Cast List
Jessica Frances Dukes to Lead the Cast of By The Way, Meet Vera Stark
Jessica Frances Dukes Photo via Signature Theatre
Acting powerhouse Jessica Frances Dukes, who recently slayed Alisha Harris’ Is God Is Off-Broadway, has been tapped as the title role of Lynn Nottage‘s By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at The Signature Theatre. Directed by Kamilah Forbes the revival production runs January 29, 2019, through March 3 with a February 19 opening night.
You may remember the Off-Broadway premiere of this show at Second Stage Theater in 2011 as it starred Sanaa Lathan.
It’s the Golden Age of Hollywood, and aspiring starlet Vera Stark works as a maid to Gloria Mitchell, an aging star grasping at her fading career. Worlds collide when Vera lands a trailblazing role in an antebellum epic starring…her boss. While Vera’s portrayal of a slave turns out to be groundbreaking, decades later scholars and film buffs still grapple with the actress’ legacy in Hollywood and the impact that race had on her controversial career. Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage’s fast-paced, sly satire, directed by Kamilah Forbes, will take you on a seventy-year journey through Vera’s life and the cultural climate that originally shaped her and continues today.
The cast also features Jenni Barber as Gloria, Manoel Felciano as Max/Peter, Warner Miller as Leroy/Herb, Carra Patterson as Anna Mae/Afua, Heather Alicia Simms as Lottie/Carmen, and David Turner as Brad/Slavick.
The creative team includes of Clint Ramos (scenic design), Dede M. Ayite (costume design), Matt Frey (lighting design), Mikaal Sulaiman (sound design), Katherine Freer (projection design) and Daniel Kluger (composition).
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Cast List
Queen Latifah Set to Play Ursula in Live Musical (Not Live-Action) Little Mermaid Broadcast
Queen Latifah has recently announced that she will be playing Ursula in ABC’s live musical version of The Little Mermaid, (not to be confused with the live-action movie remake starring Halle Bailey).
The actress, singer, rapper, mogul & icon will be joined by reggae musician and actor, Shaggy as Sebastian the crab, and the voice of Moana Auli’i Cravalho as Ariel.
Ursula will add to Queen Latifah’s ever-growing collection of musical theatre roles and her 2nd time in a live musical broadcast, after having played The Wiz in NBC’s The Wiz Live.
This live event will air on November 5th on ABC and will be part of the Disney celebrating 30 years since the initial release of The Little Mermaid (1989). It will combine concert-style performances, costumes and set from the 2008 Broadway musical, and footage from the original animated feature.
Director Hamish Hamilton described the set as an immersive “dive in theatre” and will feature a projection surface in the middle. Despite the broadcast being a celebration of the original movie, the broadcast will feature songs from the Broadway musical. specifically for the characters who didn’t have solo songs in the original movie.
No new songs will be added to this production, strengthening its positioning as a celebration and not as an entirely new version of The Little Mermaid.
The Wonderful World of Disney presents The Little Mermaid Live! will air Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. ET, live on ABC.
