Paradise Square Announces Full Broadway Casting

Complete casting has been announced for the upcoming Broadway production of Paradise Square, beginning previews March 15 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The official opening is set for April 3.

Tony nominee Joaquina Kalukango (Slave Play) leads the 40-member cast that also features Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Tony nominee John Dossett (Newsies), Sidney DuPont (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), A.J. Shively (Bright Star), Nathaniel Stampley (The Color Purple), Gabrielle McClinton (Pippin), Jacob Fishel (Fiddler on the Roof), Kevin Dennis (Canadian production of Young Frankenstein), and Matt Bogart (Miss Saigon). Aisha Jackson (Frozen) will stand by for Kalukango.

Completing the ensemble are Garrett Coleman, Jason Oremus, Colin Barkell, Karen Burthwright, Kennedy Caughell, Dwayne Clark, Conor Coleman, Eric Craig, Colin Cunliffe, Chloe Davis, Josh Davis, Bernard Dotson, Jamal Christopher Douglas, Camille Eanga-Selenge, Sam Edgerly, Shiloh Goodin, Sean Jenness, Joshua Keith, Jay McKenzie, Ben Michael, Kayla Pecchioni, Eilis Quinn, Lee Siegel, Erica Spyres, Lael van Keuren, Sir Brock Warren, Alan Wiggins, Kristen Beth Williams, and Hailee Kaleem Wright.

Paradise Square is set in the Five Points neighborhood of New York City circa 1863 and is about a community of poor Irish immigrants and free Blacks who survive the war years and Draft Riots with raucous dance contests in neighborhood bars and dance halls.

The musical has a book by Christina Anderson (Good Goods), Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza), and Larry Kirwan (lead singer of Black 47), with music by Jason Howland (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), lyrics by Nathan Tysen (Amélie) and Masi Asare (Monsoon Wedding), and additional music by Kirwan, inspired in part by the songs of Stephen Foster. Musical supervision, music direction, and orchestrations are by Howland, with arrangements by Howland and Kirwan.

Two-time Tony Award nominee Moisés Kaufman (The Laramie Project) directs the production, with choreography by two-time Tony winner Bill T. Jones (Fela!) and musical staging by Alex Sanchez (Far From Heaven). Rounding out the creative team are Allen Moyer (scenic design), Toni-Leslie James (costume design), Donald Holder (lighting design), Jon Weston (sound design), and Wendall K. Harrington (projection design). Dramaturgy is by Thulani Davis and Sydné Mahone.