. The Present marks the Main Stem debut of its entire company.

Adapted by Blanchett’s husband Upton, Chekhov’s Platonov was discovered in 1920 (16 years after the Russian playwright’s death). Set post-Perestroika in the mid-1990s, The Present follows the widow Anna Petrovna (Blanchett) as she celebrates her birthday with a slew of guests, including the acerbic Platonov (Roxburgh) and his wife. Over the course of the party, unresolved relationships and regret quickly rise to the surface.