Aida tells the story of two lovers who come from opposite backgrounds in Eygpt but despite all obstacles, they devote their love to each other until their last breath. Based on the opera of the same name, the show opened on Broadway in March 2000 and starred the incredible singer and actress Heather Headley.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, press releases announced that the show would return to the Broadway stage for a revival in 2021 with Schele Willams, an original cast member, as director of the production. While we patiently wait for the project to grow to fruition, we wonder what the cast would look like if told in a new, innovative, and ALL BLACK EVERY-THANG way?

Cynthia Erivo as Aida

Cynthia Erivo

Filling the iconic shoes of Heather Headley is NOT an easy task, so who’d better than another powerhouse voice such as Cynthia Erivo? The on-her-way-to-be EGOT actress has portrayed a wide variety of strong Black women on screen and on stage, so hearing her tackle classics such as “Easy As Life” and “Dance of the Robe” would give us more reasons to love her work!

Noah J. Ricketts as Radames

Photo courtesy of Courtesy Jacob Smith Studios

Noah J. Ricketts made his Broadway debut as a swing/replacement in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical but rose to fame in 2019 when he gained the starring role of Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen on Broadway. Ricketts. So let’s talk about UNDERRATED PERFORMERS! Noah’s rich, buttery tone has the level of fierceness to showcase Radames’s power as Captain of the Egyptian army while always showing the tender and complex side he develops when he falls in love with Aida.

Alysha Deslorieux as Amneris

Alysha Deslorieux

Another Broadway queen whose name we do not hear often…. but should. Queen Deslorieux has played a wide range of characters such as Andrea in Once on this Island, Deloris in Sister Act, and Eliza in Hamilton. Seeing her portray a role as deep and powerful as Amneris would take this show to the next level and her elegant and unique voice could take “I Know the Truth” to the Top 10 in no time.

Brian Stokes Mitchell as Zoser

Photo courtesy of Brian Stokes Mitchell’s official website.

Ragtime. Jelly’s Last Jam. Man of La Mancha. Kiss Me Kate. You name it- Stokes has done it. Brian Stokes Mitchell has graced Broadway’s catalog for over three decades and we would love to see him join the revival cast of a classic such as AIDA. His impressive baritone range would definitely bring a new, jazzy twist on “Another Pyramid”. As for portraying the father role to Ricketts, this would be one hell of a way to bring together the new generation of Broadway to the OGs that paved the way!

DeMarius R. Copes as Mereb

You last saw him play the vibrant Damian Hubbard in Means Girls on Broadway- and we would LOVE it see him take on Mereb in Aida. Mereb requires a young but capturing male who is first to recognize Aida as the Princess of Nubia. DeMarius’s fresh face and elegant voice in “How I Know You” could definitely pull all of this off.

DeMarius R. Copes

Nkeki Obi-Melekwe as Nehebka

Rising to fame as Tina in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical on West End, then as the alternate to Adrienne Warren on Broadway, Nkeki Obi-Melekwe brings a spark to the stage many do not see often. Her remarkable voice and dance skills add more fuel to the fire of a stellar cast for a long-overdue revival.

Photo: Emilio Madrid-Kuser

Nick Rashad Burroughs as Pharaoh

Give it up for strong Black men on Broadway! Nick has given us everything we’ve needed in Kinky Boots, King Kong, and Tina on Broadway, and bringing his rich voice and impeccable moves to Nubia as Pharoah would allow him to showcase the acting chops as well. *SPOILER* having to act like you being poisoned throughout the course of the show is not the easiest task for anyone.

Nick Rashad Burroughs

Rodrick Covington as Amonasro

Rodrick made his Broadway debut in The Lion King and rose to fame once more in the Tony-Award winning revival of Once on This Island in 2017. With the physical appearance and incredible dance ability, he’d make a great fit to portray the King of Nubia and fierce Nubian dancer in the production.

Rodrick Covington Headshot

If we have to search a hundred lifetimes, we will find the perfect cast for this highly anticipated revival of AIDA. Let us know who’d you like to see in the show!!

The post Dreamcasting: Aida appeared first on Broadway Black.

In an interview with Playbill about taking on the role of “The Witch”, Headley says, “My agent Joe Machota called me up. This is how he does it — Bodyguard, everything — he’s like, ‘Hey, I got something that I think you should do,’ and I’m like, ‘No.’ And he’s like, ‘Heath, it’s two weeks. By the time you’re going crazy… And, it’s “The Witch” in Into the Woods.’ And, I said, ‘First, again: No! Sondheim? No. I need like a year to figure that out. It’s not in my head.’ Sondheim: it doesn’t believe in the C Major chord, and I love the C Major chord. And, it’s so hard!”

