Heather Headley to Star in Netflix Series SWEET MAGNOLIAS

Tony and Drama Desk Award award winner Heather Headley is set to star alongside Monica Potter and Brooke Elliott in the new Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, according to Deadline.

Sweet Magnolias is based on Sherryl Woods' series of novels and is set in the charming small town of Serenity, South Carolina. It centers on three women, best friends since childhood.

Headley plays Helen Decatur, a lawyer who has made it her goal to create an opportunity FOR THE PEOPLE of Serenity, her hometown. Whether professionally or as a friend, Helen is an ally - particularly to Maddie. Helen is selfless, and she has to be - her career means that she spends a lot of time focusing on other people's problems.

Potter will play Maddie Townsend, a low-key but resolute, warm and loving woman with a vocabulary like Southern poetry. She finds herself at a crossroads in her life and her best friends are trying desperately to convince her that now is the time for reinvention.

Elliott plays Dana Sue Sullivan. Everyone knows her as the strong-willed owner and head chef of Sullivan's Restaurant, a cherished spot in the town of Serenity. A former wild child, she works constantly but is always willing to drop everything for her friends.

The series will be executive produced by Woods with Sheryl J. Anderson, who also serves as showrunner. Dan Paulson, whose Daniel L. Paulson Productions is producing, also serves as executive producer. Norman Buckley serves as co-executive producer and will direct six episodes.

Heather Headley made her Broadway debut as "Nala" in the original Broadway cast of The Lion King and went on to win Tony and Drama Desk Awards for her critically-acclaimed portrayal of the title role in Aida. She earned an Olivier Award nomination for her West End stage debut in The Bodyguard and returned to Broadway most recently in the Tony-winning revival of The Color Purple

Read the original article on Deadline.