Hugh Jackman returning to the NYC stage with “The River”
Tony Award winner and A-list movie star Hugh Jackman will return to Broadway next year with The River, a British drama/thriller by Jez Butterworth. The New York Post broke with the story, quickly leading to Jackman’s enthusiastic confirmation:
Jackman’s last stint in New York, a solo show in 2011, called Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway was one of the highest-grossing shows of the year. Before that was A Steady Rain with Daniel Craig (who recently returned to the New York stage himself with his wife, Rachel Weisz, in Betrayal). Jackman’s debut on Broadway was The Boy from Oz, which Variety credits for starting the trend of major film celebrities making stage appearances in New York.
The River is a play about a nameless man who loves fishing and two women who end up at his cabin in the woods (one was invited, the other wasn’t). It premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in 2012 to favorable reviews. It was directed by Ian Rickson, who will keep the job for the New York run. Rickson also collaborated with Butterworth in Jerusalem, a play that was very popular in theater circles in New York City and for which Mark Rylance won a Tony Award in 2011.
No news yet on a location, performance dates, or ticket sales, although the New York Times reported the production is slated for early 2015.
For Further Reading:
New York Times
Hugh Jackman Returning to Broadway in The River
New York Post
Hugh Jackman Returning to Broadway
Variety
Hugh Jackman Helped Make Broadway the Star-Magnet it is Today
TheaterMania
Hugh Jackman will Return to Broadway in New Jez Butterworth Drama, The River