Directed by Jack O’Brien, the production opened to mostly rave reviews on November 20. Its 33-member cast includes Richard Easton in the title role, Kevin Kline as Falstaff, Michael Hayden as Prince Hal, Ethan Hawke as Hotspur, Audra McDonald as Lady Percy, and Dana Ivey as Mistress Quickly/Lady Northumberland. Henry IV features scenic design by Ralph Funicello, costume design by Jess Goldstein, and lighting design by Brian MacDevitt.
In his review of the show for TheaterMania, David Finkle wrote that, “Strictly in terms of staging, Jack O’Brien’s Henry IV…may be the finest presentation we’ve yet seen at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont auditorium” and that the production “comes with both hands close to full; the lengthy proceedings go by as quickly as one of Falstaff’s winks.”