Tracee Ellis Ross had always dreamed of being on Broadway, and better yet, in a one-person show.
After graduating from Brown University with a degree in theater, Ross saw her career take off with television projects such as Girlfriends and Black-ish, but still felt that pull to the stage. At first, this materialized in Ross renting out a small theater for her 40th birthday and performing a one-person show that she penned for an audience of invited guests.
And now it has finally led to her Broadway debut in Every Brilliant Thing, where Ross, 53, takes over the role on July 7, succeeding Mariska Hargitay, who is currently in the role, and Daniel Radcliffe, who kicked off the run at the Hudson Theatre this spring. This show, with a 40-page monologue and a large degree of audience interaction, is a big leap for her first time on Broadway. But it’s also in keeping with Ross’s overall outlook on life.
“I mean, true Tracee fashion, go for the gusto,” says Ross, who also stars in a solo travel show and recently signed a development deal with Fox Entertainment Studios.
In the Tony-nominated play, written by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe, a narrator details how they attempted to cheer up their mother, after a suicide attempt, by creating a list of things that make life worth living. The list, which includes specific, detailed items about the delights and routines of daily life, grows as the narrator ages and contends with their own joy and loneliness. Audience members are called upon to shout out items from the list as the play progresses.
