Imitation of Life has its full company. Nineteen more performers join Adrienne Warren and the principals in the Lynn Nottage and John Legend musical, now in rehearsals for its world premiere at The Griffin Theater at The Shed, where performances begin Saturday, November 21, 2026.
The ensemble is Kayla Davion, Karli Dinardo, EJ Hamilton, Sheldon Henry, Dan Horn, Aliah James, Evan Latta, Kyle Taylor Parker, Morgan Jeanell Robbins, Martell Dimitri Ruffin, Clifton Samuels, Carla Stewart and Ryan Vona. The swings and offstage covers are Zach Bravo, Skylar Geary, Dava Huesca, Malik Kitchen, Zoe Brooke Reed and Zoe Rock.
Several have named tracks. Davion is standby for Warren's role, Delilah Johnston. Dinardo plays Adult Jessie and understudies Bea. Parker plays Sammy and understudies Elroy. Vona plays Edward, a part Horn understudies. Stewart is the Church Soloist, Henry plays the Minister and Latta plays Juan Madrigal. Samuels understudies Archie and Robbins understudies Adult Peola. Geary and Rock are the standbys for the two children, Young Jessie and Young Peola, and Huesca is dance captain.
The company arrives with plenty of Broadway behind it. Davion's credits include Liberation, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Elf, Waitress and King Kong. Stewart was in the original Broadway casts of Tina and of the Tony-winning revival of The Color Purple. Parker played Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway, and Dinardo was in the original Broadway companies of Bob Fosse's Dancin' and Moulin Rouge!. Huesca has won a Bessie and an Obie, and Vona has sung the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar with Komische Oper Berlin. Geary makes a professional debut with the show, and Robbins, a senior in Pace University's musical theater program, an Off-Broadway debut.
The principals were announced in September: Warren as Delilah, Jessica Vosk as Bea, Michael Luwoye as Elroy, Charlie Thurston as Archie, Aleyse Shannon as Adult Peola, Scarlett London Diviney as Young Peola and Lily Gilliam as Young Jessie. Whitney White directs, and National Black Theatre co-produces with The Shed.
The story is taken from Fannie Hurst's 1933 novel and the Universal films of 1934 and 1959. It tracks two mothers raising daughters on their own, one Black and one white, whose lives run together from Atlantic City in the 1920s to New York in the 1930s.
Opening night is Thursday, December 3, 2026, and the limited six-week engagement ends Sunday, January 3, 2027. Tickets are on sale through our Imitation of Life page.
