Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, Savy Jackson, and More Will Lead TAKE THE LEAD at Paper Mill Playhouse

Paper Mill Playhouse has announced the cast and creative team for the upcoming world premiere musical Take the Lead. The production will begin performances Saturday, March 29 ahead of a Sunday, April 6 opening night at Paper Mill Playhouse, which it will play  through Sunday, April 27, 2025. 

 The cast will feature former 3LW and Cheetah Girls member Adrienne Bailon-Houghton as Arianna, Vincent Jamal Hooper (Hamilton, The Lion King) as Rock, Savy Jackson (Bad Cinderella, Once On This Island First National Tour) as La Rhette, Tam Mutu (Doctor Zhivago, Moulin Rouge! The Musical) as Pierre Dulaine, and Matthew Risch (Modern Family, How to Get Away With Murder) as Alan. The ensemble also includes Eric Ascione, Megan Elyse Fulmer, Gaelen Gilliland, David Jennings, Dillon Lehman, Natalia Nieves, Justin O’Brien, Kevin Trinio Perdido, Ryan Raffloer, Deon Releford-Lee, Cristian Rodriguez, Kiki Rodriguez, Jonalyn Saxer, Tatiana Seliverstova, SeQuoiia, Grace Slear, Salome Smith, Stephani Sosa, Christian Whan, and Zoë Zimmerman.

Set in the pulsating heart of New York City, Take the Lead is a joyful new musical based on the 2006 dance film that starred Antonio Banderas. This electrifying tale is the true story of Pierre Dulaine, a former professional dancer who, against all odds, brought the art of ballroom dance into New York City public schools. This world-premiere musical spotlights a dynamic fusion of ballroom and hip-hop in its music and choreography with a book by Robert Cary and Jonathan Tolins (“Schmigadoon!”) and a score by Elliah Heifetz and Zeniba Now. Take the Lead is co-choreographed by Jennifer Weber (& Juliet) and Maria Torres (So You Think You Can Dance) and directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Death Becomes Her). 

The creative team also includes music supervision by Bill Sherman, music direction by Geoffrey Ko, and orchestrations and arrangements by Bill Sherman and Geoffrey Ko. Scenic design is by Paul Tate DePoo III, costume design by Jen Caprio, lighting design by Justin Townsend and Nick Solyom, sound design by Walter Trarbach, and hair, wig and makeup design by Earon Chew Nealey. The production stage manager is Molly Meg Legal and casting is by The Telsey Office. 

Take the Lead is based on the New Line Cinema film written by Dianne Houston, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.

Meet the Cast

Adrienne Bailon-HOUGHTON (Arianna) is an Emmy Award–winning talk show host, singer, actress, and entrepreneur. She gained fame as a member of the chart-topping music groups 3LW and The Cheetah Girls. Adrienne made history as the first Latina to cohost a daytime talk show and earned an Emmy for her work on “The Real.” She is the founder of La Voûte, a luxury fashion brand that blends her passion for style and empowerment. A proud Latina, Adrienne celebrates her heritage through her endeavors, inspiring fans worldwide with her authenticity and dedication.

Vincent Jamal Hooper (Rock) is a New York Times–featured multi-hyphenate artist recently seen on Broadway as Simba in The Lion King. He has performed around the world in Hamilton—including in Puerto Rico alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda—playing the roles of Hamilton, Burr, Lafayette/Jefferson, George Washington, and King George III. Off Broadway he appeared as Tarik in Pulitzer and Tony winner Michael R. Jackson’s White Girl in Danger. Select TV credits include “Chicago Med” and “Shots Fired.” His debut album, Tune Inn, is available now on all streaming platforms. Instagram: @vincentjamalhooper

Savy Jackson (La Rhette) is over the moon to be making her Paper Mill Playhouse debut! Savy most recently made their Broadway debut in the original company of Bad Cinderella starring as the titular role every Sunday. Savy can also be seen in the HBO Max feature Sweethearts. Other credits include the national tour of Once on This Island, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (Geva Theatre), and Ariel in The Little Mermaid (The Muny). Savy is also a singer/songwriter currently working on their debut album. Savy’s music can be found on all streaming platforms. Instagram: @savy.jackson

Tam Mutu (Pierre Dulaine). Broadway: Moulin Rouge! (Grammy Award nomination), Doctor Zhivago (Drama League Award nomination). City Center Encores!: Oliver!; Hey, Look Me Over!; The New Yorkers. West End: City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse); Les Misérables (Sondheim); Love Never Dies (Adelphi); Love’s Labour’s Lost, Royal Hunt of the Sun, South Pacific (National Theatre); Romeo and Juliet, King Lear (RSC); As You Like It, Oh! What a Lovely War (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). Regional: The Secret Garden (5th Avenue, Seattle), Chess (Princess of Wales, Toronto). TV: “Law & Order: Organized Crime,” “Medici,” “Sherlock,” “Blue Bloods.” Film: Mary Poppins Returns.