Aurelia Williams and Awa Sal Secka will join the Broadway cast of “Wanted” as Sissy and Flo. They join previously announced stars Solea Pfeiffer as Mary Clarke, Liisi LaFontaine as Martha Clarke, Ledisi as Tallulah Clarke and Luke James as Elijah. “Wanted” begins preview performances at the James Earl Jones Theatre on October 15 and officially opens on November 8.
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Flo is described as “everyone’s favorite auntie at the cookout — warm, hilarious and always in the know." Secka originated the role of Flo in the Signature Theatre world premiere of “Wanted.” Off-Broadway, Secka performed in “Goddess.” She performed in the national tour of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” Select regional credits include “Pippin,” “Ragtime,” “The Wiz,” “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play,” “Caroline, or Change” and “Aida.”
The character of Sissy is the just-as-sharp but quieter counterpart of Flo, who keeps her cards (and her cash) close to the vest. Williams played Sissy in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of “Wanted.” Her previous Broadway credits include “Parade,” “Once on This Island” and “In Transit.” Off-Broadway, Williams performed in “Suffs,” “Sistas the Musical” and “This is Not a Drill.” She starred as Sunny in the regional premiere of the new musical, “Starstruck.”
Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb with choreography by Chelsey Arce, “Wanted” features a book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri, a descendant of the Sisters Clarke, and music by Ross Baum. Additional cast and creative team will be announced at a later date.
“Wanted” is the mostly true story of twin sisters, outlaws and legends Mary and Martha Clarke in Texas, 1893. Black women who pass for white and hide in plain sight, they straddle a dangerous line between two Americas. But as powerful forces close in to keep their family from claiming a future of their own, Mary and Martha are driven to desperate measures to save their mother and their family’s legacy. When survival demands they do the unthinkable, the sisters nevertheless fight for self-determination, dignity and the inheritance they have long been denied.
This article previously appeared on Broadway.com.
