Casting is complete for the Paper Mill Playhouse's upcoming production of the new musical Gun & Powder. Inspired by the true story of sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, the musical will play the New Jersey venue April 4–May 5 with an official opening April 14.
Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb and choreographed by Tiffany Rea-Fisher, the cast will be led by the previously reported Liisi LaFontaine (West End's Dreamgirls) as Martha Clarke, Ciara Renée (Waitress) as Mary Clarke, Jeannette Bayardelle (Girl From the North Country) as Tallulah Clarke, Aaron James McKenzie (A Beautiful Noise) as Elijah, and Hunter Parrish (To Kill a Mockingbird) as Jesse Whitewater.
These artists will be joined by the newly announced Jisel Soleil Ayon (Hamilton national tour) as the standby for the roles of Mary and Martha plus ensemble members Rickens Anantua, Reed Campbell, Carrie Compere, Meghan Olivia Corbett, Joann Gilliam, Francesca Granell, Aaron Arnell Harrington, Mary Claire King, Malik Shabazz Kitchen, Rayshun LaMarr, Zonya Love, Tiffany Mann, Tony Perry, Adam Roberts, Hank Santos, Christine Shepard, Katie Thompson, Aurelia Williams, and Jason SweetTooth Williams.
Featuring a book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri, who is a descendant of the Clarke sisters, and music by Ross Baum, Gun & Powder follows Mary and Martha Clarke, African American twin sisters who take extraordinary measures to settle their mother’s sharecropper debt and save her home in 1893 Texas.
The production will also have musical direction by Austin Cook, orchestrations by John Clancy, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Adam Honoré, sound design by Connor Wang, wig, hair, and makeup design by J. Jared Janas and Tony Lauro, fight direction by Sordelet, Inc.'s Rick Sordelet, and intimacy direction by Crista Marie Jackson.
Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting. Jakob W. Plummer is the production stage manager.
Solea Pfeiffer and Emmy Raver-Lampman starred in the world premiere of Gun & Powder at Virginia's Signature in 2020. (Look back at that production in the photo gallery below.)
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