Othello: The Remix Tickets
Presented by John Leguizamo! A hip-hop reimagining of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, Othello: The Remix by The Q Brothers is currently playing at The Westside Theatre Downstairs, 407 West 43rd Street (between 9th and 10th Avenues) in Hell’s Kitchen.
What is the Story of Othello: The Remix?
The story of Shakespeare’s Othello is kept largely intact by the Q Brothers, but with some twists. In Shakespeare, Othello is a Moorish captain in the Venetian army who marries Desdemona, the daughter of a powerful politician. Enraged with jealousy over Othello’s marriage and political success, the ensign Iago vows revenge, pushing Othello to murder by planting seeds of jealousy and doubt. Set in modern times, Othello: The Remix casts Othello as a popular rapper who marries a fan named Desdemona (who is never seen). The Q Brothers’ Iago is an up-and-coming rapper and protégé of Othello’s, moved to anger over Othello’s promotion of a lesser talent named Cassio.
In addition to changes to the plot (and being told entirely through rap), Othello: The Remix also takes a more humorous tone than The Bard’s original. The Q Brothers have remarked that they hope the humorous elements of their version will make the play’s final tragedy seem all the more serious.
The Cast and Crew
Presented by the actor and playwright John Leguizamo, Othello: The Remix was written, composed, and directed by GQ and JQ. It stars GQ as Iago/Barbantio, Postell Pringle as Othello, JQ as Roderigo/Loco Vito/Bianca, Jackson Doran as Cassio/Emilia, and is DJ’d by DJ Supernova.
Scenic design is by Scott Adam Davis, costume design by Christina Leinicke, lighting design by Keith A. Truax, sound design by David Ferdinand/One Dream, and stage management is by Lionel A. Christian.
More Information about Othello: The Remix
Thanks to the success of Hamilton, audiences are now far more open to seeing hip hop on the theatrical stage, according to the Q brothers in an interview with Playbill. It’s shifted the idea that hip hop on the stage is now more accessible, even though it’s been accessible the whole time.
The play has already garnered multiple honors during its tour. This includes Edinburgh’s Musical Theatre Matters Awards for Best New Musical Theatre Show and a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble. It’s described as being high-energy, and has now been enjoyed by audiences around the world.
Ongoing at the Westside Theater, 407 West 43rd Street, Manhattan, 212-239-6200, othellotheremix.com. Running time: 1 hour 20 minutes.
Othello: The Remix debuted at the World Shakespeare Festival in 2012 after having been commissioned by The Globe. It has since toured in Scotland, Germany, Korea, and ran in Chicago. This is its New York premiere. OnBroadway.com has tickets for every performance of Othello: The Remix at Westside Theater, including last-minute tickets. Browse our selection on this page and use the promo code SaveOnBroadway at checkout to save on tickets.
