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Sarah Snook had one picture-perfect Broadway debut.
The Emmy-winning actress, 37, on Thursday, March 27 was the toast of the town, as The Picture of Dorian Gray — writer Kip Williams’ stage adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 1890 novel — opened to great acclaim at the Music Box Theatre in New York City.
Photographers captured a grinning Snook as she took her celebratory bow after her tour-de-force performance alongside a crew of stagehands who help her bring to life the story of a young man who trades his soul for eternal youth.
Snook, 37, is the only one acting in The Picture of Dorian Gray — though she’s not alone in the production.
She plays 26 characters throughout the 2-hour play, using a combination of quick costume changes and sharp acting choices to distinguish between them all. They’re then presented through incredible live and projected performances, captured by an intricately choreographed collection of on-stage cameras skillfully navigating the action.
The result is nothing short of magical, as PEOPLE experienced while sitting in the audience on opening night alongside stars like Ariana DeBose, Constance Wu, Chris Perfetti, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Ben McKenzie, Morena Baccarin, Christine Lahti, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Dorinda Medley.
Multiple times throughout the play, the crowd broke out into applause and gasps of “How’d they do that?” over the imaginative staging, each moment more fantastical than the last.
Snook herself recieved a stirring standing ovation following the show, as did visionary director Kip Williams, who joined the star on the red carpet pre-opening (and on stage after the performance).
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Afterwards, all made their way to an opening night afterparty at Gotham Hall to dine and dance the evening away.
Supporting Snook were many of her Succession costars, incluidng Juliana Canfield, Fisher Stevens, David Rasche, Natalie Gold, Zoe Winters, Peter Friedman, Arian Moayed and Sydney Lemmon. The group all of whom posed together for a sweet reunion photo.
Kieran Culkin stopped by, too. He missed the performance, as he’s currently on Broadway in his own production of Glengarry Glen Ross, but swung by the bash later on.
Prior to the show, Culkin also gave the cast a surprise shoutout from his car as he dropped off his wife, Jazz Charton, at Snook’s premiere while he was on the way to his theater.
Comedian Dave Lawson, Snook’s husband, was at the show as well. The two longtime friends secretly got married during the COVID-19 pandemic, after falling in love while quarantined together in early 2020. The pair share a daughter together, who they welcomed in 2023.
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The Picture of Dorian Gray features scenic design by Marg Horwell, costume design by Marg Horwell, lighting design by Nick Schlieper, sound design by Clemence Williams and video design by David Bergman. Mary Hamrick (associate scenic design), Karen Spahn (associate lighting design), Daniel Vatsky (associate video design), Alex Brock (assistant sound design), Jaechelle Johnson (assistant sound design) and Alyssa Eilbott (moving light programmer) round out the creative team.
Developed by the Sydney Theatre Company, the play premiered in Australia back in 2020, extending twice in Sydney before touring the content. Snook previously starred in the show at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, winning an Olivier Award for her work in it.
There’s a good chance she’ll find similar success at the 2025 Tony Awards. Nominaitons come out May 1.
Tickets for The Picture of Dorian Gray are on sale now. The production wraps its run on June 15.
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