Check out the official ribbon cutting for Times Square's new restaurant, Brooklyn Deli, which featured Death of a Salesman's Wendell Pierce. The new spot from restauranteur Shelly Fireman of Fireman Hospitality Group serves the Willy Loman Reuben Sandwich in honor of its partnership with the current Broadway revival of the Arthur Miller classic.
Located at 1501 Broadway, Brooklyn Deli Times Square is the second location for the restaurant, which continues to operate its first location across from Carnegie Hall. The ribbon cutting ceremony was also attended by members of the Broadway League, The Times Square Alliance, and NYC and Co.
"You would think that we were from polar opposite worlds, but it's two men who have dreams and ended up here on Broadway bringing Broadway back. Shelly and I have more in common than you know," Pierce said at the ceremony. "So, I am very proud to be here today. This is a celebration of the American Dream, while we saw the nightmare in my play, we the see the dream realized here today."
Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke are Willy and Linda Loman in the West End transfer, which tells the story of Miller's play from the perspective of a Black family. Pierce and Tony nominee Clarke reprise their West End roles, which earned Pierce an Olivier nomination and Clarke an Olivier win.
Miranda Cromwell directs the work, which follows a traveling salesman and his family who are caught up in the madness of the all-too-often unreachable "American Dream." It debuted on Broadway in 1949 and won six Tony Awards for its premiere run.
Joining Pierce and Clarke in the cast are Khris Davis as Biff, McKinley Belcher III as Happy, and Tony winner André De Shields as Ben, with Blake DeLong as Howard/Stanley, Lynn Hawley as The Woman/Jenny, Grace Porter as Letta/Jazz Singer, Kevin Ramessar as Musician, Stephen Stocking as Bernard, Chelsea Lee Williams as Miss Forsythe, and Delaney Williams as Charley. Melvin Abston, Jerome Preston Bates, Brandon E. Burton, Maya Jackson, Lisa Strum, Chris Thorn, and Shona Tucker serve as understudies.