Oct 11, 2024 - Culture

Richmond's rising Broadway star lands another top role

Karri Peifer

A woman stands on a theater stage front porch singing — Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy in the recent Broadway revival of "The Wiz." Image: Courtesy of Jeremy Daniel

Chesterfield native Nichelle Lewis just landed her second leading role on Broadway.

Why it matters: The 2017 Manchester High School graduate made her Broadway debut this spring and was quickly dubbed "one to watch" and a rising star.

The big picture: Lewis grew up in Chesterfield, started singing when she was 10 and would later travel to NYC with her high school show choir where her talent impressed some on Broadway, Style Weekly reported.

But it was a TikTok performance of her singing "Home" from the play "The Wiz" that landed her the role of Dorothy in Broadway's highly anticipated revival of the 1975 show (and later movie) earlier this year.
Lewis was suddenly a Broadway star, garnering write-ups in The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, plus appearances on NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert and "The Jennifer Hudson Show."

The latest: This week, Lewis landed her next big role. She'll play Sarah, in the upcoming musical "Ragtime," Playbill reported.

The show opens Oct. 30 at New York City Center and runs through Nov. 10.

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Richmond's rising Broadway star lands another top role

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