The world premiere of Gun & Powder opened at Virginia’s Signature Theatre February 5 after beginning previews January 28. The new musical, featuring a book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri and music by Ross Baum, is scheduled to run through February 23 in the Max Theatre.
Directed by Slave Play's Robert O'Hara, Gun & Powder is inspired by the true story of Mary and Martha Clarke—African-American twins—who pass themselves as white to help settle their mother’s sharecropper debt and seize the funds by any means necessary. However, their bond of sisterhood is tested when they fall in love with two very different men.
Solea Pfeiffer (City Center's Evita, The Light in the Piazza in Chicago) and Emmy Raver-Lampman (The Umbrella Academy) star as the Clarke sisters after playing sisters Eliza and Angelica Schuyler in the first national tour of Hamilton. Pfeiffer and Raver-Lampman, who play Mary and Martha, respectively, are joined by Marva Hicks (Motown: The Musical) as Tallulah Clarke, Dan Tracy (Waitress) as Jesse, and Donald Webber Jr. (Hamilton, Motown) as Elijah.
The ensemble is rounded out by Yvette Monique Clark, Wyn Delano, Christian Douglas, Amber Lenell Jones, Rayshun LaMarr, Da’Von T. Moody, Crystal Mosser, Christopher Michael Richards, Awa Sal Secka, Eleanor Todd, and Kanysha Williams. Swings include Alex De Bard, Calvin Malone, Adelina Mitchell, Kylie Clare Smith, and Montel B. Butler.
The production also features musical direction by Darryl Ivey, choreography by Byron Easley, scenic design by Emmy winner Jason Sherwood, lighting design by Alex Jainchill, costume design by Dede Ayite, sound design by Ryan Hickey, wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas, projection design by Kaitlyn Pietras and Jason H. Thompson, orchestrations by John Clancy, assistant direction by Jacob Janssen, New York casting by Kaitlin Shaw, Tara Rubin Casting, and D.C. casting by Kelly Crandall d’Amboise.
The production stage manager is Kerry Epstein, the assistant stage manager is Madison Bahr, and the production assistant is Joey Blakely.
