T.J. Wilkins and Shanice Will Be Barack and Michelle Obama in New Musical 44 Off-Broadway
Eli Bauman’s new musical will play the Daryl Roth Theatre.
T.J. Wilkins and Shanice
Casting is now complete for the musical comedy 44—The Musical, which will begin its eight-week limited engagement October 14 at Off-Broadway’s The Daryl Roth Theatre.
Directed by co-creator Eli Bauman with music direction by Anthony “Brew” Brewster and choreography by Miss James Alsop, the cast will be led by T.J. Wilkins (NBC’s The Voice) as Barack Obama and Shanice (Flex & Shanice) as Michelle Obama.
The cast of the satire of the Obama presidency will also feature Chad Doreck as Joe Biden with Larry Cedar as Mitch McConnell, Summer Collins as Sarah Palin, Summer Nicole Greer as the Voice of the People, Jenna Pastuszek as Hillary Clinton, Dino Shorté as Herman Cain, Jeff Sumner as Lindsey Graham, and Michael Uribes as Ted Cruz. Understudies Audri Bartholomew, Wilkie Ferguson III, Chelsea Morgan Stock, and Ryan Williams will round out the company.
The performers will be backed by the L.A. band House of Vibe as “The Andrew Jackson Five” with Anthony “Brew” Brewster on keyboards, Phillip “Fish” Fisher on drums, Corey Cofield on bass, Conrad Bauer on guitar, and Greg Raymond on keyboards. The music supervisor is Wilkie Ferguson III.
Former Obama campaign staffer Bauman, who penned the musical’s score and book, said in a statement, “Back in November of 2021, I did a reading of my first-ever musical in the valley of Los Angeles. I had no clue if the musical was any good, and I was shocked that any actor—let alone talented ones—would want to be in it. Four years later, six actors from the first reading have done every single production since—Chad Doreck, Dino Shorte, Larry Cedar, Michael Uribes, Jeff Sumner, and our Obama himself, T.J. Wilkins, who has sung every single note since.”
“In 2022, we were lucky enough to swoop up the incomparable Shanice to play Michelle Obama and later welcome Summer Nicole Greer, Jenna Pastuzcek, Summer Collins, Audri Bartholemew, and Ryan Williams along with our band, ‘The Andrew Jackson Five,’ to our 44 family for our sold-out runs in L.A. and Chicago,” continued Bauman. “It is among the proudest moments of my life to bring this crew, who put their faith in me years ago, and have poured their hearts into this show ever since, to the bright lights of New York and the Daryl Roth Theatre.”
44 has scenic design by Julio Himede, costume design by Matthew Hemesath, lighting design by Nathan W. Scheuer and Natali Arco, and sound design by Jonathan A. Burke.
Monica Saunders-Weinberg and Bauman produce in association with Anthony “Brew” Brewster, Steve McKeever (Hidden Beach Recordings), Conrad Bauer,
and Shanice and Kerry Gordy. General management is by DR Theatrical Management.
The musical is currently playing a record-breaking return
engagement at Chicago’s Studebaker Theater through September 21. The New
York production will officially open November 6 and continue through
December 7.