‘Life of Pi’ heads to Cleveland
“Life of Pi” starts a three-week run on Tuesday at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace.
Cleveland is one of the first stops on the 22-city North American tour for Lolita Chakrabarti’s play, based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel.
It uses puppetry and theater magic to tell the fantastical story of a 16-year-old boy who is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors after a cargo ship sinks. Those survivors are a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a 450-pound Bengal tiger.
“Life of Pi” opened on London’s West End in 2019 and won five Olivier Awards, including best new play, best scenic design and best lighting design. In a first for the Olivier Awards, the seven performers who play the tiger, named Richard Parker, collectively were given the award for best actor in a supporting role.
The play opened on Broadway in 2023 and was nominated for five Tony Awards, winning for best scenic design, lighting design and sound design. The New York production received glowing reviews but only last four months on Broadway.
“Life of Pi” runs through Jan. 26 at the Connor Palace, Playhouse Square, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $39 to $119 and are available online at playhousesquare.org and by calling 216-241-6000.