"American Idol" Season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino will make her first Broadway appearance since starring in "The Color Purple" in 2007. The songstress is set to star in the first run of new musical "After Midnight."
"Midnight" is based around the legendary Cotton Club, a Harlem hotspot that served as home base for legendary swing pianist and bandleader Duke Ellington. The show hopes to imitate the revolving door of headliners hosted by the Cotton Club in its glory days by keeping "Midnight's" guest stars in place for short runs. Fantasia will be the first guest star when the play opens on Nov. 3, and she's set to perform through Feb. 9, 2014.
"After Midnight" will focus on several renowned Harlem artists of the swing era. The soundtrack will consist of Ellington's original arrangements, played by a 17-piece jazz orchestra selected by Wynton Marsalis. The play will also use poetry by Langston Hughes, one of the foremost writers in the Harlem Renaissance. Naturally, there will be plenty of dancing and singing.
Barrino made her Broadway debut in "The Color Purple," a long-running play that had seen a significant drop in attendance leading up to her joining the cast. During her time playing Celie, the protagonist of the play, attendance rose a reported 40 percent, making Barrino one of the few "American Idol" alums who has found success on Broadway.
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