Signature Theatre is bringing Katori Hall’s play The Mountaintop back to the stage for a special benefit reading, and they’re calling in some heavy hitters to do it justice. Emmy, Grammy, and Peabody Award winner Blair Underwood and Emmy nominee Nicole Beharie are set to lead the production, with actor and director Brandon J. Dirden at the helm. The reading will take place at the Pershing Square Signature Center on Monday, March 24, 2025, at 7:00 PM.
Underwood and Beharie will step into the shoes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Camae, a motel maid whose late-night conversation with the civil rights leader takes audiences on a journey that’s equal parts gripping, intimate, and thought-provoking. Set on the eve of King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel, The Mountaintop isn’t just a history lesson—it’s an imaginative deep dive into the man behind the movement, blurring reality and fiction in the way only Hall can.
Hall, a two-time Tony-nominated playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner for The Hot Wing King, first introduced The Mountaintop to the world in 2009, and it’s been making waves ever since. The play premiered at London’s Theatre503, where critics were floored—The Independent called it “breathtaking, hilarious, and heart-stopping.” It later moved to the West End, won the Olivier Award for Best New Play, and made its way to Broadway in 2011, where Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett took center stage. Since then, The Mountaintop has remained a staple in theaters worldwide.
Now, it’s Underwood and Beharie’s turn to breathe new life into these iconic roles. Underwood, fresh off his chilling performance in the 2024 horror hit Longlegs, has long been a force in Hollywood, from L.A. Law to When They See Us and A Soldier’s Play, which earned him a Tony nomination. Beharie, known for her standout roles in Miss Juneteenth, Sleepy Hollow, and The Morning Show, where she recently nabbed an Emmy nomination, brings her own brand of power and nuance to the table.
Directing this special reading is Brandon J. Dirden, no stranger to King’s legacy—he played the civil rights icon himself in Broadway’s All the Way. He also made waves in Signature’s 2012 revival of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, earning an Obie Award for his performance.
With a cast and creative team this strong, this one-night-only event isn’t just another reading—it’s an experience. If you’re in New York, this is one theatrical moment you don’t want to miss.
For more information and tickets, visit: https://signaturetheatre.org/signature-theatre-benefit-2025/