John Lithgow is preparing for his Broadway return in the acclaimed play Giant, which had two sold-out runs in the UK and won him an Olivier Award for Best Actor.

Giant tells the story of author Roald Dahl and the true scandal that shook his legacy. The production synopsis notes, “A world-famous children’s author under threat. A battle of wills in the wake of scandal. And one chance to make amends.”

John was joined by cast member Aya Cash, Elliot Levey, and more last week at a cocktail event and panel discussion held at the Library at the Public.

On Monday night (March 9), John also appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and opened up about playing the iconic author.

“Lots of people know Roald Dahl’s writing,” he said. “You know he has his dark side as a writer. Well, he had his dark side as a human being. [He was] a man of great charm, great wit and intelligence, but with a streak of witting and unwitting cruelty. Not so curiously, he had a streak of antisemitism, which is very much what the play is about.”

Giant begins performances on Wednesday, March 11. Get tickets now!