Barack and Michelle Obama's Production Company to Back Broadway Revival of “Proof” Starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle
Barack and Michelle Obama's Production Company to Back Broadway Revival of “Proof” Starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle
Dave QuinnWed, March 11, 2026 at 8:25 PM UTC
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Michelle Obama and Barack Obama at The 2026 NBA All-Star Game held at the Intuit Dome on Feb. 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaCredit: Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty -
Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground is co-producing the Broadway revival of the Pulitzer-winning play Proof
The production stars Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle, both making their Broadway debuts, alongside Jin Ha and Samira Wiley
Proof marks Higher Ground’s expansion into theater after success in film, television, and podcasting
Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are entering into a new arena: Broadway.
Higher Ground — the media company founded by the former president and first lady — announced it will serve as a co-producer on the upcoming revival of Proof, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play by David Auburn.
The production stars Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri and Golden Globe winner Don Cheadle, both making their Broadway debuts. The cast also includes Grammy Award nominee Jin Ha and Emmy winner Samira Wiley.
In Proof, Catherine (Edebiri), the brilliant but restless daughter of renowned mathematics professor Robert (Cheadle), is thrust into turmoil after her father’s death when a notebook containing a groundbreaking mathematical proof is discovered. As questions swirl about who truly authored the work, Catherine must confront the complicated legacy left behind — and prove herself in the process.
“To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and Mike at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production. Proof is exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was built to champion,” Barack and Michelle Obama said in a statement.“A play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most.”
Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle in an ad for 'Proof' on BroadwayCredit: Alexis Frankin/ Proof on Broadway
Higher Ground joins Tony Award-nominated producer Mike Bosner and Tony Award-winning director and producer Thomas Kail (Hamilton) on the revival.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Higher Ground as partners on Proof and to have their creative vision and passion behind this production,” Bosner and Kail said. “Their impeccable taste in storytelling and community-building makes them ideal collaborators for this revival.”
Former politicians stepping into Broadway producing roles is not entirely new. In 2024, Hillary Clinton served as a producer on the Broadway musical Suffs, the Tony-winning show about the fight for women’s suffrage written by and starring Shaina Taub. Clinton championed the production as a way to spotlight the story of the suffragists and their long battle for voting rights.
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The Obamas' involvement in Proof marks Higher Ground’s expansion into theater after building an award-winning slate across film, television and podcasting. The company has earned three Academy Award nominations — winning for American Factory — along with 12 Emmy nominations (winning six) and three Grammy nominations (winning two).
Among its projects are the films Leave the World Behind, Crip Camp, Rustin and American Symphony. The company also produces podcasts including IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson and Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, along with Audible Originals like The Wonder of Stevie and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.
Bosner’s recent producing credits include CATS: The Jellicle Ball and the Tony Award-nominated musical Shucked, which played Broadway and London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and is currently on a North American tour. He also produced the Tony, Olivier and Grammy-winning musical Beautiful – The Carole King Musical and the 2017 Broadway revival of Sunset Boulevard starring Glenn Close.
Kail’s Broadway directing credits include Sweeney Todd, Hamilton, Freestyle Love Supreme, In the Heights, Lombardi and Magic/Bird. His producing credits include Sweeney Todd, Derren Brown: Secret and Freestyle Love Supreme.
The revival of Proof will play a strictly limited 16-week engagement at the Booth Theatre beginning March 31, ahead of an opening night on April 16.
Tickets for Proof are on sale now.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
