Recasting a classic: Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun��45 years later

When the late Lorraine Hansberry's award-winning play A Raisin in the Sun opened in New York in 1959, it was a groundbreaking look at the forces tearing apart one Black family. Not only was Raisin the first work on Broadway from a Black writer and director and with an entirely Black cast, but it also vividly depicted one family's struggles against White racism as well as against classism within the Black community.

In April a revival of the classic returned to Broadway--45 years after its debut. The new production, which runs until July 11, stars Tony Award-winning actress Audra McDonald (Ragtime), Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show), Sanaa Lathan (Love & Basketball) and rap-music-urbanwear mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who stars in the role of Walter Lee, originally played on both stage and screen by Sidney Poitier. "It's extremely humbling," Combs says of his stage acting debut. People will be real proud of what we do, they'll be proud of being Black."

As with fellow hip-hop entertainer Mos Def, who completed successful runs on Broadway in Topdog/Underdog and off-Broadway in F*cking A, the casting of Combs has raised more than a few eyebrows from critics while adding a must-see buzz to the production. Combs says he wants to stretch himself as an actor, not merely cash in on his fame. "Any actor would jump at the chance for this role," says Combs, who spent weeks in rigorous preparation for the lead.

Raisin's director, Kenny Leon, the former head of Atlanta's Alliance Theater, where he directed such productions as Angels in America and The Piano Lesson, is also making his Broadway debut. Leon says he believes his casting choices will be beyond reproach when audiences see how each actor transforms into their character--specially P. Diddy.

"I saw he had all the right instincts--the ability to convey love, the love of a son for a mother, sincerity, honesty," says Leon, who once portrayed the lead character, Walter Lee, opposite Esther Rolle in a 1995 Atlanta staging of the play. "Think about all the people who love Sean and his producing career, his clothing, and all those people who come to see Phylicia Rashad, and who want to see Audra and Sanaa. When they leave having seen Walter Lee, Ruth, Bennie and Lena, then we will have transformed a whole generation of folks."

More important, Leon hopes a diverse audience will appreciate Raisin's universal message. "It's a good time to explore our spirituality, our values, the idea of what it is to be an American and what the American dream is," he adds. "I hope this play will bridge generational and racial gaps and bring a means for us to talk about the future."

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