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King Lear Revival 2019

Run Time:
Three hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission
Ages: 12+
Opened: April 4, 2019
Closing: June 09, 2019

King Lear - 2019 Broadway History , Info & More

Glenda Jackson, just coming off her run in Three Tall Women on Broadway, has already set the date of her return.

Jackson will appear as the title character in King Lear in the play's Broadway run next year.

Jackson is no stranger to this role, playing it previously in 2016 at London's Old Vic. The Broadway production will be entirely different, with new staging.


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PREVIEW King Lear - 2019 - Broadway

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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR King Lear

'King Lear': Theater Review
7 / 10

It's often said that there's no greater grief than a parent's loss of a child, so it follows that there's no more devastating moment in King Lear than when the monarch's pitiless odyssey through familial betrayal, rage and madness, triggered by his own blind vanity, leaves him cradling the dead body of the one daughter whose love for him was pure. That goes double when the title character's tragic arc is explored, in Sam Gold's aggressively modern, gender-blind production, by the magnificent Glenda Jackson. The searing pathos of Lear's abject diminishment seems all the more powerful given the steely authority that precedes it.

Broadway Review: ‘King Lear’ Starring Glenda Jackson
8 / 10

Shakespeare nailed it: 'Though she be little, she is fierce.' Glenda Jackson may look frail, but the 82-year-old legend performs the noble task of rescuing director Sam Gold's rickety Broadway production of Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. To be sure, the salvage job is all technique. But although Jackson fails to wring tears, let alone blood, from this production, the sheer intelligence of her performance makes it memorable.

KING LEAR To Close On Broadway June 9
by A.A. Cristi - May 31, 2019


Producer Scott Rudin announced today that the Broadway production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, will play its final performance on Sunday, June 9, 2019. King Lear began previews on Thursday, February 28, 2019 and opened on Thursday, April 4, 2019 at the Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street). At the time of its closing, it will have played 34 preview performances and 76 regular performances.

Photos and Video: Glenda Jackson Honored With Lifetime Achievement Lilly Award
by Stephi Wild - May 19, 2019


This weekend, Glenda Jackson was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lillys, an organization that honors women in the theater. Jackson was honored onstage following a performance of King Lear, by her costar Elizabeth Marvel.

VIDEO: Glenda Jackson Discusses KING LEAR, Her Career, and More at 92nd Street Y
by Stephi Wild - May 17, 2019


On April 29, Glenda Jackson appeared in conversation at 92nd Street Y to discuss her career with moderator Annette Insdorf.

VIDEO: Glenda Jackson and Ruth Wilson Talk Bringing KING LEAR to Broadway
by Kaitlin Milligan - April 22, 2019


Glenda Jackson and Ruth Wilson stopped by TODAY to talk about bringing Shakespear's 'King Lear' to Broadway. Jackson talks about how her friend, Nuria Espert, who played Lear in Barcelona, was the person who told her to play Lear herself. Wilson also reveals how this is her first Shakespeare play, and that playing two roles is quite the undertaking.

VIDEO: KING LEAR's Ruth Wilson Recalls Having to Stop a Performance When An Audience Member Fainted
by Kaitlin Milligan - April 11, 2019


'King Lear' star Ruth Wilson was a guest on last night's episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. During the interview, Wilson recalled when she was in the show 'Header' at the National Theatre and she had to think fast during a live performance when someone from the audience called out, 'Is there a doctor in the house?'

TV: Inside Opening Night of KING LEAR, with Glenda Jackson & More!
by TV - Opening Night Special - April 5, 2019


One of Shakespeare's greatest dramas officially returned to Broadway last night. Led by two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson, King Lear, under the direction of Sam Gold, opened at the Cort Theatre, where it will play through Sunday, July 7, 2019.

Photo Coverage: Glenda Jackson and More Celebrate Opening Night of KING LEAR
by Jennifer Broski - April 5, 2019


This season's new Broadway production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, starring two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, opened last night at the Cort Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, July 7, 2019.

