A new princess is heading to the Broadway Theatre! Small screen star and talk show host Keke Palmer will join the cast of Cinderella. The Just Keke host will don the glass slippers beginning September 9, taking over for current Cindy Paige Faure. As previously announced, Faure will lead the national tour of the Rodgers and Hammerstein tuner beginning October 10.
Palmer’s film and TV credits include Animal, Masters of Sex, The Trip to Bountiful, Akeelah and the Bee, Joyful Noise, The Cleaner, True Jackson, VP and 90210. Her debut album So Uncool was released by Atlantic Records in 2007. Back in 2012, Palmer told Broadway.com that singing was her first love, saying “it would be really fun” to come to the Great White Way. Well, wishes come true! She will be the first African American actress to play Cinderella on Broadway.
Directed by Mark Brokaw, the production brings to the Broadway stage for the first time the tuner that originally aired as a TV special in 1957, starring Oscar winner Julie Andrews. This Cinderella features a completely re-imagined book by Douglas Carter Beane and additional Rodgers and Hammerstein songs originally composed for other musicals.
In addition to Faure, Cinderella currently features Nancy Opel as Madame, Joe Carroll as Prince Topher, Tony winner Victoria Clark as Marie, Ann Harada as Charlotte, Stephanie Gibson as Gabrielle, Todd Buonopane as Jean-Michel, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian and Phumzile Sojola as Lord Pinkleton.
Check out Palmer and Broadway favorite Jeremy Jordan's duet from Joyful Noise below!