Topdog/Underdog, a darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity, tells the story of two brothers, Lincoln and Booth , names given to them as a joke by their father. Haunted by the past and their obsession with the street con game, three-card monte, the brothers come to learn the true nature of their history. Susan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Topdog/Underdog returns to Broadway for its 20th Anniversary production.
As Lincoln, Hawkins (from the 'In The Heights' film, 'BlacKkKlansman') is weathered by the world - bruised, tired and punishing, but also grandfatherly for someone so young. (Maybe it's the fake Abe beard.) When he furiously deals three-card monte, the actor drives the speeches with Nascar adrenaline. Hawkins is thrilling.
'I am a brother playing Lincoln. It's a stretch for anyone's imagination,' explains an early-middle-aged Black male who makes a living impersonating Abraham Lincoln (with a suit, beard, top hat, and whiteface makeup) as part of a bizarre arcade attraction where patrons can reenact Lincoln's assassination in 'Topdog/Underdog,' Suzan-Lori Parks' gritty, Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of sibling rivalry, which is now receiving an excellent 20th anniversary Broadway revival starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ('The Trial of the Chicago 7') and Corey Hawkins ('In the Heights').
2022 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Yahya Abdul-Mateeh II |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Corey Hawkins |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Kenny Leon |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Topdog/Underdog |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Dede Ayite |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Director of a Play | Kenny Leon |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Corey Hawkins |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Topdog/Underdog |
2023 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Awards | Yahya Abdul-Mateen II |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Yaha Abdul-Mateen II |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | Corey Hawkins |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Revival of a Play | Topdog/Underdog |
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