The upcoming concept album of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis' new musical Warriors has revealed its complete, starry cast. The album is set to release October 18 via Atlantic Records.
In a departure from the original film, the musical's Warriors will be all female. For the concept album, they'll comprise Jasmine Cephas Jones as Swan, Julia K Harriman as Mercy, Gizel Jiménez as Rembrandt, Amber Gray as Ajax, Aneesa Folds as Cleon, Sasha Hutchings as Cowgirl, Kenita Miller as Cochise, and Phillipa Soo as Fox.
Also joining the cast is eight-time Grammy-winning rapper Ms. Lauryn Hill as Cyrus of The Gramercy Riffs. With the addition of the Warriors and Hill, we now know the complete cast of the upcoming release.
The previously announced group of rap icons and stage favorites making appearances on the album includes Busta Rhymes as The Voice of Brooklyn; Stephen Sanchez as Cal, Joshua Henry as Wanya, Timothy Hughes as Lance, and Daniel Jikal as Joon, collectively the Bizzies; Shenseea as DJ Lynne Pen; Kim Dracula and Alex Boniello as Rogues members Luther and Cropsy, respectively; Nas as Queens; Colman Domingo as Masai of the Gramercy Riffs; Cam'ron as Manhttan; original film stars James Remar and David Patrick Kelly as The Cops; Billy Porter as Grander, Michaela Jaé as Yaya, and Mykal Kilgore as Élan, all members of NYC street gang The Hurricanes; Utkarsh Ambudkar as Sully and Casey Likes as Jesse, both part of rival gang The Orphans; rap artists Ghostface Killah and RZA as the voices of Staten Island; and Marc Anthony as Tato, Luis Figueroa as Miguel, Flaco Navaja as Jesús, and Chris Rivers as The Bronx, each members of Turnbull AC's.
Miranda and Davis have adapted Warriors from the 1979 film The Warriors. Grammy Award winner Nas is executive producing the concept album, with Mike Elizondo producing.
The Warriors film, which features a screenplay by David Shaber and Walter Hill adapted from Hill's 1965 novel, follows a NYC street gang traveling from The Bronx to their home neighborhood of Coney Island after being framed for murder. The original film created a brief moral panic over gang violence, leading to a mixed initial reception, but it has since become a cult favorite.
The Warriors stage project was first reported last year, with news of the concept album and Davis' involvement leaking in a report earlier this month.
The release will see Miranda fulfilling his original plan for Hamilton, which the Tony winner initially intended to be a concept album titled The Hamilton Mixtape, but it ended up becoming a full-length Broadway musical (he did bring that title back for a 2016 album of chart-topping recording artists covering the songs from the musical). Though not exactly common, musicals beginning life as concept albums are far from unheard of. Jesus Christ Superstar; Evita; Jekyll & Hyde; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Here Lies Love; and Hadestown all first existed as concept albums before becoming fully staged musicals.
What's less clear is what Miranda and Davis' endgame for the project might be. Concept albums can be devised to exist on their own—much like The Who's Tommy, which didn't get a stage adaptation until decades after its release. Though considering the attention on Warriors, perhaps a stage version won't be far behind.
The album can be pre-ordered at WarriorsAlbum.com.
Gizel Jiménez
Julia Harriman
Sasha Hutchings
Jasmine Cephas Jones
Aneesa Folds
Amber Gray
Aneesa Folds
Phillipa Soo
Ms. Lauryn Hill
Julia Harriman, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Gizel Jiménez, Amber Gray, Aneesa Folds, Sasha Hutchings, Kenita R. Miller, and Phillipa Soo
