American Ballet Theater's Misty Copeland to Join Broadway's On the Town

Misty Copeland, the dancer who recently made headlines as the first African-American woman to be named a principal dancer for American Ballet Theater, will join the cast of Broadway's On the Town. The New York Times reports that Copeland's run, which begins August 25, will last for two weeks.

Copeland will take over for Megan Fairchild, also a professional ballerina, in the lead role of Ivy Smith. The musical, which opened at Broadway's Lyric Theatre on October 16, 2014, features direction by John Rando and choreography by Joshua Bergasse in his Broadway debut. Created by the legendary creative team of Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Jerome Robbins, On the Town is a musical love letter to New York City that tells a story of three sailors who aim to conquer the Big Apple while on 24-hour shore leave.

The production was nominated for four 2015 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for Tony Yazbeck in the role of Gabey. The production also stars Jay Armstrong Johnson and Clyde Alves as sailors Chip and Ozzie, respectively, as well as Alysha Umphress and Elizabeth Stanley as the women who steal their hearts.

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