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Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 A Raisin in the Sun was the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. The story of the Younger family, it is based on Hansberry's own experiences growing up in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. The title comes from a poem by Langston Hughes.
The play was revived for a limited run of fifteen weeks on Broadway in 2004 at the Royale Theatre. The revival featured Tony Award winning performances from Phylicia Rashad and Audra McDonald, a Tony Award nominated performance from Sanaa Lathan and the well publicized performance of Sean Combs. The show recouped quickly and became the second highest grossing play in Broadway history. The production was noted for attracting a diverse audience and repeatedly breaking ticket sale records at the Royale.
In 1961, A Raisin in the Sun was adapted into a feature film starring Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil and Ruby Dee.
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