‘SPOTLIGHT! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical’ — A resurrection of radiance, resistance, and the fire of forgotten glory

There are moments in art when history exhales—when the stories of those who once blazed across the screen are given the chance to rise again, luminous and unbound. Dorothy Dandridge was one such light. She embodied grace so disarming it unsettled Hollywood, intellect so sharp it cut through a culture that preferred her silent, and a beauty so commanding it both crowned and confined her. For a fleeting, brilliant era, she was the promise of a new kind of stardom—one built on talent, dignity, and defiance. Then, like too many women ahead of their time, she was cast into shadow.

Next week, that shadow gives way to flame.

SPOTLIGHT! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical is a rebirth, not a retelling—a radiant act of remembrance for a woman who changed the face of American cinema. Presented by Broadway and film producer Willette Klausner, in partnership with Dorothy Dandridge LLC and The N’Kenge Foundation, this all-star production brings Dandridge’s untold story back to the stage in two highly anticipated industry readings in New York City.

At its heart stands the visionary N’Kenge, a Tony-, Emmy-, and GRAMMY®-nominated performer whose artistry transforms memory into movement. She not only conceived the production but embodies Dandridge herself—summoning her poise, her pain, and her incandescent power. Through N’Kenge’s voice, Dandridge is not a relic of history but a living presence—a woman reborn through music, dance, and narrative fire.

Dorothy Dandridge was a marvel of contradictions. She rose from the glow of the Apollo Theatre to the heights of Hollywood, where her 1954 performance in Carmen Jones made her the first Black woman ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her image graced magazine covers and marquee lights, yet the industry that celebrated her talent refused her equality. She was too refined to be cast in caricature, too bold to be contained in quiet compliance. Her genius existed in a time unprepared to recognize it, yet her influence became eternal.

SPOTLIGHT! transforms that truth into song. Directed by N’Kenge and Christina Sajous (A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical), with a book and lyrics by Trey Ellis (two-time Emmy Award winner) and music and lyrics by Shelton L. Becton (Tony Award winner), the production fuses theatrical brilliance with historical reverence. Choreography by Ray Mercer (The Lion King) and arrangements by Everett Bradley infuse the performance with pulse and reverence, while a cast of Broadway’s most gifted voices—including Natasha Yvette Williams, Dawn Derow, Tia Altinay, and Lavon Fischer-Wilson—carry her story with grace and grandeur.

Following two sold-out engagements at Carnegie Hall and three New York Theater Festival Awards for Best Musical, Best Director, and Best Choreographer, SPOTLIGHT! continues its journey toward its 2026 World Premiere at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center. This reading marks not only the next milestone for the show but a restoration of Dandridge’s place within the pantheon of American artistry.

Dorothy’s legacy is more than the story of one woman—it is the story of every artist who defied limitation, every visionary who turned adversity into beauty. She challenged the gaze of an era that refused to see her humanity, and through sheer force of will, made herself unforgettable. Her life was an aria of triumph over exclusion, of brilliance over bias, of legacy over loss.

SPOTLIGHT! rekindles that flame for a generation that must remember what it cost to burn so brightly. It is a reminder that the arts are not simply entertainment—they are reclamation. Every note of this musical declares that no artist who fought to be seen should ever fade into obscurity again.

To witness this reading is to take part in a moment of reclamation. It is to stand in the lineage of those who believe art can resurrect what history has forgotten. It is to feel, within each lyric, the pulse of a woman who refused to dim her light even as the world tried to eclipse her.

Her story is not a tragedy. It is a triumph that still flickers in every performer who dares to dream beyond the script.

SPOTLIGHT! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical
Presented by Willette Klausner in partnership with Dorothy Dandridge LLC and The N’Kenge Foundation

Industry Readings:
Monday, October 20, 2025 – 11:00 AM
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 – 2:00 PM
Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street, New York, NY

Industry professionals are invited to request attendance by emailing DorothytheMusical@gmail.com with name, affiliation, and ticket request.

For those who believe in the power of the arts to correct the record and restore the light—this is not simply a show. It is a resurrection.