News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

The Present 2017

Run Time:
Three hours, with one intermission
Ages: 5+
Opened: January 8, 2017
Closing: March 19, 2017

The Present - 2017 Broadway History , Info & More

Ethel Barrymore Theatre (Broadway)
243 West 47th St. New York, NY

Variously known as Platonov, Wild Honey, Fatherlessness and The Disinherited, Anton Chekhov's untitled first play was not discovered until 1920, some 16 years after the playwright's death.



Andrew Upton's adaptation is set post-Perestroika in the mid-1990s at an old country house where friends gather to celebrate the birthday of the independent but compromised widow Anna Petrovna (Blanchett). At the center is the acerbic and witty Platonov (Roxburgh) with his wife, his former students and friends and their partners. They may appear comfortable, but boiling away inside is a mess of unfinished, unresolved relationships, fuelled by twenty years of denial, regret and thwarted desire.


Get The Present Email Alerts

Be the first to get ticket offers, news, photos & more.

PREVIEW The Present - 2017 - Broadway

The Present Production Photo
Photos
Show Video Preview
Videos

FEATURED REVIEWS FOR The Present

Theater Review: Cate Blanchett Boosts Up The Present (And So Does Her Underwear)
5 / 10

... if the politics of this Platonov revamp are apt enough, the drama still founders on the play's inability to link them convincingly to the nearly farcical social comedy of individuals at loose ends. Partly this is because the production, directed somewhat bumpily by John Crowley, keeps the politics at bay for too long while it focuses on the radiating damage an empty man can cause at great removes, like a storm surge. We do not really understand the stakes until it's too late, which may be accurate for the characters but undermines the audience. Chekhov's famous dramaturgical dictum - 'one must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isn't going to go off' - is meticulously observed here; the General's old pistol is all but spotlit throughout. But however much damage it finally causes, it isn't enough to turn The Present, which operates best as a comedy, into the tragedy it seems to wish it were. It would take Chekhov another 20 years to figure out how to make the two things into one.

'The Present': Theater Review
7 / 10

The entire company of 13 has been with the production since it debuted in Sydney in 2015, and that commitment shows both in the depth of the individual characterizations and the sparks of their interactions. While there's not a weak link in the ensemble, I particularly enjoyed McKenzie's increasingly single-minded Sophia; Prior, bringing puppy-dog devotion to Sasha; Jacobs' wistful Alexei; Marshall Napier, amusing as the boozehound father of Sasha and Nikolai; and Ryan as Sergei, a meek, uninteresting man painfully aware of his own dullness. Weaving together these characters and their hollow lives in a context that connects them both to Chekhov's Russia and to our own uncertain world, Upton, Crowley and this accomplished company have elevated a problematic play into something unexpectedly satisfying.

Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh to Chat THE PRESENT on THEATER TALK This Week
by BWW News Desk - March 15, 2017


This week, THEATER TALK welcomes actors Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh, now appearing on Broadway in the acclaimed Sydney Theatre Company production of The Present - an adaptation by Andrew Upton of Anton Chekhov's first play Platonov. The charismatic and articulate duo provides a master class in acting techniques and playing Chekhov in this rewarding episode of the series.

Photo Coverage: THE PRESENT's Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh Unveil Portraits at Sardi's!
by Walter McBride - March 15, 2017


Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh just got their own present from Sardi's yesterday. The Australian actors, currently starring in THE PRESENT on Broadway, just unveiled their very own caricatures at the Theatre District hotspot. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the special day and you can check out photos below!

VIDEO: Cate Blanchett Says THE PRESENT Is Both Hilarious and Tragic
by Caryn Robbins - March 7, 2017


Cate Blanchett stopped by THE LATE SHOW Friday night to discuss making her Broadway debut in THE PRESENT.

THE PRESENT Launches Digital Lottery Today
by BWW News Desk - February 15, 2017


The Sydney Theatre Company production of THE PRESENT announces a digital lottery beginning today, Wednesday, February 15. The digital lottery will be powered by Shubert Ticketing through the Telecharge Digital Lottery platform, which provides theatregoers access to affordable tickets through multiple social networks.

VIDEO: THE PRESENT's Cate Blanchett Discusses Breaking the Fourth Wall on Stage
by Caryn Robbins - January 31, 2017


On this morning's LIVE WITH KELLY, Cate Blanchett discussed making her Broadway debut in THE PRESENT and shared what happened when her 8-year-old son came to see the show!

VIDEO: THE PRESENT's Cate Blanchett Shows Off Her Broadway Belching Skills on 'Tonight'
by Caryn Robbins - January 24, 2017


On last night's TONIGHT SHOW, guest Cate Blanchett chatted with Jimmy about living in New York City and making her Broadway debut in THE PRESENT.

TV: From Sydney to NYC- THE PRESENT Makes Its Way to Broadway with Cate Blanchett & Richard Roxburgh!
by TV - Opening Night Special - January 9, 2017


Andrew Upton's new adaptation ofAnton Chekhov's first play, Platonov,The Present opened just last night at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017. THE PRESENT features the Sydney Theatre Company cast of 13, each making their Broadway debut, including Cate Blanchett (Anna) and Richard Roxburgh (Mikhail).

