Another week, another starry casting drop from the upcoming concept album of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis' new musical Warriors, set to release October 18 via Atlantic Records.
Newly joining the roster this time around: Busta Rhymes as The Voice of Brooklyn, Stephen Sanchez as Cal, Joshua Henry as Wanya, Timothy Hughes as Lance, and Daniel Jikal as Joon. Sanchez, Henry, Hughes, and Jikal's characters collectively make up The Bizzies.
The previously announced group of rap icons and stage favorites making appearances on the album includes Shenseea as DJ Lynne Pen; Kim Dracula and Alex Boniello as Rogues members Luther and Cropsy, respectively; Nas as Queens; Colman Domingo as Masai of the Gramercy Riffs; Cam'ron as Manhttan; original film stars James Remar and David Patrick Kelly as The Cops; Billy Porter as Grander, Michaela Jaé as Yaya, and Mykal Kilgore as Élan, all members of NYC street gang The Hurricanes; Utkarsh Ambudkar as Sully and Casey Likes as Jesse, both part of rival gang The Orphans; rap artists Ghostface Killah and RZA as the voices of Staten Island; and Marc Anthony as Tato, Luis Figueroa as Miguel, Flaco Navaja as Jesús, and Chris Rivers as The Bronx, each members of Turnbull AC's.
Miranda and Davis have adapted Warriors from the 1979 film The Warriors. Grammy Award winner Nas is executive producing the concept album, with Mike Elizondo producing. Further casting is to be announced.
The Warriors film, which features a screenplay by David Shaber and Walter Hill adapted from Hill's 1965 novel, follows a NYC street gang traveling from The Bronx to their home neighborhood of Coney Island after being framed for murder. The original film created a brief moral panic over gang violence, leading to a mixed initial reception, but it has since become a cult favorite.
The Warriors stage project was first reported last year, with news of the concept album and Davis' involvement leaking in a report earlier this month.
The release will see Miranda fulfilling his original plan for Hamilton, which the Tony winner initially intended to be a concept album titled The Hamilton Mixtape, but it ended up becoming a full-length Broadway musical (he did bring that title back for a 2016 album of chart-topping recording artists covering the songs from the musical). Though not exactly common, musicals beginning life as concept albums are far from unheard of. Jesus Christ Superstar; Evita; Jekyll & Hyde; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Here Lies Love; and Hadestown all first existed as concept albums before becoming fully staged musicals.
What's less clear is what Miranda and Davis' endgame for the project might be. Concept albums can be devised to exist on their own—much like The Who's Tommy, which didn't get a stage adaptation until decades after its release. Though considering the attention on Warriors, perhaps a stage version won't be far behind.
The album can be pre-ordered at WarriorsAlbum.com.
