Black Girl in Paris at Ritz Theater

Black Girl in Paris is a new work by AriDy Nox and Jacinth Greywoode, receiving a two-week developmental workshop and two public presentations as part of Theater Latté Da's 2026 NEXT Festival. The NEXT Festival features three dynamic new works presented at the historic Ritz Theater in Minneapolis.

A musical within a folktale within a ritual, Black Girl in Paris centers on Sally Hemings, a fourteen-year-old enslaved black woman from Virginia, who, by a twist of fate, suddenly finds herself in Paris, France. With the French Revolution fast approaching and her slave master looming in the background, Sally must figure out just how much she is willing to give up for a chance at freedom. Luckily, she is not alone: An ensemble of Ancestors surrounds her, acting as both community members and advisors, applauding and chiding her in equal measure. Full of defiant joy, this show explores one of the most pressing questions of our age: What does it truly mean to be free?

Black Girl in Paris was awarded the prestigious Richard Rogers Award for Musical Theater in 2025, and is directed by Zhailon Levingston, Tony Award winner for Best Director of a Musical for Cats: The Jellicle Ball, now on Broadway following a multi-award-winning Off-Broadway run.