Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf will return to Broadway in the Arthur Miller classic "Death of a Salesman."
A revival of the acclaimed play will run for 14 weeks at the Winter Garden Theatre, which recently housed George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Mamma Mia." Previews will begin on March 6, 2026, ahead of opening night on April 9. Joe Mantello, whose many credits include "Wicked," "Take Me Out" and "Assassin," will direct the adaptation.
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Scott Rudin and Barry Diller are producing "Death of a Salesman," marking their second collaboration of the season following the new play "Little Bear Ridge Road," starring Metcalf and directed by Mantello. Rudin is working to remount his career, which was derailed by allegations of abusive behavior.
"Death of a Salesman" premiered on Broadway in 1949 and has been revived many times over the years, most recently in 2022 with Wendell Pierce and Sharon D. Clarke in the lead roles. The original production, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Lee J. Cobb, won the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony Award for best play.
Lane, a longtime theater veteran known for "The Producers" and "The Lion King," will portray Willy Loman, a traveling salesman in pursuit of the American Dream. Metcalf will play his wife, Linda Loman, alongside Christopher Abbott and Ben Ahlers as their sons, Biff and Happy. Lane described his latest collaboration with Mantello on this particular play as prophetic.
"In 1995 while rehearsing a Terrence McNally play with Joe, he turned to me one afternoon out of the blue and quietly said, 'Someday you and I are going to do 'Death of a Salesman." And true to his word, 30 years later, that day has come," Lane said in a statement. "I couldn't be more thrilled and honored to follow in the footsteps of so many great actors in tackling the role of Willy Loman, especially with the brilliant Laurie Metcalf by my side and the remarkable cast Joe is assembling. It's a privilege to do what is arguably the greatest drama of the twentieth century, and like all great plays it always seems to speak to us anew each time we see it."
Metcalf, whose stage and screen career has included "Roseanne," "Lady Bird" and "Three Tall Women," won't have much time in between "Death of a Salesman" and "Little Bear Ridge Road," which is running at the Booth Theatre through Feb. 15.
"Collaboration iseverythingin the theater. I am lucky to be going from one exciting project to another with Joe Mantello – and in the very same season," Metcalf said. "Joe and Nathan are longtime collaborators, and my shared history with — and deep respect for — them makes what might otherwise feel daunting feel familiar, and absolutely thrilling."
Mantello and producers are working with the Miller estate to deliver a production that "promises to channel 'Salesman's' dynamic power in a completely new way."
"Part of what's so exciting about Joe Mantello's approach is that he has been immersing himself in our extensive archives and interacting with Arthur's earliest drafts of 'Salesman' — sounding out a deeper understanding of the play's inner workings," said Kate Miller, trustee of Arthur Miller Literary and Dramatic Property Trust. "It's been wonderful to work with someone who is successfully finding new ways into a play that's been thoroughly studied, taught, and performed by the greatest artists in the world for nearly eighty years. Mantello's approach will bring 'Salesman's' impactful and ever relevant commentary on the American dream to modern audiences, and we're so eager to see it come to life."
Mantello added, "It's been incredibly rewarding to work closely with the Arthur Miller Estate who've so generously opened the archive and encouraged real exploration. Looking through Miller's early drafts revealed insights into the play's first impulses — including some surprising theatrical ideas that feel both deeply familiar and unexpectedly modern."
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