The Secret Life of Bees Is Now a Musical; Will Star LaChanze, Saycon Sengbloh, & More Off-Broadway

LaChanze Photo via Facebook

The New York Times bestselling novel and the critically acclaimed feature film is now becoming a musical! The Sue Monk Kidd classic is coming to the Atlantic Theater Company. Saycon Sengbloh (Eclipsed, Wicked) will star as Rosaleen, a Black caretaker who runs away with Lily, played by Elizabeth Teeter (The Audience, The Crucible), to uncover the mysteries surrounding Lily’s mother’s death.

LaChanze (The Color Purple, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) will play beekeeper August Boatwright, with Eisa Davis (Kings) as June, Manoel Felciano as T-Ray, Lily’s abusive father, Brett Gray (On My Block) as Zach, and Anastacia McCleskey (Waitress) as May.

South Carolina, 1964. Lily Owens, a restless white teenager, struggles with her merciless father and the haunting memory of her mother’s death. When Rosaleen, her black caregiver, is beaten and jailed for asserting her right to vote, Lily’s rebellious spirit is ignited. She and Rosaleen escape on an adventure where they are taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters. While Lily tries to unlock the secrets of her past, she and Rosaleen find solace in the mesmerizing world of bees and spirituality in this extraordinary tale of awakening, fellowship, and healing.

The ensemble will include Jai’Len Christine Li Josey (Spongebob, Witness Uganda). Romelda Teron Benjamin, Joe Cassidy, Vita E. Cleveland, and Matt DeAngelis.

Set to begin previews May 12, 2019, with an official opening Off-Broadway June 13th, and eyes on a Broadway transfer, The Secret Life of Bees features music by Duncan Sheik, Lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and a book by Lynn Nottage and will be directed by Sam Gold. Performances are scheduled to run through July 7.

The Secret Life of Bees was a 2008 American drama film directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Will Smith, with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, as executive producer. The cast included Dakota Fanning as Lily Owens, Jennifer Hudson as Rosaleen, Queen Latifah as August Boatwright, Alicia Keys as June Boatwright, and Tony Award winner Sophie Okonedo as May Boatwright