Loretta Devine and Amber Riley to Star in The Preacher’s Wife

Alliance Theatre has announced the cast and creative team of its world premiere musical The Preacher’s Wife. It features an original score by actor, musician, and writer Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and a book by actor, producer, and writer Azie Dungey (Girls5eva). The musical will run on the Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre May 11-June 16.

The cast includes Rebecca E. Covington as Beverly, NAACP Image Award and Emmy Award winner Loretta Devine (Waiting to Exhale, The Preacher’s Wife) as Marguerite Coleman, Alan H. Green (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Joe Hamilton, Jahi Kearse (Ain’t Too Proud) as Deacon Lewis, Davis Michael Matthews as Hakeem, Cameron McCrae as Jeremiah, Wayne Pretlow as Ol’ Mac, Brad Raymond (The Color Purple) as Deacon Johnson, Screen Actors Guild Award and Laurence Olivier Award winner Amber Riley (Glee, Dreamgirls on the West End) as Julia Biggs, Akron Lanier Watson (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Henry Biggs, and Donald Webber, Jr (Hamilton) as Dudley.

The ensemble includes Wesley J. Barnes, Brianna Bellamy, Angela Birchett, Laila Bollar, Melessie Clark, Cedrick Ekra, Cyniah Elise, Darius Harper, Toneisha Harris, Shaq Hester, Brianna Javis, Harper Miles, Amma Osei, Kala Ross, Drew Shade, Michael Stiggers, Alicia Thomas, Damani Van Rensalier, and Helen Marla White. Ashley Jenkins is the understudy for the role of Julia Biggs.

The Preacher’s Wife creative team is led by Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden (Parade) and director and Alliance Theatre’s Jennings Hertz Artistic Director, Tinashe Kajese-Bolden.

The creative team also includes choreographer Matthew Johnson Harris, Tony nominated scenic designer Dane Laffrey, scenic designer Teresa L. Williams, Tony nominated costume designer Sarafina Bush, Tony nominated lighting designer Jennifer Schriever, Tony nominated sound designer Joshua D. Reid, wig designer Cookie Jordan, and illusionist Skylar Fox. James Sampliner serves as the production’s music supervisor, music director, orchestrator, and arranger. Additional production support is provided by associate director Emilio Ramos, associate choreographer Jōvan Dansberry, and associate music director John Gentry Tennyson.