Imitation Of Life
Book by Lynn Nottage
Music & Lyrics by John Legend
Directed by Whitney White
A POWERFUL NEW MUSICAL ABOUT IDENTITY, THE AMERICAN DREAM, AND WHAT WE LEAVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Imitation of Life is a new musical with a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, music and lyrics by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award winner John Legend, and directed by Two-Time Tony Award Nominee Whitney White.
Inspired by the 1933 best-selling novel by Fannie Hurst and the beloved 1934 and 1959 Universal films, Imitation of Life follows two single mothers, one Black and one White, as well as their daughters, who build a shared life while each strives for success and love in a society divided by race and class. Set across the vibrant backdrop of 1920s Atlantic City and 1930s New York, this new, profoundly moving musical explores themes of identity, the American Dream, and what we leave for future generations.
This limited engagement marks the first major step in nurturing and developing a new American musical. Imitation of Life will be performed with a full cast and live orchestra, in a staged presentation that prioritizes the primacy of the work itself. Audiences are invited to be present at the moment an important new musical begins.
National Black Theatre, John Legend and Mike Jackson of Get Lifted Film Co., Liesl Tommy and Jennifer Mudge of Crocodile Eyes, Universal Theatrical Group (UTG), Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon of LD Entertainment and The Shed serve as producers.
CREATIVE TEAM
LYNN NOTTAGE
Book
Lynn Nottage is a playwright and screenwriter, and the first woman in history to receive two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Among the most produced playwrights of her generation, her work has been staged extensively throughout the United States and internationally, earning Tony Award nominations, an Olivier nomination, an Evening Standard award, and numerous other awards. Her recent projects include the libretto for This House, premiered at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, co-written with Ruby Aiyo Gerber with music by Ricky Ian Gordon (Finalist for the 2025 International Opera Awards); the opera adaptation of Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater; the book for the Tony-nominated Broadway musical MJ; and Clyde’s, produced on Broadway and at Second Stage Theater. She has also co-curated immersive performance installations, including This Is Reading and The Watering Hole at Signature Theatre. Nottage’s acclaimed body of work includes Sweat and Ruined (Pulitzer Prizes), Mlima’s Tale, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, Fabulation, Crumbs From the Table of Joy, and The Secret Life of Bees. For television, she served as Writer/Producer on “She’s Gotta Have It” and Consulting Producer on “Dickinson.” Her honors include the PEN/Laura Pels Master Dramatist Award, Doris Duke Artist Award, MacArthur Fellowship, Guggenheim Fellowship, and induction into the Theater Hall of Fame. She is a Professor at Columbia University School of the Arts and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
JOHN LEGEND
Music & Lyrics
John Legend is an EGOT-winning, critically acclaimed, multiplatinum musician who has garnered 13 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and three Emmy Awards, among others. Legend is one of only twenty-two people in the prestigious EGOT club. Legend has released ten celebrated albums over the course of his career, including Get Lifted (2004), Once Again (2006), Evolver (2008), Wake Up! (with The Roots, 2010) Love in the Future (2013), Darkness and Light (2016), A Legendary Christmas Deluxe (2019),
Bigger Love (2020), LEGEND (2022), LEGEND (Solo Piano Version) (2023) and most recently, My Favorite Dream (2024). On November 22, Legend released the 20th anniversary digital deluxe version of his Grammy winning debut album, Get Lifted, featuring artists including Tems, Simi, Killer Mike, and Lil Wayne. Legend kicked off his “Get Lifted 20th Anniversary World Tour” in May where he is bringing his acclaimed debut album back to the stage around the world. Legend’s influence extends to live performance, including his recent An Evening with John Legend: A Night of Songs and Stories tour in 2024. On screen, he delivered a stunning performance as Jesus in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (2018), earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor and winning an Emmy as a producer for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). Legend joined THE VOICE as a coach for Season 16 (2019) and has returned for a number of seasons, most recently completing Season 27 (2025). Beyond music, Legend is a visionary producer and storyteller. Alongside partners Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius, he co-founded Get Lifted Film Co., which has created a wide range of acclaimed projects across major networks and streaming platforms. Recent highlights include the Emmy- winning HBO documentary 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed, Paramount+’s Loudmouth, and Netflix’s hit series Rhythm & Flow. Upcoming projects include NBC/Peacock’s Before I Let Go, inspired by Kennedy Ryan’s best-selling novel; The War & Treaty, based on the lives of Black country music stars Michael and Tanya Trotter; and the Broadway-bound musical Soul Train. Get Lifted’s storytelling expertise also extends to books through their publishing arm, Get Lifted Books, which amplifies diverse voices, most recently with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant’s memoir, Wild Life, and Candace Parker’s book, The Can-Do Mindset. Expanding his entrepreneurial footprint, Legend launched his self-care brand, Loved01, in 2023, to bring consumers gentle but powerful skincare formulas at affordable prices. In 2024, he and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, introduced Kismet, a dog lifestyle brand offering premium food and accessories for modern dog families, which is available online and at Chewy.com. As an advocate for social justice, Legend founded FREEAMERICA in 2014 to transform the conversation around criminal justice policies and combat mass incarceration. He also serves on the boards of Harlem Village Academies and Management Leadership for Tomorrow, as well as advisory boards for The Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice and Teach for All. John Legend’s career is a testament to his unwavering commitment to excellence, creativity, and justice. Whether through his music, storytelling, activism, or entrepreneurship, Legend continues to inspire and leave an indelible mark on the world.
WHITNEY WHITE
Director
Whitney White (Director) is an Obie and Lilly Award-winning and two-time Tony Award-nominated director, actor, and musician known for her bold and innovative approach to storytelling. Most recently, White earned a 2026 Tony Award nomination for her direction of Bess Wohl’s Liberation, making her the first Black female director nominated for two “Best Direction of a Play” Tony Awards. Her Broadway credits include Bess Wohl’s Liberation at the James Earl Jones Theatre, The Last Five Years at the Hudson Theatre, and Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. She will next direct School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre this fall. Off-Broadway, White directed Saturday Church at New York Theatre Workshop in 2025 and wrote, composed, and starred in Macbeth in Stride at Brooklyn Academy of Music, in addition to All Is But Fantasy with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. Upcoming, she is set to direct a reimagining of The Whoopi Monologues starring Kerry Washington and Kara Young, with previews beginning July 7, as well as the English-language premiere of Ellen B. by Marius von Mayenburg at Steppenwolf Theatre beginning in April 2027. Her film and television acting credits include Ocean’s Eight, Freeform’s “Single Drunk Female,” Fx’s “Louie,” and NBC’s The Playboy Club. She also wrote for Boots Riley’s I’M A VIRGO for Prime Video. Whitney received the 2026 Obie Award for Sustained Achievement in Directing for Liberation and the 2025 Drama League Founders Award for Excellence in Directing. In 2024, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and, in 2025, for Outstanding Director at the Lucille Lortel Awards for Liberation.
CO-PRODUCED BY
