Jake Gyllenhaal and Denzel Washington‘s stage version of Othello has set an all-time Broadway record. While both actors are known primarily for the screen, Washington and Gyllenhaal have also made their foray onto the stage. Washington is a previous Tony Award recipient, winning Best Leading Actor in a Play in 2010 for his role in Fences, which he later adapted for the screen. Gyllenhaal has been in productions both on and off-Broadway, including Sunday in the Park with George and Little Shop of Horrors. The actors currently star together in Othello.

Per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Othello has now broken the record for the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. In its previews at the Barrymore Theater, the Shakespeare play managed to bring in $2,818,297. This makes it the top-performing eight-performance play in Broadway history, breaking the previous record held by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which made $2,718,488.

What This Means For Broadway

A Movie Tie-In Helps Stage Plays

If the two Broadway record-holders show one thing, it is that a movie tie-in does well for the stage. While Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a separate story that is set several years after the events of Deathly Hallows, it finds its franchise origins in a book series that became a major cinematic IP. Because of this, the film was more easily able to draw both Broadway fans and Harry Potter franchise audiences that would not have otherwise seen the play. The same could be said about Othello, which features two Hollywood A-listers.

Othello‘s success could have interesting implications on the careers of both Washington and Gyllenhaal. Washington has been clear that he is not retiring but that he is going to be more selective about the projects he takes on. While he will be less likely to do stunt-filled action movies that he might have taken on in his younger years, perhaps Othello‘s success could compel the Oscar-winner to the stage. Likewise, Gyllenhaal could be motivated to do more on Broadway when his schedule allows.

Our Take On Othello’s Broadway Record

Broadway And Hollywood Audiences Are Increasingly Overlapping

This recent record serves as further proof that the relationship between Hollywood and Broadway is getting better in terms of overlapping viewership. While the groups are often considered starkly separate in terms of interest, last year also saw the release of the movie adaptation of the Broadway show Wicked. This film was met with huge success, showing that it had an appeal both to Broadway audiences and those not typically interested in musicals. Othello is just another example of that crossover, and it will be interesting to see how Broadway-Hollywood connections like this develop.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline

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  Denzel Washington

  Birthdate

  
  December 28, 1954
  

  Birthplace

  Mount Vernon, New York, USA

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  Jake Gyllenhaal

  Birthdate

  
  December 19, 1980
  

  Birthplace

  Los Angeles, California, USA