Barack and Michelle Obama announce unexpected joint career move

The Obamas have opened up about their next joint business venture and the 'extraordinary privilege' they feel to be involved in it.

While best known for their former roles as president and first lady of the United States, Barack and Michelle Obama are about to step into the roles of producers.

On 11 March the pair revealed their media company Higher Ground will be bringing a 'landmark play back to Broadway'.

Since Higher Ground Productions first launched in 2018, the Obamas entertainment company has worked with Netflix to produce film and television products, alongside Spotify on exclusive podcasts such as The Michelle Obama Podcast.

The production company has yet to work in theatre - until now.

And you can expect an exciting line-up of talent to be joining the Obamas as they take on their next joint business venture.

Michelle and Barack Obama will act as co-producers on the play (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Who's involved in Proof

The Obamas' production company is set to work on the Broadway revival of David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Proof.

In a joint statement first shared by Variety, the Obamas said: "To bring this landmark play back to Broadway with Ayo, Don, Tommy, and Mike at the helm is an extraordinary privilege, and we couldn’t be more proud to be part of this production."

Indeed, the play is set to star Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Jin Ha (Pachinko) and Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black).

The play will act as Cheadle and Edebiri's Broadway debuts.

The Obamas are set to co-produce the play alongside Mike Bosner and Tony-winner Thomas Kail.

It follows the Obamas launching Higher Ground Productions with the goal of 'rewriting the rules and dropping stories that move culture forward'.

What Proof is about

The Obamas reflected on Proof as being 'exactly the kind of story Higher Ground was built to champion' as 'a play that asks profound questions about brilliance, doubt, and what we inherit from the people we love most'.

In a previous interview with NPR, Michelle said: "Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others."

Proof explores themes of identity, grief, and discovery - its story centring around a math's professor's daughter finding one of his notebooks after he passes away which contains revelatory mathematical findings.

Bosner and Kail told Variety: "We’re thrilled to welcome Higher Ground as partners on Proof and to have their creative vision and passion behind this production. Their impeccable taste in storytelling and community-building makes them ideal collaborators for this revival."

Proof is set to run for a limited 16 weeks at the Booth Theatre in New York. Previews are expected to begin from March 31 and opening night is currently scheduled for April 16.

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