'We Are Running the Gamut' | US Times Mirror

Tony Award-winner Anika Noni Rose is back on Broadway in The Balusters, a new play by David Lindsay-Abaire. The performer is also releasing a new children’s book this September, and spoke about both projects on TODAY.

The Balusters follows a neighborhood association meeting depicted through a comedic lens. Rose found the comedy to be rooted in truth, which was appealing to the actress. “I think that what makes it so funny is because it is so honest,” she explained. “We have a lot of people that think they’re right. We have a lot of people trying to be good and, ultimately, sparks fly.”

She went on to praise the production for its diverse cast of characters, which allows for a variety in opinion and perspectives. “It is so of the moment, and there are so many different viewpoints that are represented… We are running the gamut.” Watch the full interview to hear more about the production and her forthcoming book “A Princess is a Princess.”

The world premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire’s The Balusters, directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, is now open at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Read reviews for the show here.

The Balusters features Drama Desk Award winner Marylouise Burke as Penny Buell; Kayli Carter as Willow Gibbons; Ricardo Chavira as Isaac Rosario; Emmy Award nominee Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Brooks Duncan; Drama Desk Award nominee Margaret Colin as Ruth Ackerman; Michael Esper as Alan Kirby; Maria-Christina Oliveras as Luz Baccay; Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose as Kyra Marshall; Emmy Award winner Richard Thomas as Elliott Emerson, and Jeena Yi as Melissa Han.

The Balusters is a raucous, wild ride through a small community with big feelings. The Vernon Point Neighborhood Association is a passionate bunch, whether squabbling over historically inaccurate porch railings or debating trash can protocol. Still, no one is prepared for the neighbor-versus-neighbor battle royale that ensues when a newcomer to the board suggests the unthinkable: installing a stop sign on the corner of the enclave’s prettiest block.