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Great Performances Presents Star-Studded “Broadway’s Best” Lineup

Broadway’s Best returns to Great Performances in May with a starry lineup of drama, comedy and concerts.

Broadway’s Best returns to Great Performances in May with a starry lineup of drama, comedy and concerts. Raising the curtain on the lineup is Hamlet starring Tony nominee Ato Blankson-Wood in the title role with direction by Tony winner Kenny Leon, followed by Audra McDonald at the London Palladium who performs Broadway hits and more. The series also includes Broadway’s Purlie Victorious starring Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. and concludes with Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary, a starry concert honoring the best of two legendary musical theater figures.

Friday, May 10
9 pm – Hamlet
From The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, experience this Shakespearean classic directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon featuring Tony Award nominee Ato Blankson-Wood (“Slave Play”) in the title role and Solea Pfeiffer as Ophelia (“Hadestown”). Set in a desolate post-George Floyd world, this contemporary production is a present-day take on the Bard’s tale of family and betrayal

Friday, May 17
9 pm – Audra McDonald at the London Palladium
The winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards as well as two Grammys and an Emmy, Audra McDonald performs a repertoire of classic Broadway songs, including “I Am What I Am,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Will He Like Me?,” “Summertime,” and many more. Recorded from the London Palladium, musical director Andy Einhorn leads the 40-piece London Musical Theatre Orchestra to accompany McDonald.

Friday, May 24
9 pm – Purlie Victorious
This comedic play starring Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. tells the story of a Black preacher’s scheme to reclaim his inheritance and win back his church from a plantation owner. Written by Kennedy Center honoree Ossie Davis with direction by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon (“A Raisin in the Sun”), Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch was recorded live at the Music Box Theatre on January 24-26, 2024. Purlie Victorious originally opened on Broadway in 1961 and featured Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Godfrey Cambridge, Sorrell Booke and Beah Richards.

Friday, May 31
9 pm – Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary
Beginning with their first collaboration on “Oklahoma!” in 1943, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II revolutionized Broadway by integrating music and dance with well-crafted storylines to create a cohesive new form of musical theater. With a string of blockbusters including “Carousel,” “South Pacific,” “The King and I,” “Flower Drum Song” and “The Sound of Music,” the duo garnered 34 Tony Awards along with 15 Academy Awards for their film adaptations. Directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s 80th Anniversary features an all-star cast at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, including Michael Ball, Daniel Dae Kim, Maria Friedman, Audra McDonald, Julian Ovenden, Aaron Tveit, Marisha Wallace and Patrick Wilson, with additional surprise appearances by Rita Moreno and Andrew Lloyd Webber.