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Comedian/ Actor Chris Rock will be making his theater debut on Broadway in Stephen Adly Guirgis' 'The Motherf**ker With The Hat.'
Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the play also stars Bobby Cannavale, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Annabella Sciorra and Yul Vázquez.
'The Motherf**ker With The Hat' is a new high-octane, verbal cage match about love, fidelity, and misplaced haberdashery from playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis. Jackie and Veronica have been in love since the 8th grade. But now, Jackie is on parole and living clean and sober under the guidance of his sponsor, Ralph D, while still living and loving with his volatile soul mate Veronica who is fiercely loving, but far from sober. Still, their love is pure. And true. Nothing can come between them – except a hat.
Being on stage is nothing new for Rock, as the Brooklyn-raised comedian, who has garnered four Emmy Awards and three Grammy Awards, is listed as number five on Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time."
His critically acclaimed HBO stand-up specials include 'Chris Rock: Big Ass Jokes' (CableAce Award), 'Bring the Pain' (Emmy & Grammy Awards), 'Bigger & Blacker' (Emmy Award & Grammy Nom.), 'Never Scared' (Emmy Award & Grammy Nom.) and 'Kill the Messenger' (Emmy Award).
Since making his feature film debut in 'Beverly Hills Cop II' in 1987, Rock's film credits include 'Boomerang', 'CB4' (created, wrote, starred in & produced), 'New Jack City,' 'I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!,' Lethal Weapon 4,' 'Head of State (directorial debut),' 'I Think I Love My Wife' (also wrote & directed), 'The Longest Yard,' 'Madagascar' films, 'Grown Ups,' and 'Death at a Funeral.'
Previews for The Motherf**ker With The Hat' begins on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street, New York City).
The production will open on Monday, April 11, 2011.
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On the big screen, he's best known for voicing the character of Darth Vader in the 'Star Wars' franchise, but Mississippi-born James Earl Jones is an accomplished stage actor. Over his career, he's won seven Tony Awards since his 1969 breakout role in 'The Great White Hope.' Some of his notable performances include Oberon in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' and more recently as Big Daddy in the 2008 revival of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning drama 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.' In October of 2010, he returned to the stage in 'Driving Miss Daisy' opposite Vanessa Redgrave.
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It takes some serious vocal chops to be the youngest winner of 'American Idol.' Given that's how Jordin Sparks got her start, it would come as no surprise that the 'No Air' singer would nail the role of Nina in the musical about growing up in Washington Heights, 'In the Heights.' Sparks made her Broadway debut late summer of 2010.
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After years of toiling on TV shows and films, acclaimed actors Ernie Hudson (of 'Oz' fame) and LaTanya Richardson Jackson (previously seen in 'The Fighting Temptations') made their Broadway debuts in the critically acclaimed revival of the August Wilson play 'Joe Turner's Come And Gone,' which opened at the Belasco Theatre on April 16, 2009. The story is set in a Pittsburgh boarding house circa 1911 and features a colorful cast of characters played by Chad L. Coleman, Roger Robinson, Aunjanue Ellis, Andre Holland, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Arliss Howard, Danai Gurira, Michael Cummings and Amari Rose Leigh.
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Fans of Disney's 'High School Musical' franchise headed to Broadway to check out Corbin Bleu's Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical 'In the Heights.' The 21 year-old thespian, who is a native of Brooklyn, New York and trained under Debbie Allen's tutelage, took over the lead role of Usnavi in the spring of 2010.
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Hollywood heavyweight Cedric The Entertainer joined Tony Award nominee John Leguizamo and Academy Award nominee Hayley Joel Osment in a November 2008 revival of David Mamet's classic play, 'American Buffalo,' which played a short riun at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway. Following three small-time crooks who wax philosophically about society while conspiring to steal a rare and valuable coin from a neighborhood collector, the Oscar Joyner produced production marked the funnyman's debut on The Great White Way.
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'American Idol' Season 1 finalist Tamyra Gray blazed a new trail on Broadway when she revamped the look of lead character Mimi, a drug addicted HIV positive spitfire in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical 'Rent.' It wasn't the first time around the track for the former Georgia pageant queen; she previously starred in the Indian inspired outing, 'Bombay Dreams.'
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Patti LaBelle joined the cast of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'Fela!' on Sept. 14, 2010. The Grammy Award-winning diva took over for Lillias White, who originated the Broadway role of the African musical pioneer's mother. The musical's big-name producers, Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith came out to cheer on Patti for her first performance.
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Having already criss-crossed the world as a member of the most successful girl group of all-time, Destiny's Child, and appeared on Broadway replacing Toni Braxton as the title character in 'Aida,' in 2003, Michelle Williams took her return to The Great White Way seriously. She first played the lead role of Roxie Hart across the pond in the West End production of 'Chicago' in July of 2009 before shaking it up on Broadway.
