Glenda Jackson Leads a Gender-Blind King Lear to Broadway; Michael Arden & More Join Cast

A new Broadway revival of Shakespeare's King Lear arrives at the Cort Theatre on February 28. Tony-winning director Sam Gold's gender-blind production, headlined by Tony winner Glenda Jackson in the title role, is scheduled to officially open on April 4.

The production has also newly announced a slew of additional cast members. Two-time Tony-nominated director and veteran actor Michael Arden (Once on This Island, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) will portray the aid to the Duke of Cornwall (to be played by the previously announced Russell Harvard, whom Arden directed in Deaf West's Spring Awakening), with Justin Cunningham (Little Rock) as the Duke of Burgundy, Dion Johnstone (Coriolanus) as the Duke of Albany and Ian Lassiter (Junk) as King of France.

The ensemble will comprise Che Ayende (Breakfast With Mugabe), Therese Barbato (Mourning Becomes Electra), Stephanie Roth Haberle (Curious Incident), Daniel Marmion (Spring Awakening) and John McGinty (Children of a Lesser God).

The cast also includes Tony nominee Ruth Wilson in dual roles of Cordelia and the King's fool, Tony winner Jayne Houdyshell as the Earl of Gloucester, Tony nominee John Douglas Thompson as the Earl of Kent, Elizabeth Marvel as Goneril, Pedro Pascal as Edmund, Aisling O'Sullivan as Regan, Sean Carvajal as Edgar, Dion Johnstone as the Duke of Albany and Matthew Maher as Oswald.

King Lear features an original score composed by Oscar nominee Philip Glass, with set design by Tony nominee Miriam Buether, costume design by Tony winner Ann Roth, lighting design by Tony nominee Jane Cox and sound design by Tony nominee Scott Lehrer.

The production is scheduled to play a limited run through July 7.