April 11, 2025
Kandi Burruss is reaping enormous success as co-producer of the Denzel Washington-led Broadway manufacturing of “Othello.”
Kandi Burruss is busy turning her desires into actuality and proudly representing the tradition as a co-producer of the highest-grossing play in Broadway historical past.
The versatile singer/songwriter holds a co-producer credit score for Broadway’s Othello, starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. As a co-producer alongside her husband, Todd Tucker, working below lead producer Brian Anthony Moreland and director Kenny Leon, Burruss was intentional in making certain the play aligned along with her bigger imaginative and prescient.
“Within the alternatives that I get, I’m all the time making an attempt to raise and make method for extra [opportunities] for folks like myself. For Black folks, folks of colour and ladies,” she advised Waymaker Journal.
“We had folks coming to New York to see a present [who’d never been to Broadway before] … We’re not simply ready for the individuals who already go to reveals. We’re making our reveals the vacation spot.”
Since its debut final month, Othello has set the file because the highest-grossing play in Broadway historical past, grossing $2.8 million in its opening week. With a uncommon Broadway efficiency by Denzel Washington, Othello has garnered immense help from the theater world. Ticket costs are hovering, reaching as much as $921, because the present acquired the best earnings ever for a play in its first seven days on Broadway.
“This isn’t one other Shakespearean manufacturing,” Burress mentioned. “It’s starring Denzel Washington. It’s set in 2028. The garments are trendy. The supply feels actual and passionate. You possibly can see your self in it — regardless that they’re nonetheless utilizing Shakespeare’s phrases.”
Othello stars Washington within the title function, with Gyllenhaal taking part in the manipulative Iago and Molly Osborne as Othello’s spouse, Desdemona. The present isn’t Burruss’ first Broadway enterprise. Alongside along with her husband, she co-produced their first play, Ideas of a Coloured Man, in 2021.
They adopted that with a revival of The Piano Lesson (starring Denzel Washington’s son, John David Washington) and the 2024 return of The Wiz to Broadway. Via their collaboration with John David Washington, Burruss was in a position to join with Denzel, finally resulting in their partnership with Othello.
“We might see Denzel round that point, and that’s when Brian and Denzel initiated the dialog,” Burruss advised Folks.
With 4 performs below her belt, together with one which broke Broadway field workplace data, Burruss—who already boasts a Grammy—is now setting her sights on her first-ever Tony Award.
“I’m praying. However you realize, I pray each time,” she mentioned. “Each time you need to go into it feeling like, ‘That is the one,’ you realize? I’m going to talk it into existence.”
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