Tony winner Anika Noni Rose has joined the cast of “The Balusters” on Broadway, replacing the previously announced Renée Elise Goldsberry in the role of Kyra Marshall. Goldsberry has left the world premiere production due to a scheduling conflict.
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Rose won a Tony for her breakout performance in “Caroline, or Change” and starred in the 2006 film adaptation of “Dreamgirls” alongside Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson. She made history voicing Tiana, the first Black Disney princess, in the 2009 animated feature “The Princess and the Frog.” A theater mainstay, Rose was last seen on Broadway in the 2024 revival of Anton Chekov’s “Uncle Vanya” and led the cast of New York City Center's Encores! staging of “Wonderful Town” last year. Her other Broadway credits include “A Raisin in the Sun” (Tony nomination), “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “Footloose.”
Penned by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire, “The Balusters” is a wild ride through a small community with big feelings. The Vernon Point Neighborhood Association is a passionate bunch, whether squabbling over historically inaccurate porch railings or debating trash can protocol. Still, no one is prepared for the neighbor-versus-neighbor battle royale that ensues when a newcomer to the board suggests the unthinkable: installing a stop sign on the corner of the enclave’s prettiest block.
In addition to Rose, “The Balusters” all-star cast features Marylouise Burke (‘True West’), Kayli Carter (‘This World of Tomorrow’), Carl Clemons-Hopkins (‘Hacks’), Ricardo Chavira (‘Desperate Housewives’), Margaret Colin (‘Jackie: An American Life,’ ‘As the World Turns’), Michael Esper (‘Appropriate’), Maria-Christina Oliveras (‘Between Riverside and Crazy’), Emmy Award winner Richard Thomas (‘Our Town’) and Jeena Yi (‘Network’). Tony winner Kenny Leon (‘Othello,’ ‘Our Town,’ ‘Purlie Victorious,’ ‘A Raisin in the Sun’) directs.
Performances begin March 31, with opening night on April 21 at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.
