I was thrilled when I heard that William Shakespeare;s “Othello,” starring Denzel Washington, was coming to Broadway. Washington has always proven himself to be a stunning actor to behold. He takes you through every emotion with such intensity, I absolutely love seeing him. Every time he takes the stage, he proves why he is a legendary, iconic actor. And, starring now in “Othello” at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on W. 44th Street, he displays his acting chops with such skill and ease that he is a joy to behold!
“Othello” tells the story of an older Black military commander who falls in love with and marries a young white woman, a daughter of a senator. The marriage that is destined to fail. One of his ensigns, Iago, who feels slighted by Othello for denying him a promotion, and seeks to destroy his happiness in any way that he can. Denzel’s rendition of the Moor delivers passion, anger, empathy, and vulnerability. And what’s additionally great is that he is joined on stage by a stupendous cast. Jake Gyllenhaal, diabolically evil as Iago, takes that character’s jealousy, hatred, and revenge to a level of no redemption. This character, when played brutally well, can inspire hatred in an audience, and Gyllenhaal definitely inspired that feeling in his deliberately cruel, ambitious, and murdering character. Molly Osborne is precious as the lovely Desdemona, the love of Othello’s life. She depicts the character with a tenderness, deep love and loyalty to the Moor, even when he accuses her of infidelity. Kimber Elayne Sprawl is electric and brilliant in the role of Emilia, as she tries to support and protect Desdemona. Sprawl shines so brightly in every scene that she’s in. Andrew Burnap is delightful as Cassio, the soldier used, unknowingly, to assist in the destruction of Othello. Anthony Michael Lopez is captivating as Roderigo, who is so misused by Iago. Greg Wood (playing a role usually played by Daniel Pearce) was engaging as Brabantio. Every person in the ensemble cast brings their A game, giving the production a marvelous consistency and flow.
Of course, this production’s riveting flow is also courtesy of Kenny Leon’s superb direction. Any time you attend a Broadway production and hear that Leon is directing, you should expect to see something bold, different, and funny, but also brutally dramatic where it needs to be. Leon is able to get his actors to totally commit to their characters and deliver them in such a poignant way that it demands and sustains the audience’s undivided attention. At the performance I attended, there were several curtain calls. “Othello” is outstanding theater.
The production boasts creative costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Justin Ellington, hair and wig design by Mia Neal, and intimacy direction by Claire Warden.
“Othello” is outstanding theater. Be warned though, the Moor doesn’t like late seating; don’t just get there on time, be early! For tickets visit othellobway.com.