She's about to go on a journey! Uma Paranjpe is playing the title role of Pi Patel in Life of Pi on Broadway for its May 9 performance. Paranjpe takes over for the show's lead Hiran Abeysekera and the alternate Pi, Adi Dixit. This announcement is unusual because it will be the first time the role of Pi (normally played by a male actor), will be played by a female actor on Broadway.
The character is male in the book Life of Pi, which the show is based on, but the stage version has cast actors of both genders in the role. Paranjpe, who is usually in the show's ensemble, was also the Pi understudy at the show's pre-Broadway run at American Repertory Theater.
The play is written by Lolita Chakrabarti and is based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, winner of the Man Booker Prize. In Life of Pi, a cargo ship has sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, leaving behind five survivors in a lifeboat. Sixteen-year-old Pi is one of them, joined in this tense quest for survival by a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
Rowan Magee, Celia Mei Rubin, and Nikki Calonge
Company of Life Of Pi
Hiran Abeysekera, Richard Parker, Fred Davis, Scarlet Wildeernik, and Andrew Wilson
Salma Qarnain, Rowan Magee, and Celia Mei Rubin
Rowan Magee, Celia Mei Rubin, and Nikki Calonge
Rajesh Bose and Hiran Abeysekera
Sonya Venugopal, Celia Mei Rubin, and Hiran Abeysekera
Hiran Abeysekera, Richard Parker, Fred Davis, Scarlet Wildernik, and Andrew Wilson
Hiran Abeysekera, Mahira Kakkar, and Company
The work's West End production took home five 2022 Olivier Awards, including Best Play and Best Supporting Actor, with the latter awarded collectively to the team of puppeteers who play the tiger. The play made its North American premiere ahead of their Broadway bow at American Repertory Theater at Harvard University.
Hiran Abeysekera reprises his Olivier Award-winning performance in the title role, alongside Olivier award-winning puppeteers Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink, who are also returning to their West End roles puppeteering the tiger, Richard Parker.
They are joined by Brian Thomas Abraham as Cook/Voice of “Richard Parker,” Rajesh Bose as Father, Avery Glymph as Father Martin/Russian Sailor/Rear Admiral Jackson, Mahira Kakkar as Nurse/Amma/Orange Juice, Kirstin Louie as Lulu Chen, Salma Qarnain as Mrs. Biology Kumar/Zaida Khan, Sathya Sridharan as Mamaji/Pandit-Ji, Daisuke Tsuji as Mr. Okamoto/Captain, and Sonya Venugopal as Rani, along with Davis, Wilderink, Nikki Calonge, Rowan Ian Seamus Magee, Jonathan David Martin, Betsy Rosen, Celia Mei Rubin, and Andrew Wilson as Royal Bengal tiger “Richard Parker.”
Rounding out the company in the ensemble is Mahnaz Damania, Jon Hoche, Usman Ali Mughal, Uma Paranjpe, David Shih, and Adi Dixit.
Director Max Webster (Henry V) leads with production, with a creative team that consists of Tony- and Olivier-winning set and costume designer Tim Hatley, puppet and movement director Finn Caldwell(Angels in America), Olivier-winning puppet designers Nick Barnes (Angels in America) and Caldwell, Olivier-winning video designer Andrzej Goulding (Eureka Day), Olivier-winning lighting designer Tim Lutkin(Back to the Future), and sound designer Carolyn Downing (Les Liaisons Dangereuses). Original music is by Andrew T Mackay (Henry V), and dramaturgy is by Jack Bradley.
The Broadway run is produced by Simon Friend, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, Mark Gordon, Playing Field, Tulchin/Bartner Productions, Gavin Kalin, Hunter Arnold, Hall Smalberg Winkler, 42nd.club, Elizabeth Armstrong, Eilene Davidson, Federman Jenen Productions, Susan Gallin, Independent Presenters Network, John Gore Organization, Kuhn Dodani, Harriet Leve, Mary Lu Roffe, Catherine Schreiber, Anthony Tang, Triple Threat Productions, American Repertory Theatre, and Sheffield Theatres. Aaron Lustbader and Hanna Osmolska serve as executive producers.
