Cuba Gooding Jr, Vanessa Williams, Condola Rashad Round Out Cast of ‘The Trip to Bountiful’

An all-star cast including Cicely Tyson, Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Williams and Condola Rashad will appear in the new Broadway revival of “The Trip To Bountiful.”

The play will begin previews March 31, 2013 and officially open its 14-week limited engagement on April 23. The production will represent Tyson’s first Broadway appearance since 1983.

“For years I have been searching for the perfect project to bring me back to my true home – the stage,” she said. “In many ways Broadway is my ‘Bountiful’ and I’m eager and honored to return with the strong, passionate, and funny character in a timeless American classic.”

Tyson will play Carrie Watts, “an elderly woman who dreams of returning to her small hometown of Bountiful, TX one last time, against the wishes of her overprotective son (Gooding) and domineering daughter-in-law (Williams),” according to press notes. “Her journey becomes a heartbreaking but ultimately life-affirming and inspiring tale that examines the fragility of memory and celebrates the enduring power of hope and faith.”

“The Trip to Bountiful” is written by Horton Foote and began life as an NBC teleplay in 1953, and premiered on Broadway the same year. In 1985, Foote adapted the play into a film, and the play was revised for an Off-Broadway run in 2005.

“‘The Trip to Bountiful’ is among Horton’s most beloved plays, and Carrie Watts, one of his most memorable characters,” said Michael Wilson, who will direct the new production. “To do the play and role justice, you need an actress of rare stature and command. Cicely Tyson has, over the span of a distinguished career, depicted iconic Americans engaged in immense struggle. Her legendary performances – from Jane Pittman to Coretta Scott King to Harriet Tubman, to name just a few – have contributed mightily to our sense of national identity and character. I am thrilled that she is returning to the stage now to have her trip, to lead us all on a journey that promises to be unforgettable.”