Keke Palmer made history earlier this summer by becoming the youngest television show host when she debuted “Just Keke” on BET. Continuing in her career as a young trailblazer, Palmer will be the first Black actress to make her Broadway debut in “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”
Born in Illinois to Sharon and Larry Palmer, two professional actors who met in drama school, Palmer grew up watching theater and is thrilled at the opportunity to be on stage. She follows in the footsteps of one of her heroines, Brandy Norwood, who played Cinderella in the popular television-movie opposite Whitney Houston as her fairy-god mother in 1997. She credits Brandy for making this opportunity possible.
“Theater offers so much more than I haven’t been able to access doing film and TV and everything like that,” she said. “I’m very excited to learn all that it has to offer — that focus and that dedication to perform at a certain level every night.”
The “Masters of Sex” actress will step into the role of Cinderella prior to current lead, Cindy Paige Faure’s, national tour beginning in October. The traditional storyline has been given an updated makeover by Douglas Carter Beane, but will still include Rodgers and Hammerstein’s songs “In My Own Little Corner” and “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?”
Palmer will perform eight shows a week at the Broadway Theatre beginning September 9. If you haven’t already, take a look at her show “Just Keke” airing on weekdays at 5pm on BET.