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The Broadway transfer of Joshua Harmon’s “Prayer for the French Republic,” which explores contemporary and historical antisemitism in France through a family’s struggles, will take place this winter. The Manhattan Theater Club, which premiered the play Off Broadway last year, will produce it. It will be directed by David Cromer, and previews will begin on December 19th, with the opening scheduled for January 9th at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater. No casting details have been announced yet.
This production comes amid a growing concern about antisemitism in the US and worldwide. Last season, two shows exploring antisemitism — the play “Leopoldstadt,” and the musical “Parade” — were widely acclaimed and are leading Tony Award contenders. This season, the musical “Harmony” is exploring the same themes related to a vocal group that crosses the Nazis’ path in 20th-century Germany.
This will be Harmon’s second Broadway play, following his successful run of “Significant Other” in 2017 at the Booth Theater. However, his comedy “Bad Jews” is what earned him widespread recognition.
The play features a relatively large cast of 16 actors and has a three-hour running time, making it expensive to produce on Broadway. This production is being financed, in part, by the Roy Cockrum Foundation that supports ambitious work by nonprofits that was established by a Powerball-winning theater lover.
In other news, MTC recently appointed Chris Jennings as its new executive director, succeeding outgoing executive producer Barry Grove. Jennings, who currently serves as executive director of the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, will work alongside MTC’s artistic director, Lynne Meadow, who celebrated her 50th anniversary with the company last year.
