Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King Visit Piano Lesson Broadway Cast Backstage, Praise Danielle Brooks

Ingrid Vasquez
·2 min read
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(L-R) Oprah Winfrey, Danielle Brooks and Gayle King pose backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.
(L-R) Oprah Winfrey, Danielle Brooks and Gayle King pose backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.
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Bruce Glikas/WireImage

Oprah Winfrey made a return to Broadway with pal Gayle King by her side.

On Wednesday, the OWN founder, 68, and broadcast journalist, 68, attended one of the final performances of August Wilson's play The Piano Lesson. The Broadway revival is ending its limited engagement run on Jan. 29 and has hosted several celebrity guests since its opening on Oct. 13.

While Winfrey is currently busy producing the upcoming The Color Purple movie musical, she made it a point to see her first Broadway musical since 2019's Tina: The Tina Turner Musical to see Danielle Brooks's performance.

"She said she was there to see Danielle," a source tells PEOPLE. "When they saw one another, they embraced in a big hug and then Oprah held her hands, saying, 'Well done,' and telling her how fantastic she was in the play. She also told her she can't wait to see The Color Purple film, and said how proud she was of Danielle."

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Oprah Winfrey and Danielle Brooks backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.
Oprah Winfrey and Danielle Brooks backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

"Danielle cried tears of joy," the source adds. "She couldn't stop smiling, and kept saying thank you, adding that she appreciated the gift she sent. You could see it really meant a lot to her."

The insider explains that both Winfrey and King went backstage after the performance to congratulate the cast and director Latanya Jackson. Typically, the cast changes out of costume but because King had to be up early for CBS Mornings and didn't want to miss them and stayed dressed.

"They were raving about the performances and raving to Latanya about what a great job she did," the source notes. "Anne Hathaway was backstage too and Oprah told her the show was way beyond her expectations."

RELATED: Al Sharpton Surprises Samuel L. Jackson with Birthday Cake Onstage at Broadway's 'The Piano Lesson'

Oprah Winfrey and Danielle Brooks pose backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.
Oprah Winfrey and Danielle Brooks pose backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

Brooks stars as Sofia in the upcoming Color Purple remake and, according to Winfrey's lifestyle site OprahDaily.com, left in the middle of filming The Color Purple to prepare for her role as Bernice in Piano Lesson.

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(L-R) Danielle Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson and Anne Hathaway pose backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.
(L-R) Danielle Brooks, Samuel L. Jackson and Anne Hathaway pose backstage at the play "The Piano Lesson" on Broadway at The Barrymore Theater January 18, 2023 in New York City.

Bruce Glikas/WireImage

According to a plot summary on the play's website, The Piano Lesson follows a "battle brewing in the Charles household. At the center lies the family's prized heirloom piano. On one side, a brother plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister will go to any length to keep it and preserve the family history. Only their uncle stands in between. But even he can't hold back the ghosts of the past."

It is the highest-grossing revival play of the season, according to representatives for the production. In addition to Samuel Jackson, it also stars actor John David Washington.