Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Indie Wire is reporting that legendary TV and stage actress Diahann Carroll WILL NOT star in this year’s revival of A Raisin in the Sun after all. Last year, we reported that Carroll along with Denzel Washington, Sophie Okenedo and Anika Noni Rose would star in a revival of the Lorraine Hansberry classic, directed by Tony-nominated director Kenny Leon.
However, Carroll had to pull out of the production due to the rigorous demands of the rehearsal and performance schedule. The 78-year-old diva was using the show as a way to make her Broadway comeback after a 30 year absence. She was to play the family matriarch Lena Younger, whose role was done so famously by the late Claudia McNeil, in the original 1959 stage version and 1961 film.
LaTanya is an accomplished actress in her own right and has appeared in number of hit television series and films including Fried Green Tomatoes, When a Man Loves a Woman, Law & Order, The Fighting Temptations and most recently, The Watsons Go to Birmingham.
A Raisin in the Sun will continue to run for 14 weeks, with previews beginning on March 8 and opening night set for April 23 at the Barrymore Theatre.
Photo Credits: BlackFilm.com and Zimbio.com