Wanted Adds Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative as Broadway Co-Producer

How is the Equal Justice Initiative involved with Wanted?

EJI joins a producing team led by the Tony-winning P3 Productions, the company behind How to Dance in Ohio and Call Me Izzy, according to Broadway News.

The collaboration also extends beyond the stage. The production and EJI are creating a lobby display at the James Earl Jones Theatre that, according to a release quoted by Broadway News, “will illuminate these shared themes, deepen audiences’ engagement with the story and offer resources for further learning.”

What did Bryan Stevenson say about co-producing Wanted?

Stevenson, who founded EJI in 1989, framed the collaboration in historical terms. “The Equal Justice Initiative is thrilled to co-produce this compelling and brilliant new American musical,” he said in a statement reported by Playbill. “The collapse of Reconstruction betrayed formerly enslaved Americans and resulted in constant sorrow, abuse, and mistreatment for millions. Despite the suffering and inequality, generations of Black people continued to fight for freedom and a world without racial bigotry. The creativity and tenacity of these remarkable Americans can be heard in Wanted, a captivating and thrilling new work of art. At a time when too many want to forget the challenges of our past, Wanted invites us to not look away but, instead, find inspiration, strength, and even joy in understanding what justice requires.”

What is the Equal Justice Initiative’s connection to the story?

EJI is dedicated to ending mass incarceration, challenging racial and economic injustice, and confronting America’s history of racial inequality, Playbill notes. According to Broadway News, it provides assistance to communities affected by poverty and unequal treatment through legal assistance, a health clinic and more.

EJI also operates the Legacy Sites in Montgomery, Alabama: the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Freedom Monument Sculpture Park and Montgomery Square. Broadway News describes them as a series of museums, memorials and art installations that explore the history and lasting impact of racial injustice.

What true story does Wanted tell about Mary and Martha Clarke?

Mary and Martha Clarke were Black twin sisters who passed as white in 1893 Texas, as Playbill reported when the Broadway production was announced in March. According to Broadway News, when a sharecropping debt threatens their mother’s home, the sisters pass as white and become outlaws to raise the money their family needs.

The musical has a personal connection at its core. Its book and lyrics are by Angelica Chéri, a descendant of the Clarke sisters, with music by Ross Baum.

Who stars in Wanted at the James Earl Jones Theatre?

Solea Pfeiffer, whose credits include Hadestown, plays Mary Clarke, and Liisi LaFontaine, whose credits include the West End’s Moulin Rouge! The Musical, plays Martha Clarke. Grammy winner Ledisi plays their mother, Tallulah Clarke. Luke James plays Elijah and Bradley Jaden plays Jesse.

Aurelia Williams and Awa Sal Secka play Sissy and Flo, reprising their performances from the musical’s earlier runs at Paper Mill Playhouse and Signature Theatre, respectively. Ximone Rose is the production standby. Melody A. Betts, Aaron Arnell Harrington, Jennie Harney-Fleming, Rayshun LaMarr, Hailey Thomas and Harris Matthew Turner make up the Kinfolk ensemble, Playbill reports.

Who is the creative team behind Wanted on Broadway?

Obie winner and Tony nominee Stevie Walker-Webb directs, with choreography by Chelsey Arce, whose credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The design team includes scenic designer Beowulf Boritt, lighting designer Adam Honoré, costume designer Emilio Sosa and sound designer Gareth Owen, with orchestrations by John Clancy and music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo.

Under its original title, Gun & Powder, the musical played Paper Mill Playhouse in spring 2024.