'Death of a Salesman' Returns to Broadway This Spring

Scott Rudin and Barry Diller announced today that three-time Tony Award® winner Nathan Lane, two-time Tony Award winner Laurie Metcalf, and Christopher Abbott will return to Broadway in Arthur Miller’s towering American drama Death of a Salesman, with Ben Ahlers, directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello. Previews will begin Friday, March 6, 2026, for a limited 14-week run at Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre (1634 Broadway), with an official opening night set for Thursday, April 9, 2026.

Famously described by critic Kenneth Tynan (The Observer) as “The greatest American play,” Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman has been an essential part of our national consciousness since its Broadway debut in 1949, and throughout every subsequent era. The original production, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Lee J. Cobb, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. 

The New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson wrote of that original production, “By common consent, this is one of the finest dramas in the whole range of the American theater. Humane in its point of view, it has stature and insight, awareness of life, respect for people and knowledge of American manners and of modern folkways. It is virtuoso theater. It brings the theater alive.” 

In a statement, Kate Miller, Trustee of the Arthur Miller Literary and Dramatic Property Trust commented, “This production promises to channel Salesman's dynamic power in a completely new way. Part of what's so exciting about Joe Mantello’s approach is that he has been immersing himself in our extensive archives and interacting with Arthur's earliest drafts of Salesman - sounding out a deeper understanding of the play's inner workings. It's been wonderful to work with someone who is successfully finding new ways into a play that's been thoroughly studied, taught, and performed by the greatest artists in the world for nearly eighty years. Mantello’s approach will bring Salesman’s impactful and ever relevant commentary on the American dream to modern audiences, and we're so eager to see it come to life." 

Joe Mantello added, "It’s been incredibly rewarding to work closely with the Arthur Miller Estate who’ve so generously opened the archive and encouraged real exploration. Looking through Miller’s early drafts revealed insights into the play’s first impulses — including some surprising theatrical ideas that feel both deeply familiar and unexpectedly modern."

Nathan Lane, in a statement, said, “In 1995 while rehearsing a Terrence McNally play with Joe, he turned to me one afternoon out of the blue and quietly said, ‘Someday you and I are going to do Death of a Salesman.’ And true to his word, 30 years later, that day has come. I couldn’t be more thrilled and honored to follow in the footsteps of so many great actors in tackling the role of Willy Loman, especially with the brilliant Laurie Metcalf by my side and the remarkable cast Joe is assembling. It’s a privilege to do what is arguably the greatest drama of the twentieth century, and like all great plays it always seems to speak to us anew each time we see it.”

Laurie Metcalf enthused, “Collaboration is everything in the theater. I am lucky to be going from one exciting project to another with Joe Mantello – and in the very same season. Joe and Nathan are longtime collaborators, and my shared history with — and deep respect for — them makes what might otherwise feel daunting feel familiar, and absolutely thrilling.”

Death of a Salesman’s creative team will include scenic design by Chloe Lamford, costume design by Rudy Mance, lighting design by Jack Knowles, and sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman.