The Muny Announces Principal Cast for ‘Dreamgirls’

ST. LOUIS — Tiffany Mann, Aisha Jackson, Courtnee Carter, Charl Brown, Nick Rashad Burroughs, Ron Himes, Aramie Payton, Robby Clater and Natalie Kaye Clater will star in the Muny production of Dreamgirls, which runs June 27-July 3 on the James S. McDonnell Stage in Forest Park.

The show’s creative team is led by Director Robert Clater, with Choreographer Lesia Kaye and Music Director Anne Shuttlesworth. Dreamgirls is proudly sponsored by Ameren.

“Dreamgirls tells a powerful, epic story of family, community and friendship with an astounding score,” said Muny Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. “I’m so excited that Muny audiences will have the opportunity to experience this visionary production with a cast of rising stars.”

TIFFANY MANN (Effie Melody White) The Muny: Smokey Joe’s Cafe. Broadway: Be More Chill, Waitress. Off-Broadway: Jelly’s Last Jam, The Life, Jerry Springer: The Opera, Cabin in the Sky, Invisible Thread. Selected other theatre: Hercules and Live From Lincoln Center: Sweeney Todd. TV: Orange Is the New Black, New Amsterdam. Film: The Color Purple (2023), You Go Girl!

AISHA JACKSON (Deena Jones) Broadway credits include Once Upon a One More Time; Paradise Square; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical; Waitress; and Frozen, where she made history as the first Black woman to portray Anna on Broadway. She was most recently seen on the Asian tour of Disney Princess: The Concert in Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore and China. Voiceover: Central Park (Apple TV+), Melon’s House Party (Wondery Kids). Soundtrack vocalist for the films Spirited, Dear Evan Hansen and Tick, Tick … Boom! TV: Harlem (Amazon Prime), Up Here (Hulu).

COURTNEE CARTER (Lorrell Robinson) Broadway: Parade, Once on This Island. National tours/Regional: Once on This Island, Sing Street: A New Musical. TV/film: And Just Like That (Max), Harlem (Amazon), Charmed (CW), Pose (FX), Law & Order: SVU (NBC), The Path (Hulu) and Anything’s Possible (MGM/Orion Pictures). Courtnee is a graduate of the UNCSA.

CHARL BROWN (Curtis Taylor, Jr.) was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Smokey Robinson in Motown: The Musical on Broadway. He also opened London’s West End production and is featured on the Grammy-nominated original Broadway cast recording. Other Broadway: Jersey Boys, Sister Act. Most recently he appeared in the Broadway-aimed world premiere of Billy Strayhorn: Something to Live For (Aaron Bridgers) at Pittsburgh Public Theater. Other credits: Smokey Joe’s Cafe (The Muny), The Who’s Tommy (Captain Walker, Denver Center), The Who’s Tommy in Concert (The Specialist, The Kennedy Center), Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr., Moonlight Stage), Children of Eden in Concert (Adam/Noah, The Kennedy Center), Ever After (Laurent, Paper Mill Playhouse, world premiere). Charl is frequently seen on tour with his all-star Broadway group, The Doo Wop Project, whose special airs across America on PBS. TV: FBI, Evil, Madam Secretary.

NICK RASHAD BURROUGHS (James “Jimmy” Thunder Early) Broadway: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical (Ike Turner, OBC), Kinky Boots, King Kong. National tours: Moulin Rouge (Toulouse-Lautrec) and Something Rotten! (Minstrel). Pop Smash Radio Music Award winner for his album, Groove Machine. Broadway World Award winner for Jesus Christ Superstar (Judas). Shrek The Musical (Donkey), Sister Act (Eddie), Company (Bobby). TV: The Get Down (CJ, Netflix), Run the World (Jeremy, Starz).

RON HIMES (Marty) Founder and producing director of The Black Rep. Acting credits include The Black Rep production of Death of a Salesman (Circle Award, Outstanding Performer in a Drama), Two Trains Running, Fences, (Circle Award, Outstanding Achievement as an Actor in a Drama), Seven Guitars, Sunset Baby, The Whipping Man, On Golden Pond, Romeo and Juliet, Death and the King’s Horseman, Boesman and Lena and Gem of the Ocean. Additional credits: King Hedley II (King), Macbeth (Banquo), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Herald Loomis), Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil (Robert Johnson, Woodie Award for Outstanding Actor in a Lead Role), Sty of the Blind Pig (Blind Jordan), Jitney (Booster), and The Meeting and When the Chickens Come Home to Roost (Malcolm X). Himes created the role of Joe Lee in Conversations on a Dirt Road. Other St. Louis acting credits include HotCity, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and The Muny.

ARAMIE PAYTON (C.C. White) made his Broadway debut with MJ the Musical as the original MJ standby. Tours: Dreamgirls, Flashdance and Cruel Intentions. New York: Bat Out of Hell (NY City Center). Regional: After Midnight (Paper Mill Playhouse), The Scottsboro Boys (Helen Hayes Award, Signature Theatre), Hairspray (Starlight Theatre) and Mamma Mia! (Marriott Theatre). Film/TV: Run the World, The Equalizer, Triple Threat and Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

ROBBY CLATER (Wayne) Favorite credits include The Muny’s 2012 Dreamgirls with Jennifer Holliday (Ensemble), Pretty Woman: The Musical on Broadway (David Morse, OBC), Connected (Jeremy) in New York and A Christmas Carol (Fred) at People’s Light. TV/film: As We See It (Austin, Amazon Prime), Almost Family (Miles).

NATALIE KAYE CLATER (Michelle Morris) Past Muny credits include Grease (Marty), Tarzan, West Side Story and Dreamgirls in 2012. Other theatrical credits include Disney’s Aladdin (Broadway), Rock & Roll Man (off-Broadway), Hamilton (first national tour). TV/film: Better Nate Than Ever (Disney+), The Equalizer, Godfather of Harlem, Killision Course, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and Columbus (Big Apple Film Festival winner, 2020). Some of Natalie’s favorite works are original productions/workshops on which she has collaborated, including Hermès’ Love Around the Block, The Time of Nick and The Prom. Natalie is probably best recognized by her tiny fans from Ms. Rachel’s YouTube show, Songs for Littles.

Full casting and creative teams for Dreamgirls will be announced later. The Telsey Office is the official casting partner of The Muny.

The Muny artistic staff includes Artistic Director & Executive Producer Mike Isaacson, Associate Artistic Director Michael Baxter, Production Manager Tracy Utzmyers and Music Supervisor Michael Horsley.

Dreamgirls, with a book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger, previously was produced at The Muny in 2012. The show follows an all-girl Motown singing group on the path from obscurity to superstardom in the 1960s and ’70s. Along the way, the rising stars must question the price of their success and the meaning of family. It’s a whirlwind ride through the highs and lows of showbiz in an era of change in American pop music.

Performances of Dreamgirls begin at 8:15 p.m. nightly, June 27-July 3. Season tickets are on sale now at muny.org, by calling (314) 361-1900 or at the Muny Box Office in Forest Park. Single-performance tickets go on sale May 20.

Season 106 at The Muny also includes Les Misérables (June 17-23), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (July 8-16), Fiddler on the Roof (July 19-25), Waitress (July 30-Aug. 5), In the Heights (Aug. 9-15) and Anything Goes (Aug. 19-25).

To learn more about the Muny production of Dreamgirls and the show’s history, visit muny.org/show/dreamgirls. For actor headshots, show logos, video and other assets, visit the Muny Press Room at muny.org/press.

The Muny’s mission is to enrich lives by producing exceptional musical theatre, accessible to all, while continuing its remarkable tradition in Forest Park. As the nation’s oldest, largest outdoor musical theatre, we welcome more than 350,000 theatregoers each summer for seven world-class productions. Now celebrating 106 seasons in St. Louis, The Muny remains one of the premier institutions in musical theatre. For more information, visit muny.org.