With Katori Hall at the helm, Atlanta's The Alliance Theatre has its cast for The Hot Wing King. Hall (P-Valley) wrote the 2021 Pulitzer-winning play and directs it for the first time with the regional production, set to run February 10-March 5.
Nicco Annan (P-Valley, The Hot Wing King) is reprising the role of Big Charles, having originated the role Off-Broadway. Joining him are Broadway alum Bjorn Dupaty (Thoughts of a Colored Man) as Cordell, Off-Broadway alum Calvin Thompson (Couriers and Contrabands) as Dwayne, and television familiars Myles Alexander Evans (Teenage Bounty Hunters) as EJ, Armand Fields (The Chi, Queer as Folk) as Isom, and Jay Jones (Lovecraft Country) as TJ. Serving as understudies will be Jontavious Johnson, VonDerrick Taylor, Barry Westmoreland, and Markell Williams.
Victory seems to be on the horizon for Cordell at this year’s Memphis “Hot Wang Festival." Cordell, his partner Dwayne, and their best friends-turned-fry crew "The New Wing Order" are all set for a good time working on pre-competition prep when a family emergency changes their course. Dwayne's troubled nephew has been thrown into the mix, and suddenly the Hot Wang Festival isn't at the top of their priorities.
“This play is a love letter to my brother and his partner, inspired by their commitment and love,” said Hall in a statement. “It’s a story of Black joy and Black love and the risks and rewards of being your true self, and I’m so ready to share it with Atlanta audiences.”
Featured on the creative team are Tony-nominated costume designer Dede Ayite (Slave Play), Tony-nominated set designer Michael Carnahan (Skeleton Crew), sound designer Connor Wang (Hadestown), lighting designer Mike Wood, and intimacy and fight director Rocio Medez.
Also supporting the production are line producer Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, assistant line producer Assata Amankeechi, stage manager Shaina Pierce, and assistant stage managers Liz Campbell, Barbara Gantt O’Haley and Kacie Pimentel. Samantha Honeycutt will be stage management production assistant with Haylee Scott as COVID Coordinator.
For more information, visit AllianceTheatre.org.
