Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal shatter broadway records
Alona Yadav | Mar 24, 2025, 23:48 IST
( Image credit : AP )
The Broadway revival of Shakespeare's "Othello" featuring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal has set a new box office record with $2.8 million in eight preview shows. Washington reprises the role with a deeper understanding, while Gyllenhaal views the performance as a career milestone.
In a remarkable theatrical achievement, the Broadway revival of Shakespeare's "Othello" starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal has set a new box office record, grossing $2.8 million during just eight preview performances.
The production at the Barrymore Theatre has surpassed the previous record held by "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," demonstrating the star power and artistic magnetism of its lead actors. Washington, now 70, plays the titular role of Othello, while Gyllenhaal portrays the manipulative Iago.
For Washington, the performance represents a profound artistic journey. Having first played Othello in college at Fordham University, he now brings a deeper understanding to the character. "I know a lot less now," he reflected. "I didn't really like the part because I wasn't wise enough to understand it. Now I understand it's really about a bond, you know, that these characters have. He loves not wisely, but too well."
Gyllenhaal expressed a sense of career culmination, noting, "You get to a point where you're like, 'Oh, I've worked my whole career for this, for this moment.'"
The production has captivated audiences and critics alike, with Washington declaring it the most exciting project he's undertaken "this century." Their interpretation of Shakespeare's tragic tale of jealousy, manipulation, and destruction continues to resonate powerfully with modern theatergoers.
The production at the Barrymore Theatre has surpassed the previous record held by "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," demonstrating the star power and artistic magnetism of its lead actors. Washington, now 70, plays the titular role of Othello, while Gyllenhaal portrays the manipulative Iago.
For Washington, the performance represents a profound artistic journey. Having first played Othello in college at Fordham University, he now brings a deeper understanding to the character. "I know a lot less now," he reflected. "I didn't really like the part because I wasn't wise enough to understand it. Now I understand it's really about a bond, you know, that these characters have. He loves not wisely, but too well."
Gyllenhaal expressed a sense of career culmination, noting, "You get to a point where you're like, 'Oh, I've worked my whole career for this, for this moment.'"
The production has captivated audiences and critics alike, with Washington declaring it the most exciting project he's undertaken "this century." Their interpretation of Shakespeare's tragic tale of jealousy, manipulation, and destruction continues to resonate powerfully with modern theatergoers.