Video: Kara Young and Kerry Washington Preview THE WHOOPI MONOLOGUES on GOOD MORNING AMERICA
The Whoopi Monologues begins performances on Tuesday, July 7, with an official opening night set for Monday, July 13 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater.
Two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young and Emmy winner Kerry Washington joined Good Morning America on Monday to discuss the new production of The Whoopi Monologues, the influential show from Whoopi Goldberg. In the new version, the solo show has been reimagined as an ensemble piece, with Washington and Young among the cast.
The conversation kicked off with comments from Washington, who shared that staging a new production was a longtime dream after seeing the original HBO special at a young age. "It changed my life, this show. But I wanted to do it with a team of actresses that I adore and respect and admire because I feel like it takes five of us to do what Whoopi Goldberg did..."
Young is playing the character of Fontaine, sharing that her portrayal is a "work-in-progress." "I feel incredibly connected to Fontaine. I know so many Fontaines in the world and I'm very happy to be honoring people who literally go unseen and unheard and ignored quite often." Watch the full conversation now.
The Whoopi Monologues begins performances on Tuesday, July 7, with an official opening night set for Monday, July 13 at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. Written by Whoopi Goldberg and directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Whitney White, The Whoopi Monologues will star Emmy Award Nominee Dominique Fishback (“Swarm,” “The Deuce”), Tony Award winner Kecia Lewis (Hell’s Kitchen), NAACP Image Award Winner Danielle Pinnock (“Ghosts”), Emmy Award-winning producer and Golden Globe-nominated actress Kerry Washington (“Imperfect Women,” American Son), and two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young (Purlie Victorious, Purpose), with Kai Heath, Denise Manning, and Pavar Snipe rounding out the cast as understudies.
In 1984, then unknown monologist Whoopi Goldberg premiered her provocative, thought-provoking one-woman show on Broadway, torching the rulebook of traditional solo performance in one of the most electrifying debuts of the era. Now, the trailblazing work returns, reimagined for a new generation led by a remarkable ensemble of 5 women bringing Goldberg’s unforgettable characters back to the stage. Funny, vivid, and deeply human, these nuanced portraits feel as fresh and irresistible today as they were over 40 years ago.