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Longtime Bravo star Kandi Burruss has traded in her ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ peach for a hand in the Broadway revival of ‘Othello.’
Bravo viewers know Kandi Burruss best for her 14 seasons on The Real Housewives of Atlanta. On the reality show, the former Xscape vocalist struggled to juggle family and work, often sharing her complete overwhelm with all of the projects she took on. Now, Burruss is taking a break from reality TV and investing her resources elsewhere, more specifically Broadway.
On November 4, LIVE with Kelly and Mark hosted Burruss to learn about her involvement in the Broadway revival of Othello — the first adaptation of the play in over 40 years. The mother of three has been involved with three other Broadway shows, including 2022’s The Piano Lesson, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Revival of a Play. Now, Burruss and her production partner, Brian Moreland, are taking on one of Shakespeare’s greatest works.
Starting in February 2025, Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal will star in a 15-week run of Othello, according to the official website. Washington, 69, will take on the lead as Othello. Gyllenhaal, 43, will portray Iago, whose manipulation leads Othello to doubt his wife Desdemona’s fidelity. Burruss shared her excitement about the play. “It’s an amazing piece,” she explained on LIVE with Kelly and Mark. “I was just so excited to be a part of, to work with Denzel and Jake Gyllenhaal on this project.”
Burruss elaborated, “I was a producer on The Piano Lesson, which starred John David Washington, Denzel’s son. So, I was around them a lot, their family. I really got the opportunity to see how great of people they are. [Denzel is] always so welcoming and so kind. So when he decided that he wanted to do Othello, and my producing partner Bryan Moreland — he was the first one coming on — he was like, ‘You wanna do this with us?’ So I was like, ‘You know it! You know it.’”
Kelly Ripa highlighted Burruss’s role in reinvigorating the performing arts post-pandemic. “I think you in no small part are part of the big revival of Broadway,” the longtime TV host stated. “Thank you!” Burruss responded. “You know, when Broadway shut down, I was one of the first producers who was going to be part of a show coming back with Thoughts of a Colored Man. Since then, it has been my mission to make sure that not only does Broadway come back, but it comes back bigger and better than ever.”
Taking place at Broadway’s Barrymore Theatre, Othello won’t be the first Broadway appearance for Washington and Gyllenhaal either. Washington has previously headlined five Broadway shows, most recently starring in the 2018 revival of The Iceman Cometh. Gyllenhaal has also made his mark with three Broadway roles. This includes a standout performance as George in Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George in 2017.