Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew takes the stage for its first preview December 27, following a week delay due to positive COVID-19 results in the company. The Broadway premiere was originally set to begin previews December 21, with an opening scheduled for January 12, 2022. Opening night is now slated for January 19 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
The play, the third of Morisseau's Detroit Cycle, tells the story of a tight-knit family of workers at a small auto factory facing foreclosure. It stars Tony winner Phylicia Rashad (Gem of the Ocean, A Rasin in the Sun), Brandon J. Dirden (Jitney), Chanté Adams in her Broadway debut, Joshua Boone (Network), and dancer-choreographer Adesola Osakalumi (Fela!).
Tony winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who recently had his own Broadway premiere of the solo show Lackawanna Blues at Manhattan Theatre Club, directs the work. The creative team also includes set designer Michael Carnahan (Lackawanna Blues), costume designer Emilio Sosa (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), lighting designer Rui Rita (The Velocity of Autumn), and projection designer Nicholas Hussong (On Your Feet!). Original music and sound design are by Rob Kaplowitz, with original songs by Jimmy ‘J Keys’ Keys, and vocal foley work by Chesney Snow.
Casting is by Dave Caparelliotis and Kelly Gillespie, and Kamra A. Jacobs serves as production stage manager.
Morisseau was Tony-nominated for the book of Ain't Too Proud, the Temptations bio-musical currently running on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre.
