Life of Pi on Broadway gets a warm welcome

The extraordinary tale of courage of an Indian boy who finds himself stranded in the Pacific Ocean

This has been one Broadway debut that many Indians in America have been awaiting. And surely enough, if the ongoing previews of new Broadway show, ‘Life of Pi’ are anything to go by – the response and the enthusiasm to see this extraordinary tale of courage has been overwhelming.

Recently, in New York City, many celebrities and Indian-origin achievers gathered to celebrate the show. The pre-show reception held at the Hard Rock Hotel in NYC saw in attendance TV host and cook book author Padma Lakshmi; American actor, writer and comedian Nik Dodani; half Indian, half Polish American comedian and actor Danny Pudi; revolutionary fitness program Class Pass founder Payal Kadakia; actor and director Bing Chen among many others.

Read: ‘Life of Pi’ on Broadway is “a dream run” for Mahnaz Damania (December 8, 2022)

The evening performance of the play was joined by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti plus the cast including Olivier Award winner Hiran Abeysekera.

The show is also a critically awaited watch as three 2022 Olivier Award-Winning, Life of Pi stars are making their Broadway debut reprising the roles of Pi and Richard Parker.

Winner of Best Actor award, Hiran Abeysekera will be leading the cast of Life of Pi. Best Supporting Actor, puppeteers Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink are joining Bengal tiger Richard Parker team.

The full Broadway caste of Life of Pi features many Indian American performers including Rajesh Bose, Mahnaz Damania, Mahira Kakkar, Uma Paranjpe.

Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, with the same name, Life of Pi Broadway cast will also feature Brian Thomas Abraham as cook/voice of tiger “Richard Parker,” Rajesh Bose as father and Avery Glymph, Mahira Kakkar, Kirstin Louie, Salma Qarnain, Sathya Sridharan, Daisuke Tsuji, and Sonya Venugopal.

Life of Pi on Broadway features puppetry and movement direction by Finn Caldwell, puppet design by Nick Barnes and Caldwell. It is directed by Max Webster with set and costume designs by Tim Hatley.

The novel that was also adapted on screen by Ang Lee tells the story of a 16-year-old Indian boy named Pi who finds himself stranded in the middle of Pacific Ocean after a cargo ship carrying his family sinks.

Left on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker the story progresses with Pi’s race against time and the nature’s law.

Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel will premiere at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th Street.

Life of Pi played at Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End where it won five Olivier Awards including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design.

Read: ‘Life of Pi’ Will Come to Broadway (October 24, 2022)

In a historic first for the Olivier Awards, the seven performers who play Royal Bengal tiger Richard Parker were collectively awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The London production with its cutting-edge visual effects has garnered great critical acclaim and will launch a UK & Ireland tour in the summer of 2023.

The show which began performances on March 9 officially opens March 30. Prior to the Broadway engagement, Life of Pi made its North American Premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.