Cast & Creative – The Conversation

JOSHUA HENRYMarcus

Joshua Henry recently starred as Coalhouse Walker Jr in Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of Ragtime, for which he won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Broadway credits include Into the Woods, Carousel (Tony nominated), The Scottsboro Boys (Tony nominated), Violet (Tony nominated) and many more. He also starred as Aaron Burr in the cultural phenomenon Hamilton, portrayed Gaston in ABC’s “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” and appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film tick, tick…BOOM! Joshua’s debut album Grow is available worldwide on all streaming platforms.

JULIA HARRIMANElle

Credits include: Eliza in Hamilton (1st National Angelica and Peggy Tours); Ami in the Netflix animated film Ultraman: Rising. She was a co-writer and featured artist on the Netflix series, “The Eddy” and a vocal consultant to Anna Kendrick for Pitch Perfect 3. Julia also plays the role of Mercy on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s and Eisa Davis’ concept album, Warriors.

JOSHUA HENRYMusic & Lyrics

Joshua Henry recently starred as Coalhouse Walker Jr in Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of Ragtime, for which he won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Broadway credits include Into the Woods, Carousel (Tony nominated), The Scottsboro Boys (Tony nominated), Violet (Tony nominated) and many more. He also starred as Aaron Burr in the cultural phenomenon Hamilton, portrayed Gaston in ABC’s “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” and appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film tick, tick…BOOM! Joshua’s debut album Grow is available worldwide on all streaming platforms.

JULIA HARRIMANMusic & Lyrics

Credits include: Eliza in Hamilton (1st National Angelica and Peggy Tours); Ami in the Netflix animated film Ultraman: Rising. She was a co-writer and featured artist on the Netflix series, “The Eddy” and a vocal consultant to Anna Kendrick for Pitch Perfect 3. Julia also plays the role of Mercy on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s and Eisa Davis’ concept album, Warriors.

NICK GREENBook

Nick is a Dora Award-winning playwright from Toronto. After premiering at the Stratford Festival of Canada in 2023, his play Casey and Diana has been one of the most-produced plays in the country, with productions in 13 cities across Canada and the United States. Other credits include Dinner with the Duchess (Crows Theatre, Next Stage Theater); In Real Life (book, Theatre Sheridan); Every Day She Rose (Nightwood Theatre, Black Theatre Workshop, ZeeZee Theatre); Dr. Silver (book, South Coast Repertory – Pacific Playwrights); Body Politic (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, winner of Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play); and Poof! The Musical (book, Capitol Theatre).

KENNY LEONDirector

Tony Award-winning director. Broadway: Othello; Our Town; HOME; Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch; Topdog/Underdog; Ohio State Murders; A Soldier’s Play; American Son; Children of a Lesser God; Holler If Ya Hear Me; A Raisin in the Sun; The Mountaintop; Stick Fly; August Wilson’s Fences, Gem of the Ocean and Radio Golf. Off-Broadway: This World of Tomorrow (The Shed); King James; The Underlying Chris; Everybody’s Ruby; Emergence-See! (The Public); Smart People (Second Stage). Opera: Amahl and the Night Visitors; Margaret Garner. Television: Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia; Colin in Black & White; 4400; Amend: The Fight for America; American Son (adapted for Netflix); Hairspray Live!; The Wiz Live!; Steel Magnolias; Dynasty; In My Dreams. Author: Take You Wherever You Go. Artistic Director Emeritus: Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company. Senior Resident Director: Roundabout Theatre Company. Awards: Obie, Actors Fund Medal of Honor, George Abbott Lifetime Achievement for American Theatre, Jason Robards Award for Excellence in Theatre.

DEREK MCLANEScenic Design

BROADWAY: The Balusters, Just In Time, Othello, Death Becomes Her, MJ the Musical, Moulin Rouge!, Purlie Victorious, A Soldier’s Play, American Son, The Parisian Woman, The Price, Noises Off, Fully Committed, Beautiful, Gigi, Anything Goes, The Heiress, The Best Man, Follies, How to Succeed In Business Without Even Trying, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Million Dollar Quartet, Ragtime, 33 Variations The Pajama Game, I Am My Own Wife. OFF-BROADWAY: Babe, Here There Are Blueberries, Black No More, Merrily We Roll Along, The True, Jerry Spring the Opera, If I Forget, The Whirligig, Into The Woods, Love, Love, Love, Sweet Charity, Evening at the Talk House, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Buried Child, The Spoils, Sticks and Bones, The Last Five Years, A Lie of the Mind, Ruined, Hurlyburly. TELEVISION: He designed the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018 Academy Awards, 2024 SAG Awards, 2024 Met Gala as well as the NBC LIVE! Musicals The WIZ & HAIRSPRAY and others. AWARDS: Winner of 1997 + 2004 OBIE Awards, 2004, 2005, 2007 Lortel Awards; 2009 + 2021 Tony Award, 2011+ 2021 Drama Desk Award, 2015, 2016 Art Directors Guild Award, 2014 + 2017 Emmy Award.

DEDE AYITECostume Design

Dede Ayite is a costume designer based in New York City. She has designed over a dozen productions on Broadway, including Proof, Buena Vista Social Club, Othello, Purpose, Topdog/Underdog, Jaja’s African Hairbraiding (Tony Award) and Slave Play. She has been nominated for 6 Tony Awards and 5 Drama Desk Awards, also earning a special Drama Desk Award in 2022 and The TDF/Kitty Leech Young Master Award. Ayite designed X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X at the Met. Select Off-Broadway projects include: Goddess, Hell’s Kitchen, Merry Wives (The Public Theater), Buena Vista Social Club, Marie and Rosetta (Atlantic). Her work has also appeared Off Broadway at Signature Theatre, MCC Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, and Roundabout Theatre Company. Regional: Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arena Stage and more. Television: Netflix, Comedy Central. Awards: Obie, Drama Desk, Henry Hewes, Lucille Lortel, Helen Hayes, Theatre Bay Area, an Audelco and Jeff Awards.

ADAM HONORÉLighting Design

ADAM HONORÉ is a Harlem-based designer for the stage. BROADWAY: Wanted; Cats: The Jellicle Ball (Tony Nomination), Ragtime (Tony Nomination); Jeff Ross: Take a Banana for the Ride (Netflix); Purlie Victorious (Great Performances, PBS); Ain’t No Mo’; Chicken & Biscuits. OFF BROADWAY: Amahl & The Night Visitors (Lincoln Center Theater, Drama Desk Nomination); Carmen Jones (Classic Stage Company, Drama Desk Nomination); The Lonely Few (MCC, Obie Award – Sustained Achievement in Design). @itsadamhonore

CODY SPENCERSound Design

Broadway: The Outsiders (Tony Award), School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, Dog Day Afternoon, The Last Five Years, Romeo + Juliet, Job. Co-Design Broadway: Gutenberg! The Musical!, Here Lies Love, The Pee-Wee Herman Show. Off-Broadway: Memoirs of Amorous Gentlemen, Cat Cohen: Broad Strokes, The Energy Music Curfew Hour, Broadway Bounty Hunter, and Joan of Arc: Into the Fire. Off-Broadway Co-Design: Trevor, Here Lies Love (Lortel Award). Regional: David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind, May We All.