John Legend’s music and lyrics will meet Lynn Nottage’s storytelling when Imitation of Life begins its limited New York run this month.
John Legend is approaching a new stage milestone with Imitation of Life, beginning performances November 21 at the Griffin Theater at The Shed. The off-Broadway musical has an official opening scheduled for December 3.
Legend supplies the music and lyrics, with a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and direction by Whitney White. The production’s official announcement sets the engagement through January 3, 2027.
Adrienne Warren stars as Delilah, opposite Jessica Vosk as Bea. Michael Luwoye plays Elroy, Charlie Thurston plays Archie and Aleyse Shannon appears as Adult Peola, giving the central family story a cast with extensive stage and screen experience.
The musical draws from Fannie Hurst’s 1933 novel and the 1934 and 1959 Universal film adaptations. Its story follows two single mothers, one Black and one White, and their daughters as their shared lives unfold across 1920s Atlantic City and 1930s New York.
The creative team includes music direction by Ben Covello, co-orchestrations by Bryan Carter and Charlie Rosen, and choreography by Baye & Asa. Those roles bring Legend’s score into a theatrical setting built around character, movement and the changing relationships between the women.
The premiere adds a different kind of project to a season that also included Legend’s Muse collaboration with Pharrell Williams. Audiences will encounter the new musical in previews first, ahead of its December opening and the conclusion of its six-week run.
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