Common, the actor, rapper and songwriter who has won Oscar, Emmy and Grammy Awards, will make his Broadway debut in the coveted role of “Junior” in Stephen Adly Guirgis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play Between Riverside and Crazy.
Today’s announcement by the Second Stage Theater completes casting for the play, which begins performances Nov. 30 at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater ahead of a Dec. 19 opening night.
Earlier this week, the production announced that most of the cast members of the acclaimed 2015 Off Broadway production will reprise their roles for Broadway, including Stephen McKinley Henderson, Victor Almanzar, Elizabeth Canavan, Rosal Colón, Liza Colón-Zayas and Michael Rispoli.
In the 2015 staging, the role of Junior was played by Ron Cephas-Jones.
The play, directed by Austin Pendleton, tells the story of ex-cop and recent widower Walter “Pops” Washington (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and his recently paroled son Junior (Common) as they struggle to hold on to one of the last great rent stabilized apartments on Riverside Drive. With City Hall making demands, the landlord wanting them out and pressure from the Church, the play, according to the synopsis, examines “old wounds, sketchy new houseguests and a final ultimatum…”
Common most recently appeared opposite Keke Palmer in the film Alice, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. He recently wrapped production on Stefon Bristol’s Breathe opposite Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, and Quvenzhané Wallis, as well as Apple TV+’s upcoming sci-fi drama series Wool and the independent Hollywood satire El Tonto. Other film and television work includes Never Have I Ever, The Informer and Suicide Squad, among others.
He won the 2015 Oscar and 2016 Grammy for his song “Glory,” co-written with John Legend for the film Selma. He shared an Emmy for the song “Letter To The Free” in the 2017 documentary 13th. Theoretically, at least, his Broadway debut could open him up to EGOT status.
Common is represented by Grandview, UTA, Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light, and The Lede Company.