Keith David, Ann Duquesnay, and Vivian Nixon have signed on to star in Hot Feet, a new Broadway-bound dance musical conceived, directed and choreographed by Tony Award-nominee Maurice Hines (Uptown..It's Hot, Eubie, Sophisticated Ladies). Their casting was made known by a recent New York Times advertisement.
The show, which will also feature Michael Balderrama, Allen Hidalgo and Wynonna Smith, will have its
world premiere at Washington, D.C.'s National Theatre, where it will
begin previews on March 21st, open on March 27th and run through April
9th. It will then head to the Hilton Theatre (213 W. 42nd Street) for
Broadway previews beginning April 15th. It will open on Sunday, April
30th.
Hot Feet
will feature music and lyrics by seven-time Grammy winner and Earth,
Wind & Fire founder Maurice White and a book by MTV scribe Heru Ptah (the
novel A Hip Hop Story,
Nuyorican Poets Café Slam Team). In addition to his Earth, Wind and Fire hits such as "Shining Star," "September," "Boogie
Wonderland" and "After the Love Has Gone," the show will feature original songs by White.
"Ptah's book, White's music and
Hine's direction and choreography bring out the emotion, sensitivity and
the heart of Hot Feet. Together they weave a Faustian tale about a
beautiful young girl named Kalimba, who dreams of becoming a dancer. Kalimba is cajoled to dance with a pair of magical
and enchanted red shoes, when she puts them on they begin to take
control of the talented dancers fate," according to press notes. The show is based on The Red Shoes, a Han Christian Andersen tale that later became a famous film and a short-lived Jule Styne musical.
David, who received a Tony Award nomination for his work in Jelly's Last Jam, has also been seen on Broadway in Seven Guitars, Hedda Gabler and The Lady from Dubuque. Duquesnay won a Tony Award for her work in Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk, and was also seen on Broadway in Jelly's Last Jam, The Wiz and Blues in the Night; she also earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for her work in off-Broadway's Cookin' at the Cookery. Nixon, who is the daughter of Debbie Allen and the niece of Phylicia Rashad, will make her Broadway debut in the show.
The show will feature sets by James Noone,
costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Clifton Taylor and sound by Acme
Sound Partners; it will be produced by Rudy Durand. The
box office of The National Theatre, which is located at 1321
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, will open on January 31st. For tickets, call
Telecharge: (800) 447-7400 or www.telecharge.com.
Group sales are available by calling (202) 628-6166; for information,
call (202) 628-6161. Tickets to the Broadway run are also available at
Telecharge (212) 239- 6180. Visit www.HotFeetTheMusical.com for more information.