Pop Smart - Like a Raisin on a disc

True Colors Theatre Company artistic director Kenny Leon scored an impressive payoff with A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry’s classic 1959 play, which he directed on Broadway in 2004 and then helmed as a new TV movie for ABC. A Raisin in the Sun aired on Feb. 25 (the night after ABC’s broadcast of the Oscar show) and was a ratings hit:

“It’s the highest-rated movie of the week among women this season and was the No. 1 program among all households the night it aired. Raisin also was the first broadcast network TV movie to screen at the Sundance Film Festival.”

The DVD version of A Raisin in the Sun, to be released May 6 (barely two months after its TV debut), is consequently getting a much bigger push and will receive more generous packaging than you’d expect from a made-for-TV movie. According to a Hollywood Reporter story, Raisin’s treatment reflects a booming “aftermarket” for television on DVD:

“The Raisin DVD will feature an assortment of extras of the kind normally reserved for high-profile theatricals, including an audio commentary with director Kenny Leon and a documentary on the making of the film.”