New Stars Keke Palmer and Sherri Shepherd Join Broadway's CINDERELLA Tonight

Keke Palmer makes her Broadway debut by stepping into the title role of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA tonight, September 9, 2014, thus making history as the first African-American Cinderella on Broadway. Sherri Shepherd also joins the production as 'Madame' this evening.

At age 21, Palmer is the youngest actress to portray CINDERELLA on Broadway, having established herself as one of the fastest rising stars of her generation. Her talents span film, television, and music alike, recently making TV history for being the youngest person to ever have her own talk show. "Just Keke" premiered in June on BET and covers topics ranging from pop culture and social issues to relationships, fashion and celebrity interviews.

Currently starring in the horror/thriller Animal, Palmer can also be seen alongside Michael Sheen in the second season of Showtime's Emmy-nominated series "Masters of Sex." She starred opposite Cicely Tyson, Blair Underwood and Vanessa Williams in Lifetime's "A Trip to Bountiful," which was recently nominated for an Emmy Award.

Her credits also include Akeelah and the Bee, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Joyful Noise, Shrink, The Longshots, The Cleaner, Nickelodeon's "True Jackson, VP," "90210," "Cold Case," "Law & Order: SVU," "ER," the DIRECTV miniseries "Full Circle" and Lifetime's TLC biopic "CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story."

In addition to her acting, Palmer has been hard at work in the music studio recording her next album. Palmer also believes in giving back to the community, representing The Boys & Girls Club of America, Saving Our Daughters and WYMCA.

In August 2009, Sherri was a part of groundbreaking history when the hosts of "The View" won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host. Shepherd concluded seven years as a co-host of "The View" last month. In addition to daytime television, Shepherd competed in the fourteenth season of ABC's wildly popular, "Dancing with the Stars." She continues to be a memorable player in prime time and frequently guest-starred on the Emmy award-winning series 30 ROCK as Tracy Morgan's wife, Angie Jordan. Sherri executive produced and starred in her own sitcom "SHERRI" on Lifetime and has made appearances in "Less than Perfect," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Joan of Arcadia," "Suddenly Susan" and "The Jamie Foxx Show."

Shepherd played the lead dramatic role of "Joy White" in the Lifetime movie "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" and co-starred with Katherine Heigl in One for the Money for Lionsgate. Additionally, she has appeared in such feature films as the award-winning Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Guess Who, Who's Your Caddy, Beauty Shop and Cellular. Shepherd also had a successful run in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway hit "Love, Loss and What I Wore." Shepherd co-stars with Chris Rock in his new comedy film Top Five, alongside Kevin Hart and J.B. Smoove, which premieres at the Toronto Film Festival this year.

Now in its second year on Broadway, CINDERELLA continues to play to large and enthusiastic audiences at the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway).

Also in the cast are Joe Carroll as Prince Topher, Victoria Clark as the Fairy Godmother, Ann Harada as stepsister Charlotte, Stephanie Gibson as stepsister Gabrielle, Peter Bartlett as Sebastian, Prince Topher's mentor and Lord Chancellor, Todd Buonopane as the rebel Jean-Michel and Phumzile Sojola as Lord Pinkleton.

CINDERELLA has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is directed by Mark Brokaw. Josh Rhodes is choreographer. Music adaptation, supervision and arrangements are by David Chase. Orchestrations are by Danny Troob. CONSTANTINE Kitsopoulos is currently music director and conductor.

With its fresh, new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic CINDERELLA combines the story's classic elements - glass slippers, pumpkin, a beautiful ball and more - with some surprise twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, the CINDERELLA of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical now on Broadway is a surprisingly contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting: a spirited young woman with savvy and soul, eager to develop a world view, she doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She not only fights for her own dreams, but makes the prince, who falls in love with her, open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams, too.

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