Tom Hanks and Kelli O’Hara are Broadway-bound in a Fall 2027 production of This World of Tomorrow, a new play written by Hanks and James Glossman.
The strictly limited engagement will be directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon at a Shubert theater to be announced.
The announcement was made today by producer Brian Anthony Moreland in association with The Shed (Alex Poots, Artistic Director and Meredith “Max” Hodges, Chief Executive Officer). The play debuted at The Shed Off Broadway for a a sold-out eight week engagement last year.
This World of Tomorrow is based on a series of short stories written by Hanks. The upcoming engagement will mark Hanks’ return to the Broadway stage after more than 14 years, when he gave a Tony-nominated performance in Nora Ephron’s play Lucky Guy.
The synopsis: “It’s the end of the 21st century and Bert Allenberry is determined to change his future by returning to the past. When Bert journeys back—again, and again, and again—to one remarkable day at the 1939 New York World’s Fair in Queens, he discovers that the future is shaped not by technology, but by the choices we make for love.”
In a statement, director Leon said, “I’m so excited to continue this work on this amazing new American play. There’s no time like the present to further explore this story of love and time travel from Glossman and Hanks. More than anything, I look forward to even more audiences who will have the chance to witness the onstage chemistry of Kelli O’Hara and Tom Hanks.”
Added Alex Poots, The Shed’s Artistic Director, “A beloved actor of our times, Tom Hanks co-created and starred in This World of Tomorrow with the illuminating Kelli O’Hara for their sold out run at The Shed. Reminding us that while the world changes, the deepest of human connections endures and the power of love can transcend any era. Now this story of second chances gets to reach an even wider audience on Broadway.”
“There is something extraordinary about bringing a story that explores the power of love across time to a place where the magic of live theater happens every night,” said producer Moreland. “Tom Hanks is one of the great storytellers of our time, and for me to bring his remarkable new play to Broadway, and to reunite with Kenny Leon (Othello) is an incredible privilege. At its heart, This World of Tomorrow reminds us that no matter how much the world changes, the one thing that remains timeless is our capacity to love.”
Complete cast and creative team details will be announced shortly.