B'way Update: The Hills of California

Jez Butterworth's The Hills of
California in London
Credit: Mark Douet

The Hills of California, the latest play from Jez Butterworth (Tony winner for The Ferryman), will transfer from London's West End to Broadway this fall. Previews begin Sept. 11 at the Broadhurst Theater prior to a Sept. 29 opening. Oscar winner Sam Mendes who staged The Ferryman will reunite with Butterworth, repeating his London staging. Broadway casting will be announced at a later date.

The synopsis reads: “In the sweltering heat of a 1970s summer, the Webb sisters return to their childhood home in Blackpool, an English seaside town, where their mother Veronica lies dying upstairs. Gloria and Ruby now have families of their own. Jill never left. And Joan? No one’s heard from her in twenty years… but Jill insists that their mother’s favorite won’t let them down this time.

“The run-down Sea View Guest House is haunted by bittersweet memories of amusement park rides and overdue bills. Back in the 1950s, each night the girls rehearse their singing act, managed by their fiercely loving single mom. But when a record producer offers a shot at fame and a chance to escape, it will cost them all dearly.”