Diahann Carroll ‘Thrilled’ To star In A Raisin In The Sun

Diahann Carroll says she is “thrilled” to star in A Raisin In The Sun. Carroll, age 78, will share the spotlight with Denzel Washington, who will play her son. The Broadway play, by Lorraine Hansberry, will premier on April 3.

Carroll is excited about the opportunity. However, she has not been on Broadway on nearly 30 years. As reported by Yahoo News, the show is scheduled to run eight nights a week. As a seasoned actress, Carroll is ready for the challenge, explaining that “once you’re in the flow of it, it becomes a lifestyle.”

Discussing the difference between stage and film, Carroll points out that when she is on stage, the audience keeps her energized.

Diahann Carroll’s successful career dates back to 1960s television. In 1968 she starred in her own series titled Julia. She has appeared in numerous other television series’ including A Different World, Soul Food, and Whoopi.

As reported by DiahannCarroll.net, Carroll’s stage career includes the starring role in Sunset Boulevard. Her performance led to the title if “the ultimate Norma Desmond.”

Carroll has appeared on Broadway in Agnes of God, House of Flowers, and No Strings, for which she won a Tony Award.

A Raisin in the Sun is set in the 1950s. The play follows the story of a black family living in Chicago. As the play begins, the family is living in an impoverished neighborhood on the south side.

The matriarch, which will be played by Carroll, dreams of leaving their rundown apartment and moving into the suburbs. In the neighborhood she chooses, they will be the only black family.

Carroll is excited to be part of the project, as she has a deep respect for the late Lorraine Hansberry. She the chance to meet Hansberry before her passing in 1965, and was sincerely impressed.

Diahann Carroll will play the mother to Denzel Washington’s character Walter Lee Young. A Raisin in the Sun originally premiered in 1959. The latest revival was in 2004.

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