Life of Pi

ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY
AND THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION
PRESENT THE PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE OF
THE TONY AWARD®-WINNING
THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE,
LIFE OF PI,
AT THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC,
JULY 15 – JULY 27, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (May 12, 2025) – Ensemble Arts Philly and The Shubert Organization are thrilled to present the 3-time Tony Award®-winning theatrical experience, Life of Pi, at the Academy of Music from Tuesday, July 15 through Sunday, July 27, 2025.

Produced by Simon Friend, Daryl Roth, Hal Luftig, Mark Gordon Pictures, and NETworks Presentations, Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of Life of Pi is based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel – one of the best-loved works of fiction and winner of the International Booker Prize (formerly Man Booker Prize), which has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Life of Pi has become a global phenomenon with acclaimed engagements on Broadway, London’s West End, and across the globe on tour.

After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.

Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Life of Pi creates a visually stunning journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy. Martel’s extraordinary story of family, resilience and survival, and the natural world combined with Chakrabarti’s brilliantly staged story speaks to every generation.

“For over 160 years, our historic stages have been home to Broadway productions, showcasing stories that transport audiences into other worlds with an invitation to learn, grow, and feel,” said Frances Egler, Vice President of Theatrical Programming and Presentations. “As this acclaimed play appears in our city for the very first time, audiences are invited to take this summer vacation into Pi’s world, one of adventure, resilience, discovery, and the power of the human spirit.”

Life of Pi first opened to great critical acclaim with its cutting-edge visual effects at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in 2019. It took the West End by storm when it opened December 2, 2021, and ran for 500 performances at the Wyndham’s Theatre, winning five Olivier Awards in 2022, including Best New Play, Best Scenic Design, and Best Lighting Design. The global sensation made its North American Premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University on December 4, 2022, before opening on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 9, 2023, to celebratory reviews and going on to win three Tony Awards® (Best Scenic Design of a Play Best Lighting Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Play), four Drama Desk Awards (Outstanding Direction of a Play, Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play, Outstanding Projection and Video Design, and Outstanding Puppetry), and two Outer Critics Circle Awards (Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play or Musical and Outstanding Video or Projection Design of a Play or Musical).

Leading the production is powerhouse actor Taha Mandviwala as Pi, supported by a dynamic company including Jessica Angleskhan, Alan Ariano, Pragun Bhardwaj, Ben Durocher, Shiloh Goodin, Anna Leigh Gortner, Austin Wong Harper, Aaron Haskell, Rishi Jaiswal, Toussaint Jeanlouis, Mi Kang, Intae Kim, Sharayu Mahale, Sinclair Mitchell, Maya Rangulu, Betsy Rosen, Anna Vomáčka, Sorab Wadia & Savidu Geevaratne.

Life of Pi was originally directed by Max Webster, with the tour directed by Ashley Brooke Monroe and set and costume design by Olivier and Tony Award® winner Tim Hatley. The production features puppet design by Olivier Award winners Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, with puppetry and movement direction by Finn Caldwell, supported by the Global Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction of Scarlet Wilderink with US Associate Puppetry and Movement Direction by Jon Hoche and US Assistant Puppetry and Movement Direction by Betsy Rosen. Lighting design is by Tony Award®-winner Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling, sound design by Tony Award®-winner Carolyn Downing, video and animation design by Olivier and Tony Award®-winner Andrzej Goulding, Hair and wig design by David Brian Brown, original music composed by Andrew T. Mackay, dramaturgy by Jack Bradley, and casting by Duncan Stewart and Patrick Maravilla with ARC Casting.  

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TICKETS  
Tickets can be purchased online at www.ensembleartsphilly.org or by calling 215-893-1999. In-person ticket sales can be conducted daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Academy of Music Box Office, located at 240 S. Broad Street. See www.ensembleartsphilly.org for more information.

Life of Pi
Academy of Music
July 15 – July 27, 2025
Performance Times Vary
ASL and Audio Description performance: Friday, July 25, 2025, 7:30 PM
Captioning performance: Saturday, July 26, 2025, 1:30 PM 

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 For more information about Life of Pi please visit https://lifeofpibway.com/

Follow Life of Pi on Facebook, X,  Instagram, and TikTok. 

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THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION
The Shubert Organization is America’s oldest professional theatre company and the largest theatre owner on Broadway. Since the dawn of the 20th century, Shubert has operated hundreds of theatres and produced hundreds of plays and musicals both in New York City and throughout the United States. Shubert currently owns and operates 17 Broadway theatres, six off-Broadway venues, and the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia. Under the leadership of Robert E. Wankel, Chairman and CEO, The Shubert Organization continues to be a leader in the theatre industry. Shubert delivers innovative ticketing solutions via its Telecharge interface, API distribution, and private-label technology, offering unparalleled distribution and marketing to the theatre industry and beyond. Its consumer-facing brands—Telecharge for retail ticket sales and Broadway Inbound for group buyers, tour operators, and the travel industry—sell millions of tickets each year. The Shubert Foundation, sole shareholder of The Shubert Organization, Inc., is dedicated to sustaining and advancing live performing arts in the United States. The Foundation provides general operating support to not-for-profit theatres and dance companies. Foundation grants in 2023 totaled $37.9 million to 635 grantees. For more information, visit www.shubert.nyc.

ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY     
For more information about ENSEMBLE ARTS PHILLY, visit www.ensembleartsphilly.org.        

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For photography, please visit https://ensembleartsphilly.smugmug.com/
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