BWW Review: Glenda Jackson is Wickedly Fun in Sam Gold's Surprisingly Comic Take on Shakespeare's KING LEAR
by Michael Dale - April 5, 2019


In recalling the great comedies penned by William Shakespeare, classics like TWELFTH NIGHT, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and the one about all the errors have been making audiences bust out in laughter for hundreds of years. But King Lear? Certainly one of the English language's great tragedies, with the title character's vanity coupled with his descent into madness providing great older actors a chance to fully display their dramatic skills.

BWW Flashback: The Political Career of KING LEAR's Glenda Jackson
by Marika O'Hara - April 4, 2019


Glenda Jackson has two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and took him last year's Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play. The stage and screen favorite is now taking on the title role in William Shakespeare's King Lear, opening on Broadway tonight at the Cort Theater, but did you know that she also had a career in politics?  Take a look back at her political career through the clips below.

Photo Flash: First Look at Glenda Jackson & More in KING LEAR on Broadway!
by Nicole Rosky - April 3, 2019


This season's new Broadway production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, starring two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, will open tomorrow, April 4, 2019 at the Cort Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, July 7, 2019.

BWW Exclusive: The Origins And History Of KING LEAR
by A.A. Cristi - April 14, 2019


This season, Broadway welcomes a new production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, starring two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson.

BWW Flashback: The History of KING LEAR
by Stephi Wild - April 4, 2019


King Lear is making its triumphant return to Broadway, starring Glenda Jackson in a gender-swapped version of the title role. As we gear up for this revival, let's take a look back on some notable Lears past...

Michael Arden, John McGinty & More Join Glenda Jackson in KING LEAR on Broadway!
by Nicole Rosky - February 28, 2019


This season's new Broadway production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, starring two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson and directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, will begin previews Thursday, February 28, 2019 and will open Thursday, April 4, 2019 at the Cort Theatre. The production will play a strictly limited engagement through Sunday, July 7, 2019.

VIDEO: Tony Winner Glenda Jackson Reveals What's Harder Than Playing KING LEAR
by Paul Smith - February 22, 2019


Glenda Jackson begins performances as King Lear next week, but made a stop at Seth Meyers before starting at the Cort Theatre.

Up on the Marquee: KING LEAR, Starring Glenda Jackson
by Walter McBride - February 11, 2019


This season's new Broadway production of William Shakespeare's King Lear, starring two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and 2018 Tony Award winner Glenda Jackson in the title role, will also star Tony Award winner Jayne Houdyshell, three-time Obie Award winner Elizabeth Marvel, Aisling O'Sullivan, Pedro Pascal, Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk Award winner John Douglas Thompson, and two-time Olivier Award winner and Golden Globe Award winner Ruth Wilson.

Jayne Houdyshell, Ruth Wilson, John Douglas Thompson, and More Join Glenda Jackson in KING LEAR
by Alan Henry - September 12, 2018


Further casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway production of King Lear, starring Glenda Jackson!

King Lear History

Other Productions of King Lear

1754   Broadway
Broadway
1905   Broadway
Broadway
1906   Broadway
Broadway
1907   Broadway
Broadway
1907   Broadway
Broadway
1907   Broadway
Broadway
1909   Broadway
Broadway
1911   Broadway
Broadway
1915   Broadway
Broadway
1917   Broadway
Broadway
1918   Broadway
Broadway
1923   Broadway
Broadway
1930   Broadway
Broadway
1930   Broadway
Broadway
1947   Broadway
Broadway
1950   Broadway
Broadway
1962   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
1968   Broadway
Broadway
1973   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
1978   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
1982   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
1990   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
1996   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
2004   Broadway Lincoln Center Revival
Broadway
2006   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
2007   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
2011   Off-Broadway Public Theater Production
Off-Broadway
2014   Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
2014   Off-Broadway Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park
Off-Broadway
2016   West End Old Vic Revival Production
West End
2018   West End Chichester Festival Theatre West End Revival
West End
2019   Broadway Broadway Revival
Broadway
2023   West End
West End
2024   Off-Broadway Off-Broadway Production
Off-Broadway

King Lear - 2019 Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners will appear on a background
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
2019 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Ruth Wilson
2019 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Award Ruth Wilson
2019 Drama League Awards Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play King Lear
2019 Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play Glenda Jackson
2019 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play Ruth Wilson

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