In 'Death of a Salesman,' Wendell Pierce stars as the patriarch of Broadway's 1st Black Loman family

When playwright Arther Miller released “Death of a Salesman” in 1949, the play received Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and brought grown men to their knees.

The play followed Willy Loman, a man whose self-esteem revolved around his success as a salesman in the 1930s. When those sales slipped, so did Loman’s grip.

Now a new production has recently opened on Broadway with one difference: Willy Loman, his sons, and his wife, Linda, are all played by Black actors. It’s a first for the Broadway show and marks a notable difference in the play’s interpretation.

McKinley Belcher III and Khris Davis. (Joan Marcus)

Loman is played by “The Wire” and “Treme” star and he says the role isn’t validation for Black actors — they’re all over Broadway. But the role is different for him, and he’s still learning.