London also brought other lessons. Boyd explains that the research conducted there showed that 78 percent of the audience, which was comprised of diverse nationalities and ethnicities, was first-time theatergoers. Taking this knowledge, along with other savvy the production duo offer as MBAs–in a field dominated by casting directors and stage managers turned producers–has allowed them to defy expectation.
Their next production, A Streetcar Named Desire, came together much quicker, and brought together leading actors Blair Underwood, Nicole Ari Parker, Wood Harris and Daphne Rubin-Vega. Audiences were in love, and the production was nominated for a Tony for its costume design. Parker’s performance as Blanche DuBois wowed audiences, driving great responses through social media.
“Our mandate is putting diverse actors to work in classic roles,” Jones shares in explaining the mission behind the success. “We understand that we have to look past the traditional and subscription theater audiences.”
Now with The Trip to Bountiful, which stars Cicely Tyson, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Vanessa Williams and Adepero Oduye (“Pariah”), who is taking over for Condola Rashad, Front Row Productions is celebrating a powerhouse run that reached its 100th performance on Tuesday and will hopefully set a record for a non-musical play from an all-black cast running on Broadway. Tyson won this year’s Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Playbill Audience Choice awards for Best Actress.
The revival of a play that only ran 32 weeks on Broadway, and had incarnated on television and film years ago, The Trip to Bountiful is the story of the elder Carrie Watts, who is living with her son and daughter-in-law, longing to return to the home of her youth. With themes that resonate in today’s society where more families are living together to survive the economy, audiences are in love with the opportunity to see one of Hollywood’s unsung and yet most august actors command the live stage.
“It is a story about returning to your roots. And to see Cicely Tyson in this role, you see a fine actor,” Jones explains, “There is a scene that, when you see the film version, Geraldine Page hums this hymn, and Tyson’s eye suggested that she sing it instead. A subtle note that really enhances the scene.”
