Julia Louis-Dreyfus To Make Broadway Debut Alongside Ed Harris, Allison Janney in First Revival of “Other Desert Cities”

Acclaimed Tony Award-winning director John Benjamin Hickey is set to helm the much-anticipated revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s play, Other Desert Cities, which will grace Broadway’s Hudson Theatre this autumn. The production, featuring a star-studded cast, is expected to attract considerable attention when it begins previews on September 29, 2023, culminating in an official opening night on October 18. The engagement is scheduled to run until January 17, 2027.

Joining Hickey in this new iteration of the five-character ensemble drama are notable actors Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Lily Rabe, and Joe Keery. This production marks a significant milestone for Louis-Dreyfus and Keery, both of whom will be making their Broadway debuts. The 11-time Emmy Award winner Louis-Dreyfus, renowned for her roles in iconic television series such as Seinfeld, Veep, and The New Adventures of Old Christine, is set to portray the character of Polly. Polly is a sharp-minded daughter who inadvertently stirs long-buried family tensions when she returns home with a memoir that threatens to unveil painful family secrets.

Ed Harris, a four-time Oscar nominee whose extensive theatre repertoire includes performances in To Kill a Mockingbird and Buried Child, will take on the role of Lyman, Polly’s conservative father and family patriarch. Janney, who has previously received Tony nominations for her performances in A View from the Bridge and 9 to 5, will embody Silda, Polly’s alcoholic aunt, offering unexpected support in the family drama.

Lily Rabe, who has appeared in productions such as The Merchant of Venice and Seminar, will play Brooke, Polly’s younger sister. Completing the main ensemble is Joe Keery, widely recognised for his role as Steve Harrington in Netflix’s Stranger Things, who portrays Trip, Brooke’s boyfriend. A central theme of the play is encapsulated in its poignant tagline: “Every family has a secret. Not every family survives it,” highlighting the emotional undercurrents that will unfold throughout the performance.

Originally premiering off-Broadway in 2011 before transferring to Broadway within the same year, the original production of Other Desert Cities was directed by Joe Mantello and featured an ensemble cast that included Stockard Channing, Stacy Keach, and Judith Light. It was nominated for several Tony Awards, earning one for Judith Light’s exceptional performance, and it also stood as a finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Reflecting on the revival nearly two decades after its debut, playwright Jon Robin Baitz expressed his mixed feelings about returning to the material. In a recent statement, he remarked, “I had, more or less, talked myself out of imagining Other Desert Cities back in New York.” Baitz, however, found trust in Hickey, stating, “John Hickey is family to me, and I trust him completely.” He further pondered the enduring relevance of the play, stating, “What’s slightly unnerving is that nearly 20 years later, through all the fractures and divisions, the questions remain the same: how to live with who we are and what we’ve done and call that a life.”

Hickey expressed his excitement about revisiting the piece, calling the revival “a dream come true.” He noted how relevant the narrative continues to be, remarking, “It’s an incredibly funny, surprising, and heartbreaking play about an American family. OUR American family.”

Tickets for Other Desert Cities are expected to go on sale to the general public starting June 3, 2023, at 10 a.m. ET, with pre-sale tickets available for American Express cardholders beginning May 27. Enthusiasts and theatre-goers can keep track of ticket availability and further updates on the production through the official website, otherdesertcitiesbroadway.com.

This revival promises to bring a fresh perspective to a timeless tale of family dynamics and hidden truths, set against the backdrop of contemporary American society. With its cast of renowned actors and a well-respected director, Other Desert Cities is poised to capture the hearts of theatre audiences once more.