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Academy Award winning film veteran Morgan Freeman made a return to The Great White Way in April 2008. The last time the 'Million Dollar Baby' actor appeared on the Broadway stage before: 1988's 'The Gospel at Colonus.' As Frank Elgin, the Memphis native took on a roll traditionally played by a white actor in the Mike Nichols-directed revival.
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Hip-hop superstar Sean "Diddy" Combs won rave reviews as Walter Lee Younger in the 2002 revival of the classic play 'A Raisin in the Sun.'
Comments: (14)
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By: sharkchops on 10/22/2010 11:51AM
Amazing! This guy is a terrible actor yet he's getting a chance to "act" on Broadway? All he ever does in movies is tell one-liners. So I guess he'll be doing stand-up sketches onstage during the play. Seriously, his acting has gone downhill with every performance since New Jack City.
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By: xixbo on 10/25/2010 11:23AM
His critically acclaimed HBO stand-up specials include 'Chris Rock: Big Ass Jokes' (CableAce Award), 'Bring the Pain' (Emmy & Grammy Awards), 'Bigger & Blacker' (Emmy Award & Grammy Nom.), 'Never Scared' (Emmy Award & Grammy Nom.) and 'Kill the Messenger' (Emmy Award).I am an Air Force and single at present .I need a woman who can love me back ..I also uploaded my hot photos on Uniformedmingle .c om under the name of hoho212..It's the largest and best club for seeking Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Police Force, and the admirers of those who wear the uniform.I just hope you don't mind me being a soldier ...Please Check it out!I'm serious.
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By: westfall on 10/22/2010 1:45PM
They need to clean up the name of this play, and while the clean up is being done, Rock needs to clean up his filthy mouth along with several others.
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By: wisdom on 10/25/2010 4:45PM
It does not make sense to clean up your mouth when you are on the way to hell
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By: Jewel on 10/28/2010 8:51PM
You know I agree with you. I am not a prude or easily offended. I just think there is a serious lack of tact in that title. Concerning Chris Rock, I think he is quite intelligent and talented, but to me his use of profanity is sometimes over the top and overshadows those positive qualities. After a while, it's all you hear when he opens his mouth. I know he didn't name the title, but also see he didn't mind signing up for it.
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By: gail fred on 10/22/2010 1:53PM
Can he think of anything to say without using such vulgar language. Why doe everything have to be so foul. Can somebody have a little pride and decency for the children or is this the only way these entertainers can make a buck. Is it that hard to represent something decent thses days, LIKE USING SOME REAL TALENT!!!! DANG GONE ITS EMBARASSING TO KEEP SEEING BLACK MALES ACT A FOOL, ESPECIALLY THOSE RAISING KIDS.
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By: mistyroe on 10/22/2010 2:56PM
I so much agree with you. CLEAN IT UP CHRIS!
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By: JOE COOL on 10/23/2010 12:56PM
WHERE WAS THE LANGUAGE POLICE WHEN PRYOR AND FOXX WERE TOURING CHRIS ROCK HAS EXTRAORDINARY TALENT AND AS FAR AS ACTING THAT IS A LEARNED CRAFT AND YES HE IS JUST ADEQUATE BUT SO IS TYLER PERRY AND BLACK FOLKS FLOCK TO HIS STEREOTYPICAL PLAYS AND MOVIES BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO BACKWARDS BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT GOD SPEAKS IN A WHITE MAN'S EAR AND THE GOSPEL COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH I DON'T CARE WHAT CHRIS SAYS I FORE ONE SUPPORT HIM WHY BECAUSE THIS IS AMERICA AND HE IS LIVING HIS DREAM SO THIS IS WHY "EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS" PEACE
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By: Jewel on 10/28/2010 8:57PM
Joe, the B-side comedy wasn't on Broadway - o.k.? Everyone I knew with a Richard Pryor or Redd Foxx (Foxx was bluelight XXX) had those albums stashed in their closets and brought them out after grandma left and the kids were asleep.
Most people use profanity to accentuate a point or as an exclamation of some type of emotion. It gets to be a bit much when I am with someone who has to start the day with "good MF'n morning". This also suggests a very limited range of vocabulary.
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By: R. Leland Smith on 10/24/2010 8:05PM
Cris Rock is one of the best comedians who faces real facts and conditions in a straightforward manner!Vulger language is intrinsic to this culture and cannot remain suger coated! Cris Rock speaks for those whom are not allowed to openly express themselves! His wit and charm is what we need to witness during this period of hypocrisy!
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