Jelani Alladin Narrating Audiobook for There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood | Playbill
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Jelani Alladin Narrating Audiobook for There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood

The gay-themed novel from Rasheed Newson will arrive in June.

March 16, 2026 By Andrew Gans

Jelani Alladin

Jelani Alladin, who will soon be seen in the City Center Encores! staging of The Wild Party, is lending his voice to the audiobook narration of There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood, the new novel from best-selling author Rasheed Newson. 

The audiobook edition of There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood will be released June 2, simultaneously with the hardcover edition. Alladin previously narrated Newson’s first novel, My Government Means to Kill Me.

Set in the "manicured minefield" of 1950s Hollywood, There’s Only One Sin in Hollywood follows Aaron Touissant as he breaks years of silence to expose the truth behind the suspicious death of closeted Black superstar Xavier C. Barlow. As Skyline Studios’ designated "backlot fixer," Aaron spent his career keeping stars in the closet, but he is finally ready to reveal the powerful culprits responsible for the magnetic actor's untimely end.

"Reuniting with Rasheed after narrating his last book felt like a true homecoming, as his writing always resonates so powerfully with me. It’s a privilege to voice a protagonist who is finally stepping out of the shadows to set the record straight," said Alladin in a statement.

Alladin is a Drama Desk-nominated actor, best known for originating the role of Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen on Broadway. He also starred as Hercules in the Public Works’ production of Hercules

Newson is known for My Government Means to Kill Me, a New York Times Notable Book and Lambda Literary finalist. He is also an accomplished television showrunner and producer known for his work on Bel-Air, The Chi, and Narcos.

Photos: Encores!'s The Wild Party Meets the Press

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