Barack and Michelle Obama are teaming up for something pretty exciting outside the political world these days. The former president and first lady just announced they’re diving into Broadway as producers through their company, Higher Ground Productions.
They’re backing a revival of Proof, that Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Auburn. It’s the story of a young woman dealing with her brilliant but troubled mathematician father’s legacy—after he passes away, she finds a notebook that might hold some game-changing work, and it digs into themes like genius, family inheritance, mental health struggles, doubt, and trust. Really powerful stuff that hits on what we pass down from the people closest to us.
📷 Barack and Michelle Obama (Credit: ABC News/Getty Images)
The cast looks incredible too—Don Cheadle is stepping into the role of the mathematician, and Ayo Edebiri is playing his daughter. Both are making their Broadway debuts, which adds even more buzz.
Thomas Kail, the Tony-winning director behind Hamilton, is helming this production, and he’s producing it alongside Mike Bosner and the Obamas. The show is set for a strictly limited 16-week run at the Booth Theatre, with previews kicking off late March and opening in April.
In their statement, the Obamas shared how honored they feel to be part of it. They said something along the lines of it being a real privilege to bring this landmark play back with such a talented team, and that Proof is exactly the kind of thoughtful story Higher Ground was built to support—one that wrestles with brilliance, uncertainty, and the things we inherit from loved ones.
Higher Ground has been killing it in film, TV, and podcasts so far—think Oscar nods for American Factory (which they won), Emmys, Grammys—but this marks their first real step into theater. Fans are already wondering if this revival will capture the magic of the original, which premiered back in 2000, moved to Broadway, swept awards, and even got turned into a movie with Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.
It’s cool to see the Obamas choosing storytelling and creative projects like this over jumping back into politics, even though some folks have nudged them that way. Should be a fascinating addition to the Broadway season!