Photo Flash: First Look at Cate Blanchett & Company in THE PRESENT on Broadway
by Nicole Rosky - January 9, 2017


Andrew Upton's new adaptation ofAnton Chekhov's first play, Platonov,The Present opened just last night at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017. THE PRESENT features the Sydney Theatre Company cast of 13, each making their Broadway debut, including Cate Blanchett (Anna) and Richard Roxburgh (Mikhail).

Photo Coverage: Cate Blanchett & Company Celebrate Opening Night of THE PRESENT!
by Walter McBride - January 9, 2017


Andrew Upton's new adaptation ofAnton Chekhov's first play, Platonov,The Present opened just last night at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017. THE PRESENT features the Sydney Theatre Company cast of 13, each making their Broadway debut, including Cate Blanchett (Anna) and Richard Roxburgh (Mikhail).

Photo Coverage: On the Opening Night Red Carpet for THE PRESENT!
by Walter McBride - January 9, 2017


Andrew Upton's new adaptation ofAnton Chekhov's first play, Platonov,The Present opened just last night at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017. THE PRESENT features the Sydney Theatre Company cast of 13, each making their Broadway debut, including Cate Blanchett (Anna) and Richard Roxburgh (Mikhail).

Review Roundup: Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh-Led THE PRESENT- All the Reviews!
by Nicole Rosky - January 8, 2017


Andrew Upton's new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's first play, Platonov, The Present opens tonight at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017. THE PRESENT features the Sydney Theatre Company cast of 13, each making their Broadway debut, including Cate Blanchett (Anna) and Richard Roxburgh (Mikhail).

BWW Review: Gifted Cate Blanchett Adds Life To THE PRESENT
by Michael Dale - January 9, 2017


Those introspective, philosophical, womanizing man-children who inhabit the oeuvre of Anton Chekhov tend to be annoying bores, so even though the unpublished manuscript discovered after the playwright's death has been posthumously named after, its leading man, Platonov, it's no surprise that it's the leading lady who gets all the juicy material.

THE PRESENT, Starring Cate Blanchett, Opens on Broadway this Sunday!
by BWW News Desk - January 6, 2017


The Sydney Theatre Company production of THE PRESENT opens Sunday, January 8. Andrew Upton's new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's first play, Platonov, THE PRESENT is directed by John Crowley at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017.

VIDEO: THE PRESENT's Cate Blanchett & Richard Roxburgh Play 'Who's Who' on GMA
by Caryn Robbins - December 29, 2016


Actors Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh, both making their Broadway debuts in Anton Chekhov's THE PRESENT, stopped by this morning's GOOD MORNING AMERICA to discuss the production.

DVR Alert: THE PRESENT's Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh Visit GMA Today
by BWW News Desk - December 29, 2016


Today, December 29th, actors Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh, both making their Broadway debuts in Anton Chekhov's The Present, will appear on ABC's GOOD MORNING AMERICA. BWW will bring you video of the appearance as soon as it becomes available.

DVR Alert: THE PRESENT's Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh Will Visit GMA
by Caryn Robbins - December 23, 2016


ABC has announced that on Thursday, December 29th, actors Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh, both making their Broadway debuts in Anton Chekhov's THE PRESENT, will appear on GOOD MORNING AMERICA.

THE PRESENT Begins Performances Tomorrow!
by BWW News Desk - December 16, 2016


The Sydney Theatre Company production of THE PRESENT begins performances tomorrow, Saturday, December 17 at 7:30pm. Andrew Upton's new adaptation of Anton Chekhov's first play, Platonov, THE PRESENT is directed by John Crowley and opens Sunday, January 8, 2017 at the Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 19, 2017.

TV: Blanchett on Broadway- Meet the Company of THE PRESENT!
by Nicole Rosky - December 9, 2016


Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh will be joined by the entire original cast of The Present when Sydney Theatre Company's production of Andrew Upton's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's first play opens on Broadway. The limited season commences previews at the Barrymore Theatre on 17 December 2016, opening on 8 January and closing on 19 March 2017.

Photo Coverage: Meet the Cast of Broadway's THE PRESENT
by Walter McBride - December 9, 2016


Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh will be joined by the entire original cast of The Present when Sydney Theatre Company's production of Andrew Upton's adaptation of Anton Chekhov's first play opens on Broadway. The limited season commences previews at the Barrymore Theatre on 17 December 2016, opening on 8 January and closing on 19 March 2017. See brand new photos of the cast of the production below.

The Present History

Other Productions of The Present

2017   Broadway Original Broadway Production
Broadway

The Present - 2017 Broadway Awards and Nominations

Note: Award winners will appear on a background
Year Ceremony Category Nominee
2017 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actress in a Play Cate Blanchett
2017 Drama League Awards Distinguished Performance Award Cate Blanchett
2017 Tony Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Cate Blanchett

Videos