This is the first Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza play.
Broadway veterans James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris, and Bobby Cannavale will return to the stage this fall in the first Broadway revival of Yasmina Reza’s Art, which is set to begin previews at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre August 28 ahead of an official opening on September 16. The limited 17-week engagement is scheduled through December 21.
Originally written in French, Art debuted in Paris in 1994. It’s about a trio of friends whose disagreement over a contemporary (and arguably overpriced) painting devolves into painful personal critiques.
An English-language translation by Christopher Hampton ran in London in 1996 and on Broadway in 1998, where the play went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play and give 600 regular performances (following 20 previews). That translation will be used for the Broadway revival.
Harris will play Serge, the man who buys the expensive painting. Cannavale will play Marc, who thinks that painting is a waste of money. And Corden will play Yvan, the ostensible peacemaker.
Corden, who hosted the Late Late Show from 2015-23, was last seen on Broadway in One Man, Two Guvnors, for which he won the 2012 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play. Cannavale appeared off-Broadway in 2023 in the unfinished Sondheim musical Here We Are. Last fall, Harris starred in Robert O’Hara’s off-Broadway comedy Shit. Meet. Fan.
Scott Ellis, who directed the currently running Broadway revival Pirates! The Penzance Musical, will helm the production. The rest of the creative team will be announced at a later date.