Credits For "A Raisin In The Sun" Airing on ABC Feb. 25
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 -- Following are credits and production data for "ABC's World Premiere Movie Event: A Raisin in the Sun," airing MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
FEATURE: Sean Combs, who reprises the role of Walter Lee, Jr. which brought him acclaim, stars in the highly anticipated special movie adaptation from Sony Pictures Television of "A Raisin in the Sun," along with the cast of the 2004 award-winning Broadway revival who recreate their roles for the new film, including Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and Tony Award nominee Sanaa Lathan, plus "ER" star John Stamos.
The film was screened (out of competition) in January at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, making it the first broadcast network film to be featured at the celebrated festival.
"A Raisin in the Sun" tells the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago's South Side in the 1950s. A fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred, Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway.
The groundbreaking drama portrays a brief period of time in the life of the Younger family as they anxiously await the arrival of a $10,000 life insurance check made out to Lena Younger, the family matriarch, from the estate of her late husband, Walter Lee. All in the family have their own ideas about how they plan to use their new-found wealth and are eager for their new lives to start.
"A Raising in the Sun" premiered on Broadway in 1959 with a cast that included Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett Jr. The critically acclaimed work was honored with the 1959 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best American play. A Columbia Pictures feature with the same cast followed in 1961. The classic, still-relevant story now will be showcased in this totally new television movie adaptation.
AIRING: Monday, February 25 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET)
STARRING: Sean Combs as Walter Lee, Jr., Phylicia Rashad as Lena Younger, Audra McDonald as Ruth, Sanaa Lathan as Beneatha, John Stamos as Mr. Lindner, Justin Martin as Travis, Sean Patrick Thomas as George Murchison, David Oyelowo as Joseph Asagai, Bill Nunn as Bobo and Ron Cephas Jones as Willy Harris.
FEATURING: Sandi Ross as Earline Johnson, Rudy Webb as Mr. Johnson, Martin Roach as Walter Lee, Sr., Rosemary Dunsmore as Mrs. Arnold, Paul Stephen as Mr. Arnold, Emily Swiss as Priscilla Holiday, Yanna McIntosh as Miss Tilly, Jean Daigle as cop, Dan Warry-Smith as grocery clerk, Elle Downs as cocktail waitress, James Kirchner as mailman, Earl McLean, Jr. as Bubba, Gene A. Mack as bartender and Demo Cates as sax player.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Craig Zadan & Neil Meron, Sean Combs, Carl Rumbaugh & Susan Batson and David Binder
PRODUCER: John M. Eckert
DIRECTOR: Kenny Leon
TELEPLAY BY: Paris Qualles
BASED ON THE PLAY BY: Lorraine Hansberry
MUSIC BY: Mervyn Warren
EDITED BY: Melissa Kent
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Karen Bromley
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Ivan Strasburg, b.s.c.
COSTUME DESIGNER: Gersha Phillips
CASTING DIRECTOR: James Calleri, c.s.a.
CANADIAN CASTING: Tina Gerussi
CHOREOGRAPHER: Patdro J. Harris
MAKEUP BY: Patricia Keighran
HAIR STYLIST: Veronica Ciandre
PRODUCTION SOUND MIXER: Doug Ganton
ORIGINATION: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Storyline Entertainment and Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group in association with Sony Pictures Television
TV PARENTAL GUIDELINE: TV-14, L
Source: ABC
