Former U.S. president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama say they’re excited about a new creative project they’ll be taking on together.
Although some supporters have encouraged one of them to return to politics, the couple is choosing a different path. Instead, they are expanding their storytelling work through their production company Higher Ground Productions by helping produce their first Broadway show.
The project they’re backing is a revival of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Proof, written by David Auburn. The story centers on the daughter of a brilliant but troubled mathematician who discovers a notebook after his d3ath that may contain groundbreaking work—raising questions about genius, inheritance, and trust.
The new Broadway production will star Don Cheadle as the mathematician and Ayo Edebiri as his daughter, marking both actors’ Broadway debuts.
In a statement released Wednesday (March 11), the Obamas said they felt honored to help bring the celebrated play back to the stage.
“To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and Mike at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production,” they said.
“Proof is exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was created to champion — one that explores brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love.”
The revival will run for 16 weeks starting in April and will be directed by Tony Award winner Thomas Kail, who will also produce the show alongside Mike Bosner and the Obamas.
This marks a new step for Higher Ground, which has mainly focused on film, television, and podcasts. The company has already received three Academy Award nominations, winning one for American Factory, along with six Emmy Awards and two Grammys.
Bosner and Kail welcomed the partnership, saying Higher Ground’s passion for meaningful storytelling makes them ideal collaborators for the revival.
The play originally premiered Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2000 before transferring to Broadway, where it won several major awards. It was later adapted into a 2005 film starring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.
With the Obamas now involved in the Broadway revival, many theater fans are eager to see whether this new run of Proof will achieve the same success as the original.