LaChanze, Saycon Sengbloh & more to star in The Secret Life of Bees at Atlantic Theater Company

Performances of the world premiere musical begin on May 12, 2019 at Atlantic's Linda Gross Theater.

Atlantic Theater Company has announced casting for its previously announced world premiere of The Secret Life of Bees, a new musical featuring music by Tony & Grammy Award winner Duncan Sheik, lyrics by Tony Award nominee Susan Birkenhead and a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage.

The cast includes Eisa Davis (as June), Manoel Felciano (as T-Ray), Brett Gray (as Zach), LaChanze (as August), Anastacia McCleskey (as May), Saycon Sengbloh (as Rosaleen), and Elizabeth Teeter (as Lily), with ensemble members Romelda Teron Benjamin, Joe Cassidy, Vita E. Cleveland, Matt DeAngelis, and Jai'Len Christine Li Josey.

Directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold, performances begin at Atlantic's Linda Gross Theater on May 12, ahead of an official opening on June 13 and a limited engagement through to July 7, 2019.

Synopsis: "South Carolina, 1964. Lily Owens, a restless white teenager, struggles with her merciless father and the haunting memory of her mother's death. When Rosaleen, her black caregiver, is beaten and jailed for asserting her right to vote, Lily's rebellious spirit is ignited. She and Rosaleen escape on an adventure where they are taken in by a trio of black beekeeping sisters. While Lily tries to unlock the secrets of her past, she and Rosaleen find solace in the mesmerizing world of bees and spirituality in this extraordinary tale of awakening, fellowship and healing."

Creative team information will be announced in the coming months.

The Secret Life of Bees is based on the best-selling novel by Sue Monk Kidd.

^{(Photos courtesy of Boneau/Bryan-Brown)}