Richard Parker
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Richard Parker (Jonathan David Martin, Nikki Calonge, and Betsy Rosen)
Daisuke Tsuji
Daisuke Tsuji
David Shih
David Shih
Mahnaz Damania
Mahnaz Damania
Kirstin Louie
Kirstin Louie
Kirstin Louie
Jon Hoche
Jon Hoche
Usman Ali Mughal
Usman Ali Mughal
Usman Ali Mughal
Uma Paranjpe
Uma Paranjpe
Uma Paranjpe
Uma Paranjpe
Adi Dixit
Adi Dixit
Cast and Creative Team of Life Of Pi
Cast and Creative Team of Life Of Pi
Cast and Creative Team of Life Of Pi
Cast and Creative Team of Life Of Pi
Mahira Kakkar, Sonya Venugopal, and Salma Shaw
Mahira Kakkar, Sonya Venugopal, and Salma Shaw
Mahira Kakkar, Sonya Venugopal, and Salma Shaw
Mahira Kakkar, Sonya Venugopal, and Salma Shaw
Hiran Abeysekera
Hiran Abeysekera at opening night for Life of Pi
Hiran Abeysekera
Hiran Abeysekera
Mahira Kakkar
Mahira Kakkar
Mahira Kakkar
Salma Shaw and Guest
Salma Shaw and Guest
Sonya Venugopal
Sonya Venugopal
Sonya Venugopal
Avery Glymph
Avery Glymph
Sathya Sridharan
Sathya Sridharan
Sathya Sridharan
Brian Abraham
Brian Abraham
Rajesh Bose
Rajesh Bose
Salma Shaw
Salma Shaw
Salma Shaw
Andrew Wilson and Guest
Andrew Wilson and Guest
Rowan Ian Seamus Magee, Nikki Calonge, Celia Mei Rubin, Andrew Wilson, Scarlet Wilderink, Jonathan David Martin, Betsy Rosen, and Fred Davis
Rowan Ian Seamus Magee, Nikki Calonge, Celia Mei Rubin, Andrew Wilson, Scarlet Wilderink, Jonathan David Martin, Betsy Rosen, and Fred Davis
Andrew Wilson
Andrew Wilson
Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink
Betsy Rosen
Betsy Rosen
Scarlet Wilderink
Scarlet Wilderink
Jonathan David Martin
Fred Davis
Fred Davis
Jonathan David Martin
Jonathan David Martin
Jonathan David Martin
Rowan Ian Seamus Magee
Rowan Ian Seamus Magee
Nikki Calonge
Nikki Calonge
Celia Mei Rubin
Celia Mei Rubin
H.E. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh and Guest
Bob Balaban
Bob Balaban
Mira Nair
Mira Nair
Martha Stewart and Guest
Martha Stewart and Guest
Martha Stewart and Guest
Daniel K. Isaac
Daniel K. Isaac
Diane Paulus
Diane Paulus
LaChanze
LaChanze
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Marc Shaiman and Louis Mirabal
Marc Shaiman and Louis Mirabal
Sarita Choudhury
Sarita Choudhury
Nilo Cruz
Brandon Flynn
Brandon Flynn
Brandon Flynn
Edie Falco and Guest
Edie Falco and Guest
Edie Falco and Guest
Jordan E. Cooper
Jordan E. Cooper
Lolita Chakrabarti and Guests
Lolita Chakrabarti and Guests
Bryan d'Arcy James
Bryan D'arcy James
Bryan d'Arcy James
Bryan d'Arcy James
Nikhil Saboo and Brian d'Arcy James
F Murray Abraham and Jamili Abraham
F Murray Abraham and Jamili Abraham
Kerry Butler and Sumaya Mazzarino
Kerry Butler and Sumaya Mazzarino
Julie Taymor
Julie Taymor
Nikhil Saboo
Nikhil Saboo
Nikhil Saboo
Nikhil Saboo
P. Sean Gupta
P. Sean Gupta
Jamie deRoy and Tony Danza
Daryl Roth and Amir Arison
Amir Arison
Amir Arison
Lolita Chakrabarti
Lolita Chakrabarti
Max Webster and Lolita Chakrabarti
Max Webster and Lolita Chakrabarti
Max Webster and Yann Martel
Max Webster
Max Webster
Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes
Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes
Andrew Mackay
Andrew Mackay
James Ijames
James Ijames
James Ijames
Catherine Schreiber
Catherine Schreiber
Daryl Roth, Max Webster, Lolita Chakrabarti, and Simon Friend
Daryl Roth and Max Webster
Daryl Roth and Max Webster
Nik Dodani and Eric Kuhn
Nik Dodani and Eric Kuhn
Simon Friend, Max Webster, and Yann Martel
Simon Friend, Max Webster, and Yann Martel