Kandi Burruss Reacts to Her 'Othello' Revival Getting Snubbed by Tony Awards: 'Of Course I'm Disappointed'
The revival of the William Shakespeare tragedy stars Denzel Washington as Othello and Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago
set Broadway box office records, making $2.8 million in one week of previews, and is the highest-grossing play of all time on Broadway
Kandi Burruss is remaining positive in the wake of Broadway's Othello not being nominated for any 2025 Tony Awards.
Burruss, 48, who co-produced the revival with husband Todd Tucker, took to Instagram to voice her dismay over the production's snub.
"Well y'all… Othello didn't get the Tony nomination. Of course I'm disappointed, but I'm still beyond proud to be part of this phenomenal production. Every time I watch our cast, I'm blown away and inspired," the singer, who previously earned a Tony nod for producing the 2022 revival of The Piano Lesson, wrote.
Directed by Kenny Leon, the revival of the William Shakespeare tragedy stars Denzel Washington as Othello and Jake Gyllenhaal as Iago. The production broke Broadway box office records, making $2.8 million in one week of previews, the highest weekly gross for a Broadway play.
"#DenzelWashington @jakegyllenhaal — you both are delivering a masterclass in acting every single night. Truly unforgettable performances," Burruss said of the play's leading men, while also congratulating "all the nominees" for this year's Tony Awards.
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The Grammy winner kept things positive at the end of her post, writing that she's "already focused on what's next" and "not giving up on the dream."
"'Tell Me No' by Whitney Houston (co-written by yours truly 😉✍🏾) is on repeat right now… and it hits different today," Burruss said, mentioning the Whitney Houston track she co-wrote for the late singer's fifth studio album, Just Whitney.
"To anyone chasing a dream — don't let a 'no' stop your yes. The journey continues," Burruss concluded her post.
Related: Denzel Washington Reacts to Those Ticket Prices for Othello on Broadway: 'God Has Blessed Me with a Great Ability'
Amid the Shakespearean revival's success, the production has also been criticized for its hefty ticket prices — with some tickets selling for upwards of $900.
The play's helmer weighed in on the high ticket prices in an interview with the Daily Mail, comparing seeing the show to watching an L.A. Lakers game or watching a Beyoncé concert.
'So to me, with a commercial industry, people are paying what they think it's worth,' Leon said. 'A guy showed up the other night and he said, 'I paid $921 for this ticket and you know what? I don't want a cent back. I want to figure out how to come back.''
'That's what I feel proud of every night,' he continued. 'I have a thousand people in there and it's so diverse… I'm proud of the box office and I'm proud of what's on the stage.'
The 2025 Tony nominees for best revival of a play are Romeo + Juliet, Thornton Wilder's Our Town, Yellow Face and Eureka Day. Cynthia Erivo is hosting the ceremony, which will air live on CBS and Paramount+ on June 8.
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