A RAISIN IN THE SUN: First Glimpse at TV Revival of Black American Classic

By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

After a few delays, the highly anticipated special three-hour television movie adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's classic play 'A Raisin in the Sun,' has finally gotten an airdate.

On Feb 25, the "ABC Premiere Event,' starring Sean "Diddy" Comb, Phylicia Rashad, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan, will air from 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. ET on the ABC Television Network. That's the night after the live telecast of the 80th Annual Academy Awards.

"We are honored to have brought a new movie version of 'A Raisin in the Sun' to ABC, from Sony Pictures Television, to a new generation of viewers," said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron -- the hit-making producing team of big screen musicals such as the Academy Award winning 'Chicago' and this summer's box-office hit 'Hairspray.' "We are humbled by our formidable cast and are very grateful to Steve McPherson for giving us the coveted slot on the night after the Oscars."

For those who don't know, 'Raisin' tells the story of a family living and struggling on Chicago 's South Side during the 1950s. It is a fiercely moving portrait of people whose hopes and dreams are constantly deferred, and was the first play written by an African American woman to be produced on Broadway.

Premiering in 1959 with a cast that included Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee and Louis Gossett Jr., the work was made into a Columbia Pictures film with the same cast followed in 1961.

The hip-hop mogul, who reprises the role of Walter Lee, Jr., which brought him critical acclaim on The Great White Way, stars alongside original cast-members of the award-winning Broadway revival, which was helmed by Kenny Leon -- who was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director for his staging of the play on Broadway.

This marks his film debut.

A production of Storyline Entertainment and Bad Boy World Wide Entertainment Group in association with Sony Pictures Television, 'Raisin' also stars John Stamos, Sean Patrick Thomas, David Oyelowo, Bill Nunn and Cephas Jones.