Grammy-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, and actor Luke James will return to Broadway this fall in Wanted.
Previously titled Gun & Powder, Wanted will play the James Earl Jones Theatre. The production will begin previews October 15 prior to an official opening November 8. Obie winner and Tony nominee Stevie Walker-Webb is directing with choreography by Chelsey Arce.
James will star as Elijah, joining previously announced stars Solea Pfeiffer (Hadestown, Gatsby: An American Myth) as Mary Clarke, Liisi LaFontaine (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Dreamgirls) as Martha Clarke, and 16-time Grammy-nominated R&B legend Ledisi as Tallulah Clarke. Pfeiffer and LaFontaine will play Black twin sisters who passed as white in 1893 Texas.
James is a three-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who previously starred in Keenan Scott II‘s Thoughts of a Colored Man on Broadway in 2021. On screen, he has appeared in FOX’s musical drama Star, HBO’s Insecure, and The Chi.
Listen to Solea Pfeiffer Sing ‘The Way I Am’ From Broadway-Aimed Musical Wanted
Wanted features a book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri (descendant of the Sisters Clarke), music by Ross Baum, and choreography by Chelsey Arce (Sweeney Todd revival, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child). Additional casting for the production, by Tara Rubin and Olivia Paige West of The TRC Company, will be announced at a later date.
Wanted: The Studio EP is available in digital and streaming formats. The five-song EP features “Wide Open Plains,” “The Train,” “Gun & Powder,” “The Way I Am,” and “Freedom,” performed by Pfeiffer, LaFontaine, and more.
Under its original title, Gun & Powder, the musical played the Paper Mill Playhouse in spring 2024. The cast included LaFontaine as Martha Clarke, Ciara Renée as Mary Clarke, Jeannette Bayardelle as Tallulah Clarke, Aaron James McKenzie as Elijah, and Hunter Parrish as Jesse Whitewater. Tiffany Rea-Fisher was the choreographer.
A June 2025 workshop featured Pfeiffer as Mary Clarke, LaFontaine as Martha Clarke, Will Swenson as Jesse, James as Elijah, Jeannette Bayardelle as Tallulah, Jennie Harney-Fleming as Flo, and Aurelia Williams as Sissy.
Visit WantedMusical.com.