ANEW: Denzel Washington’s "Othello" on Broadway

A First Glimpse at Greatness

From Playbill and “Othello”

There’s something thrilling about being among the first to witness a show before it’s ready for prime time. Last week, I found myself in that very position, settling into my seat to watch one of the first previews of Broadway’s new Othello, starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal. The house buzzed with that electric mix of anticipation and uncertainty—the kind that makes you lean in a little closer, listen a little harder.

Now, let me be clear: I’m not about to hand out reviews. Previews are for working out the kinks, and it would be unfair to pass judgment on a production still finding its footing. But I will tell you this much—what I saw was more than promising. It was riveting.

To set the stage a bit: this isn’t your grandmother’s Othello. Directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon, this version is planted firmly in the near-future, circa 2028, with a war-torn, militarized Italy as the backdrop. Think fatigues and machine guns, a nod to the stylized chaos of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet from the '90s. But while the setting was modern, the themes—love, jealousy, betrayal—felt as timeless as ever.

Denzel as Othello was everything you’d expect and a bit more. In armor and anguish, he was both larger than life and heartbreakingly human. Here was a man marked by greatness but slowly corroded by doubt, spurred on by Iago’s venomous whispers. Speaking of which, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Iago was insidiously charming—a man you wanted to trust until you absolutely couldn’t. The interplay between these two was fascinating to watch, even in scenes that hadn’t yet reached full velocity.

This brings me to the nature of previews themselves. For anyone who’s never experienced one, they’re a bit like watching a painter at work—brushstrokes appearing, sections smoothed over, others left conspicuously blank. Back in November of 1981, I sat in the Blackstone Theatre in Chicago to witness a pre-Broadway run of Othello with James Earl Jones as Othello and Christopher Plummer as Iago. Even then, it was clear we were in the presence of something extraordinary.

James Earl Jones’s portrayal of Othello was a study in restraint and generosity—allowing Plummer’s Iago to command the stage with villainous precision. Jones’s ability to step back, to give his fellow actors the room to breathe, was a masterclass in the art of presence. As I wrote earlier this year on my Medium page, Jones’s strength lay not in dominating every scene but in knowing when to step forward and when to step back. True greatness, as he showed us, is often defined by the humility to lift others up.

This new Othello takes a different approach, attempting to shift the center of gravity away from Iago and back to Othello himself. It’s a bold choice, and one that, if fully realized, could make for a powerful meditation on power, race, and isolation. Whether they can pull that off by opening night is anyone’s guess, but the ambition alone is worth applauding.

It’s also worth noting that previews serve a practical purpose. Time was, productions would pack up and tour out-of-town theaters—Chicago, Boston, D.C., New Haven —to test their mettle away from the scrutiny of New York critics. Now, Broadway previews offer that same trial-by-fire with the bonus of shaving down the logistics and cost of hitting the road. It’s a risk, but one that often pays off, giving directors and actors room to breathe, adjust, and sharpen the narrative knife edge.

So what’s the verdict on this Othello? Too soon to say for certain, but I left the theater genuinely excited for what’s to come. Denzel finding the fault lines in Othello’s psyche, Gyllenhaal’s snake-oil charm as Iago, the modern militaristic setting—all of it hints at a production with both teeth and heart.

Opening night is set for March 23 at the Barrymore Theatre. If the kinks get worked out—and I suspect they will—this is one you’ll want to see. In the meantime, keep an eye out for updates. There’s something about watching greatness unfold, even in its rougher forms, that feels like a gift.

More soon.

Curated Listening:

We have come a long way since the obtuse and sometimes strained race relations of the 1960s and ‘70s. Or have we? Undoubtedly, music has evolved and changed since 1973 when the band Stories released “Brother Louie,” but the song serves as a kind of odd timepiece when cultures did not mix all that much. Listen to brother “Louie” HERE. And let me know what you think. Anachronistic, maybe, but certainly an earworm.