‘Breaking Bad’ Star Bryan Cranston is Returning to Broadway to Star in ‘Network’
Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore! Ok, so, not really, but that’s one of the most famous lines from Cranston’s newest project.
The National Theatre announced on Wednesday that Cranson and the production of a play titled Network will be hitting the New York stage in previews this November.
In Network, Cranston plays the role of Howard Beale, a news anchorman who has a bit of a breakdown during a live news broadcast. The ramifications of his mental meltdown cause Beale to turn into a ratings god and earned him the title of “mad prophet of the airwaves.”
The play is based on the original 1976 film with the same title and is directed by Tony and Olivier winner Ivo Van Hove. Network premiered last year in London and, according to Entertainment Weekly, features “an immersive experience for its audience that uses stage devices and audio-visual technology to make them participants in the production.”
The play producers expressed their excitement for the upcoming production in a statement. They said, “We are excited as hell to bring Ivo Van Hove’s brilliantly innovative and electrifying production of Network to Broadway this fall. The incomparable Bryan Cranston brings Howard Beale to brilliant life and we are so thrilled for American audiences to have the opportunity to experience his masterful performance and this spectacular new play.”
Cranston is perhaps best known for his role as Walter White in AMC’s critically-acclaimed series, Breaking Bad. In addition to Cranson, the series also starred Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Dean Norris, Betsy Brandt, RJ Mitte, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito and Bob Odenkirk. The series premiered on January 20, 2008, and throughout its run, earned 16 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Peabodys and was named as one of the “Top 10 Programs of the Year” by the American Film Institute in 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Cranston is, by no means, a stranger to the Broadway stage and we can’t wait to see what he can do in the New York production of Network.
Performances of Network will begin on November 10, 2018, with opening night set for December 6 at the Cort Theatre.
What do you think about Bryan Cranston’s newest theatrical role? Would you want to see him on stage? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
A karaoke obsessed, craft beer enthusiast and lover of all things pop culture, Denise enjoys all facets of entertainment from Broadway to box office blockbusters. In her spare time, she enjoys photography, concerts (lots and lots of concerts), volunteering, reading and playing with her rescue kitten, Samantha (who rescued who, right?).
