Adrienne Warren Will Lead IMITATION OF LIFE Off-Broadway
Imitation of Life will open November 21, 2026 at The Shed.
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The producers of the new musical IMITATION OF LIFE have just announced that Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren will star as “Delilah” in the upcoming world premiere engagement at The Griffin Theater at The Shed (Meredith “Max” Hodges, Chief Executive Officer; Alex Poots, Artistic Director), in a co-production with National Black Theatre (Sade Lythcott, Chief Executive Officer; Jonathan McCrory, Executive Artistic Director).
IMITATION OF LIFE features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, an original score by EGOT winner John Legend, and is directed by Two-Time Tony Award nominee Whitney White.
Adrienne Warren said today, “It is truly an honor to join this incredible team in bringing Imitation of Life to the stage. Over the years, developing the role of Delilah has become a highlight of my career. She is a character I have grown to love deeply, and I cannot wait to share her with audiences.”
“Imitation of Life tells a deeply emotional story of a remarkable woman’s journey, and I'm thrilled to know that Adrienne Warren will bring Delilah to life! Adrienne is an incredibly gifted performer who brings heart, humanity and radiance to every character she plays,” said John Legend. “I'm so excited that the world will hear her magnificent voice on the first musical that I've composed. I can’t wait for audiences to see her in this role.”
First published in 1933, Fannie Hurst’s novel Imitation of Life remains one of the most enduring, emotionally resonant, and groundbreaking stories in American popular culture. A powerful exploration of race, identity, motherhood, ambition, and belonging, its themes continue to captivate audiences generations after its debut. The novel inspired two landmark Universal Pictures film adaptations: the 1934 version directed by John Stahl and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the beloved 1959 adaptation directed by Douglas Sirk, starring Lana Turner and Juanita Moore. The 1934 film is included in the U.S. National Film Registry of The Library of Congress for its “cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.” It was nominated for the 1934 Academy Award for Best Picture. The 1959 film was nominated for two Academy Awards (Best Actress, Juanita Moore and Best Supporting Actress, Susan Kohner).
Across the neon rush of 1920s Atlantic City and the harder edges of 1930s New York, two single mothers—one Black, one White—and their daughters build a life together, chasing success and love by very different rules. Their stories ask what we sacrifice to be seen—and what we pass down to the ones who come after us.
Inspired by Fannie Hurst’s best-selling 1933 novel and the landmark 1934 and 1959 Universal films, Imitation of Life arrives for its world premiere in this strictly limited engagement.
Some stories take generations to find their stage. This is where Imitation of Life begins.
Performances for IMITATION OF LIFE begin on Saturday, November 21, 2026 and officially open on Thursday, December 3, for a strictly limited 6-week engagement through Sunday, January 3, 2027.
Additional casting, as well as design and creative team members will be announced at a later date.
National Black Theatre, Universal Theatrical Group (UTG), Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Get Lifted Film Co. (John Legend and Mike Jackson), Crocodile Eyes (Liesl Tommy and Jennifer Mudge), LD Entertainment (Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon) and The Shed serve as producers.
BIO
Adrienne Warren is a Tony Award-winning actress, singer, and dancer. After creating and developing the role of Tina Turner in Tina Turner the Musical alongside Turner herself and starring in the West End production, Warren brought Tina to Broadway, earning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical as well as Drama Desk, Antonyo, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Warren recently starred in The Wild Party as part of New York City Center Encores!, earning a Drama League Award nomination for her performance. She previously earned Tony and Chita Rivera Award nominations for Shuffle Along, opposite Audra McDonald, and made her Broadway debut in Bring It On: The Musical. Additional stage credits include Dreamgirls at The Apollo and The Wiz at New York City Center. Most recently, she returned to Broadway in the revival of Proof. On screen, Warren has appeared in Netflix’s “The Diplomat,” Hulu’s “Black Cake,” ABC’s Women of the Movement, and the films Rustin and The Woman King. Additional credits include “Orange Is the New Black,” “Blue Bloods,” “Quantico,” and “Paws & Fury: The Legend of Hank.” She will next appear in Season 4 of “The Gilded Age.” Warren made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops and continues to perform around the world. She is also a co-founder of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which received a special Tony Award in 2021.
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