Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Joe Keery and Lily Rabe will star in the first Broadway revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s play “Other Desert Cities” this fall. The play will begin previews on September 29 at the Hudson Theatre and will officially open on October 18, directed by Tony Award winner John Benjamin Hickey. The limited engagement will end January 17, 2027.
“Other Desert Cities” takes place on Christmas Eve in the sunlit Palm Springs home of a politically connected family, which becomes a battleground of memory, loyalty and legacy when a daughter returns with a memoir and the power to expose the explosive truth they’ve kept hidden. As the past comes into focus, the question isn’t just what happened, but who owns a family’s story, and what the cost is to tell it.
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Louis-Dreyfus, an 11-time Emmy winner, will make her Broadway debut in the production as Polly. Best known for her iconic comedic roles on television, she first rose to prominence as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live.” Her other television credits include “Seinfeld,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine” and “Veep.” Her film credits include “Enough Said,” “Downhill” and several Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, including “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Thunderbolts.”
Harris, a four-time Academy Award nominee, will play Lyman. He made his Broadway debut in “Precious Sons,” which earned him a Tony nomination. His other Broadway credits include “Taking Sides” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” His screen credits include “Apollo 13,” “Game Change,” “Empire Falls,” “The Truman Show,” “Pollock,” “A Beautiful Mind” and “The Hours” alongside Janney.
Janney, an Academy Award winner for “I, Tonya,” will play Silda. She returns to Broadway for the first time following her performance in “Six Degrees of Separation” in 2017. Her other Broadway credits include Tony-nominated performances in “9 to 5” and “A View From the Bridge.” She made her Broadway debut in “Present Laughter” and starred in the Public Theater’s 1999 production of “The Taming of the Shrew.” A seven-time Emmy winner for “The West Wing,” “Mom” and “Masters of Sex,” her film credits include “Juno,” “The Help,” “Bombshell” and “The Hours” alongside Harris.
Keery, who will make his Broadway debut as Trip, is an actor and musician best known for starring as Steve Harrington on “Stranger Things.” His other screen credits include “Free Guy,” “Molly’s Game,” “Spree,” “Cold Storage” and “Fargo.” Keery also releases solo music under the name Djo.
Rabe, who will play Brooke, most recently starred off-Broadway in “Ghosts” at Lincoln Center Theater. She made her Broadway debut in “Steel Magnolias” and received a Tony nomination for “The Merchant of Venice.” Her other Broadway credits include “Heartbreak House,” “The American Plan” and “Seminar.” Select film and television credits include “American Horror Story,” “The Undoing,” “Shrinking,” “Miss Stevens” and “Vice.”
“Other Desert Cities” will feature scenic design by three-time Tony winner Scott Pask, costume design by Emmy winner Tom Broecker, lighting design by eight-time Tony winner Natasha Katz, sound design and original music by Mikaal Sulaiman and hair and wig design by Robert Pickens.
This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.
