Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of THE HARDER THEY COME At The Public Theater

The Harder They Come, an adaptation of the classic Jamaican film, is now playing through April 9 at The Public Theater.

By: Jennifer Broski Mar. 16, 2023

POPULAR

Photos: First Look at Bernadette Peters, Lea Salonga & More in STEPHEN SONDHEIM'S OLD FRIE Photo

1 Photos: Get a First Look at STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S OLD FRIENDS

Which Shows Had the Biggest Overhaul From Out-of-Town Tryout to Broadway Opening? Photo

2 Which Shows Had the Biggest Overhaul From Out-of-Town Tryout to Broadway Opening?

Meet the Cast of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Beginning Previews Tonight! Photo

3 Meet the Cast of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Beginning Previews Tonight!

THE WIZ Gets Broadway Dates, Plus First Look at Cast! Photo

4 THE WIZ Gets Broadway Dates, Plus First Look at Cast!

Show Info

Get Tickets
Tickets from: $119

Cast

Photos

Videos

The world premiere musical The Harder They Come, an adaptation of the classic Jamaican film, is now playing through April 9 at The Public Theater.

Check out photos from opening night below!

Fifty years after the film premiered in New York City, the musical features a book and additional new songs by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks, songs by legendary musician Jimmy Cliff, music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Kenny Seymour, choreography by Edgar Godineaux, co-direction by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo, and direction by Tony Award nominee Tony Taccone. The production began performances in the Newman Theater on Thursday, February 16 and officially opens on Wednesday, March 15.

The complete cast of THE HARDER THEY COME includes Jeannette Bayardelle (Daisy), Shawn Bowers (Ensemble), J. Bernard Calloway (Preacher), Andrew Clarke (Lyle), Eean Sherrod Cochran (Understudy), Tyla Collier (Understudy), Jamal Christopher Douglas (Ensemble), Tiffany Francès (Understudy), Garfield Hammonds (Understudy), Dana Marie Ingraham (Ensemble), Dominique Johnson (Jose), Chelsea-Ann Jones (Ensemble), Natey Jones (Ivan), Dudney Joseph Jr (Ray), Dwight Xaveir Leslie (Understudy), Morgan McGhee (Ensemble), Meecah (Elsa), Jacob Ming-Trent (Pedro), Alysha Morgan (Ensemble), Ken Robinson (Hilton), Housso Semon (Ensemble), Denver Andre Taylor (Understudy), Sir Brock Warren (Ensemble), Carla Woods (Understudy), and Christopher Henry Young (Ensemble).

The breakthrough film, produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone, tells the story of Ivan, a young singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, eager to become a star. After falling in love and cutting a record deal with a powerful music mogul, Ivan soon learns that the game is rigged, and as he becomes increasingly defiant, he finds himself in a battle that threatens not only his life, but the very fabric of Jamaican society.

The Harder They Come
The Henzell family

The Harder They Come
Luis Miranda

The Harder They Come
Wendell Pierce

The Harder They Come
Marielle Heller, Jorma Taccone

The Harder They Come
LA Williams

The Harder They Come
Ato Blankson-Wood

The Harder They Come
Dwight Xaveir Leslie

The Harder They Come
Diggle, Japhy Weideman

The Harder They Come
Sergio Trujillo, Jack Noseworthy, Luis Salgado

The Harder They Come
Sergio Trujillo, Tony Taccone

The Harder They Come
Kenny Seymour

The Harder They Come
Daniel J. Watts

The Harder They Come
Tony Taccone, Sergio Trujillo, Suzan-Lori Parks, Kenny Seymour

The Harder They Come
Tony Taccone, Sergio Trujillo, Justine Henzell, Suzan-Lori Parks, Kenny Seymour

The Harder They Come
Suzan-Lori Parks, Sterling K. Brown

The Harder They Come
Sterling K. Brown

The Harder They Come
Aisha Jackson

The Harder They Come
Patricia McGregor, Freedome Bradley-Ballentine

The Harder They Come
Suzan-Lori Parks, Freedome Bradley-Ballentine, Amrita Ramanan, Garlia Cornelia Jones, Kwame Dawes, Justine Henzell

The Harder They Come
Christina Sajous

The Harder They Come
Eean Sherrod Cochran

The Harder They Come
Carla Woods

The Harder They Come
Jamal Christopher Douglas

The Harder They Come
Shawn Bowers

The Harder They Come
Christopher Henry Young

The Harder They Come
Earon Chew Nealey

The Harder They Come
Heather Alicia Simms

The Harder They Come
Dudney Joseph, Jr.

The Harder They Come
Brenda Braxton

The Harder They Come
Denver Andre Taylor

The Harder They Come
Garfield Hammonds

The Harder They Come
Tyla Collier

The Harder They Come
Sterling K. Brown, J. Bernard Calloway, Wendell Pierce

The Harder They Come
Suzan-Lori Parks, Sterling K. Brown, J. Bernard Calloway, Wendell Pierce

The Harder They Come
Tiffany Frances

The Harder They Come
Andrew Clarke

The Harder They Come
Dominique Johnson

The Harder They Come
Dana Marie Ingraham

The Harder They Come
Lizzie Mason

The Harder They Come
Jeannette Bayardelle

The Harder They Come
Natey Jones

The Harder They Come
Jaylen Petinaud

The Harder They Come
John Bronston

The Harder They Come
Erika R. Gamez

The Harder They Come
Sir Brock Warren

The Harder They Come
Meecah

The Harder They Come
Emilia Lirman

The Harder They Come
Edgar Godineaux

The Harder They Come
Housso Semon

The Harder They Come
Morgan McGhee

The Harder They Come
Alysha Morgan

The Harder They Come
Lizzie Mason, Edgar Godineaux

The Harder They Come
Carmen Ruby Floyd, J. Bernard Calloway

The Harder They Come
Chelsea-Ann Jones

Buy Tickets to The Harder They Come - from: $119

From This Author - Jennifer Broski

Born and raised in Maine, she’s now on her second—and longer—stint as a Manhattanite. She’s worn many hats (writer, bookseller, merch girl, and more), but this one is her... Jennifer Broski">(read more about this author)