N'Kenge to Return to MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Following Maternity Leave

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL's N'Kenge returns to Broadway Tuesday, Dec. 2 in the role of Mary Wells which she originated.

N'Kenge and her husband Simion welcomed their first child, a little girl Jahzara Martina on Oct. 2.

During her maternity leave, N'Kenge performed as a soloist with renowned Pops Conductor Jack Everly with Indianapolis Symphony and Utah Symphony Orchestra. N'Kenge continues to work as a Celebrity Correspondent for Spotlight Magazine. This month, her column NOTES FROM N'KENGE features the cover story and interview with Tony Winner Choreograher/Director Jerry Mitchell.

N'Kenge named her little girl in honor of both her Dad's John Simpson Jr and Martin Hoffman. Jahzara is Ethiopian for Blessed Princess and Martina is Spanish for Goddess of War. N'Kenge made her Broadway debut in SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM alongside Vanessa Williams, Barbara Cook, Norm Lewis and Tom Wopat.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, the hit musical featuring the music of the legendary Motown catalogue and a book by Berry Gordy, will play its final performance at Broadway's Lunt Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street) on January 18, 2015.

In an unprecedented move, Motown the Musical will return to Broadway in a Nederlander theatre to be announced in July, 2016.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL has broken the weekly gross box office record at the Lunt Fontanne with million dollar-grossing weeks and an average ticket price of $112.72 since the start of performances on March 11, 2013. The production will recoup its $18 million investment within the next few weeks at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre.

This spring, the first National Tour of Motown the Musical opened to critical acclaim, grossing an impressive $20 Million dollars during a packed sixteen-week run, and is now heading to major markets across the US.

A UK production is planned for the summer of 2015.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, Motown the Musical is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed our culture forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, Motown the Musical tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. You can experience the next electrifying chapter in the Motown story on Broadway throughJanuary 18 and across the country in a city near you.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL's creative team features choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Blues in the Night) and Warren Adams (Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, "Project Runway"), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (Once, Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys) and projection design by Daniel Brodie(Jekyll and Hyde).

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL features arrangements and orchestrations by Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages), who also serves as musical supervisor for the orchestra that reproduces the classic "Sound of Young America" for the stage, with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award nominee Bryan Crook ("Smash"), dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and music direction by Joseph Joubert (Nice Work If You Can Get It).

The Original Broadway Cast Album of Motown the Musical, produced by Ethan Popp for Universal Music Enterprises, was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus