Vir Das becomes 1st Indian with Broadway theater residency
What's the story
Vir Das, the acclaimed comedian, writer, and actor, is set to become the first Indian artist to have a residency at New York's legendary Lincoln Center Theater. The residency, titled Hey Stranger, will run from October 29-November 9 in 2025. This historic moment not only marks a big milestone for Das but also for Indian stand-up comedy on the global stage.
Artist's statement
'Nothing more exciting than the bottom of a ladder'
IANS quoted Das as saying: "There is nothing more exciting than the bottom of a ladder..." "For me, that's always been Broadway. In this case, Broadway and 65th." "It's been a dream forever to do a run." "I'll be at the Lincoln Center Theater, starting my first ever residency, doing Indian comedy for the world. I hope you'll come see!"
Show details
'Following in the footsteps of legends... is a responsibility'
Das said, "Following in the footsteps of legends like Ravi Shankar ji, Zakir Hussain ji, and M.S. Subbulakshmi ji is a responsibility in itself." "Comedy may be a different medium, but at its core it is still about human connection..." "Hey Stranger is a show that was born out of a desire to connect..." "The fact that I get to share this with an international audience... is the kind of dream I couldn't even imagine when I first started out."
Production team
Collaboration with Tony Award-nominated director Moritz von Stuelpnagel
Das's Lincoln Center residency teams him with Tony-nominated director Moritz von Stuelpnagel and Seaview, a production company behind multiple Broadway and Off-Broadway successes. The company has been behind productions such as Slave Play (record-breaking 12 Tony nominations), George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck, and Adam Driver's Hold On to Me Darling.