But she’s come to have a new appreciation for the character; “I have to say that maybe five years ago, before I had my son, I wouldn’t understand “The Witch” as maybe ‘thoroughly’ as I am — not that I am understanding her thoroughly — but having both of them and being a mommy now has given me this different view of  “The Witch”. It’s been different to see her now from a parenting point-of-view and figure out that she’s not that crazy! Because I’m like, ‘I will do the same thing!”

As for a return to Broadway, “We were kind of looking at Bodyguard for a second, but I think they’re going to tour first, which I can’t do,” she explains, “but if it comes into New York, we’ll see. And, we’ll talk about that at that point. Aida was so good to me, and she spoiled me greatly, and Disney spoils me. I loved playing her, I loved being in that show with the cast that we had and everybody, so I think it’s just looking for that role. And, there are many times I think that way with Bodyguard. You read it, and you go, ‘That’s her.’ Even if you’re trying to pull away, you’re like, ‘Okay, that’s the girl. That’s the one.’ So I’m excited about that.”

The post Heather Headley Eyes Return to Broadway With The Bodyguard appeared first on Broadway Black.

Aida is loosely based on Giuseppe Verdi’s 1871 opera, brought to life by the team that brought us Lion King: Elton John wrote the score and lyrics are by Tim Rice. Aida is an epic tale of love, loyalty and betrayal chronicling the love triangle between Aida, a Nubian princess stolen from her country, Amneris, an Egyptian princess, and Radames, the soldier they both love.

Ms. Boswell is no stranger to the role. In 2008, the Virginia Musical Theatre was one of the first regional theaters to gain rights to the show after its Broadway run ended in 2004. Boswell starred in the title role and received rave reviews for her performance. Hampton Roads wrote about Boswell:

She rips into those ballads with a ferocity that would daunt any Egyptian captor. Acting wise, she brings a nobility and fierce anger to the part that is tempered by femininity when love takes over. She has the diva thing down pat, with every hint that she deserves the crown. Boswell is mezzo magnificent.

Boswell was most recently seen as Aldonza in Barrington Stage Company’s production of Man of La Mancha in Massachusetts. Inspired by Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century satirical novel “Don Quixote,” Man of La Mancha tells a story rich in chivalry, romance, idealism, tilting at windmills, and dreaming “The Impossible Dream.” Man of La Mancha features a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The production ran from June 10 until July 11, under the direction of Julianna Boyd.

Performances of Cleveland Musical Theatre’s Aida will occur at 8:00PM on Saturday, July 25th and at 2:00PM on Sunday, July 26th. In addition to the performance, one hour before the show the theatre will have a presentation about itself and the educational program, Making It On Broadway. The show also stars Christina DeCicco, Jared Zirilli, and Timothy Warmen. You can RSVP for the show from their website here.

Check out Felicia singing “The Gods Love Nubia” from Aida below!

The post Felicia Boswell Goes From Aldonza To Aida appeared first on Broadway Black.

In the title role is none other than Deborah Cox, whose Broadway credits include the title role in Aida in 2004, and the female lead ‘Lucy Harris’ in the 2013 revival of Jekyll & Hyde (opposite Constantine Maroulis).

Romance, intrigue and plenty of excitement will fill the stage next spring when Asolo Rep presents the world-premiere of Josephine, the original new musical bound for Broadway following its Sarasota run. The entrancing Josephine Baker was beautiful, ambitious, and the toast of Europe at the height of her fame in the 1920s-30s. Born into poverty in St. Louis, she rose to become an icon of the Jazz Age, captivating Paris audiences as a dancer, singer, actress and the twentieth-century’s first international black female sex symbol. Directed and choreographed by Tony nominated Joey McKneely and starring Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artist Deborah Cox, this dazzling new musical revolves around Baker’s stint as the star of the Folies-Bergere in Paris from 1939-45, her scandalous affair with Swedish Crown Prince Gustav IV, and her service in the French Resistance during World War II.

The Asolo Repertory Theatre production of Josephine debuts April 27, 2016, with an official opening on Mary 6th and will run through May 29th, 2016.

“Josephine vividly brings to life the story of a beloved American icon — one of the most magnetic and fascinating women in history. This celebration of Josephine Baker is a remarkably evocative work of art and a brilliant addition to our five-year American Character Project,” notes Producing Artistic Director of Asolo Repertory Theatre Michael Donald Edwards.

Visit www.AsoloRep.com for more information!

The post Deborah Cox To Play Josephine Baker In Broadway Bound Musical appeared first on Broadway Black.