‘Wanted’ — New Musical On The Clarke Sisters Coming To Broadway
‘Black Thelma & Louise’ — The Clarke Sisters’ Daring True Story Comes To Broadway In New Musical ‘Wanted’
The real-life story of the infamous Clarke sisters, twins who blurred the lines between vigilantism and folk heroism to settle their mother’s sharecropper debt, save her home, and avenge the injustices of Slavery, is heading to Broadway this Fall.
PEOPLE exclusively shared that Wanted will star Solea Pfeiffer and Liisi LaFontaine as Mary and Martha Clarke, two African-American sisters who passed as white in 1893 Texas. The upcoming musical will begin previews at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York City on Oct. 15, with opening night set for Nov. 8.
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This isn’t either actress’s first rodeo with these roles. Originally titled Gun & Powder, the musical inspired by true events had its world premiere at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va., in February 2020, where Pfeiffer played Mary. Then in Spring 2024, LaFontaine starred as Martha during a run at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey.
“We’re so happy to finally bring this show we love so much to Broadway,” the pair expressed in a joint statement, per PEOPLE. “Getting to highlight a piece of American history so rarely talked about, and to step into the boots of these extraordinary women is an honor we don’t take lightly.”
They continued: “We know the importance of seeing yourself onstage, and to represent the complicated and beautiful tapestry of this country on Broadway is a dream realized. To get to do it together is a dream come true. We can’t wait for the world to meet the Sisters Clarke.”
Wanted is set in America’s Wild West and tells the mostly true story of the Clarke sisters as they evolve from modest Black farm girls from Texas into gun-toting “white” women whose exploits are rumored to include bank robbery, according to Angelica Chéri, the real-life great-great niece of the twins.
“[They’re] sort of like a black Thelma and Louise,” Chéri told her alma mater, Columbia University School of the Arts. Her book and lyrics are also featured in the musical, which mixes gospel, R&B, and Western mythology.
Obie Award winner and Tony Award nominee Stevie Walker-Webb will serve as director, with choreography by Chelsey Arce.
“Sharing this milestone during Women’s History Month feels especially meaningful, as the musical continues to shine a light on the legacy of women whose stories have too often been overlooked,” producers Ben Holtzman, Sammy Lopez and Fiona Howe Rudin of P3 Productions said in a statement.
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