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Wayne Brady to Lead Ms. Blakk for President at Vineyard Theatre This Fall

The Off-Broadway staging signals Vineyard Theatre’s push to spotlight queer political history through a new, immersive work.

Overview

  • Vineyard Theatre, which announced the show Monday, set performances to start October 15 with a November 1 opening for a six-week run as the first production of its 2026–27 season.
  • Emmy winner Wayne Brady will play Terence Alan Smith, known onstage as Joan Jett Blakk, in the New York production.
  • Tina Landau and Oscar winner Tarell Alvin McCraney co-wrote the play, and Landau will direct the Vineyard staging.
  • Memberships are on sale now with first access to tickets, and public on-sale details, full casting, and the creative team will be announced later.
  • The piece arrives in New York after an earlier production at Chicago’s Steppenwolf in 2019 and a previously planned 2020 Vineyard run, reflecting a multi-year development path.