Other Desert Cities returns to Broadway with acclaimed cast

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 05:19 · Archive

Jon Robin Baitz's play about family secrets opens at the Hudson Theatre with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joe Keery making their Broadway debuts.

Jon Robin Baitz's family drama Other Desert Cities has opened at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway. The revival stars Broadway veterans Allison Janney, Ed Harris and Lily Rabe, joined by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, known for 'Veep', and Joe Keery from 'Stranger Things' making their Broadway debuts. The play, which is a Pulitzer finalist, originally premiered in 2011.

The play centres on the Wyeth family, a Republican dynasty with Hollywood connections, gathering in their Palm Springs home for Christmas in 2004. The daughter, Brooke, returns with a manuscript of her forthcoming memoir. The Guardian reports that the family's past includes one of the sons' involvement in a domestic terror attack before his death, which had profound effects on the family and on Brooke's life. Brooke's desire to publish her memoir threatens to expose family secrets that her parents wish to keep private.

The Guardian notes that the production is directed by John Benjamin Hickey and that the performances, particularly those of the newcomers to Broadway, justify the revival's return to the stage.

How it is being reported

• Other Desert Cities review – Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Ed Harris shine in timely Broadway revivalHudson Theatre, New York Allison Janney and Joe Keery co-star in a powerful drama about a family reunion turned political minefield Just in time for the holidays, Jon Robin Baitz’s family reunion drama, Other Desert Cities, is back with an even starrier cast than its 2011 premiere. The revival is a headline-grabber for marking the stage debuts of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joe Keery , alongside the Broadway returns of Ed Harris , Allison Janney and Lily Rabe. But if this raises eyebrows as a takeover of Hollywood vanity, those concerns are easily quelled by the performances – especially those…The Guardian · 19 Oct, 05:01
• "Other Desert Cities" on Broadway: Family secrets laid bare"Other Desert Cities," Jon Robin Baitz's acclaimed play about family schisms and an untold past, has returned to New York, starring Broadway veterans Allison Janney, Ed Harris and Lily Rabe, along with "Veep" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Joe Keery of "Stranger Things" making their Broadway debuts. They talk with correspondent Tracy Smith about the dramatization of grief, the challenges of live theater, and how doing plays is like coming home.CBS News · 18 Oct, 15:01

In this story: Julia Louis-Dreyfus · Joe Keery · Allison Janney · Ed Harris · Lily Rabe · Jon Robin Baitz · Hudson Theatre · Broadway

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