Every Brilliant Thing gets a new and final star July 7 as Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish, Girlfriends) makes her Broadway in the Duncan Macmillan-Jonny Donahoe solo show at the Hudson Theatre. The play will conclude its extended run with Ross’ final performance August 9. A national tour is scheduled to embark next year, with casting and dates to be announced.
Ross succeeds Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay, who took her final bow in the play July 5. Daniel Radcliffe opened the production earlier this season, earning a 2026 Tony Award nomination for his performance.
In Every Brilliant Thing, Ross’ nameless protagonist faces a distant father, a suicidal mother, and her own inexplicable deep sadness. And in a spark of childhood genius, she counteracts these obstacles by chronicling every brilliant thing in the world—first to cheer up her depressed mother, and later for friends, lovers, and herself. And the uniquely constructed play offers audience members a chance to join Ross in the action, with various strangers called on each night to read some of her favorite brilliant things and stand in for characters in her story.
READ: If You Want to Get Called on at Every Brilliant Thing, Don’t Be Too Eager
The solo play debuted at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it played three sold-out consecutive summers before coming to Off-Broadway’s Barrow Street Theatre in 2014. The latter run was filmed live and aired on HBO with Donahoe starring. The work returned to Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, where it was a Playbill Pick. The work also recently made its West End debut at @sohoplace, and featured a rotating roster of stars.
The full creative team from that West End bow is reprising their work on the Main Stem, including co-directors Jeremy Herrin and Macmillan, scenic and costume designer Vicki Mortimer, lighting designer Jack Knowles, and sound designer Tom Gibbons. Casting is by Jessica Ronane, TT Partners is general managing, and Jhanaë K-C Bonnick serves as production stage manager.
Second Half Productions, Seaview, and Gavin Kalin Productions are producing.