Meet the New Stars Defining a Singular Season on Broadway

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Luke Thallon in Patriots

The British actor originated the role of Roman Abramovich in the Peter Morgan-written Patriots—about a falling out between Vladimir Putin and the oligarch Boris Berezovsky—in London’s West End, but that doesn’t make his debut on Broadway any less intimidating. “We’re in the Barrymore Theatre, where Marlon Brando did Streetcar,” Thallon says. “It’s amazing to be up there with these ghosts.”

Ella Beatty in Appropriate

When the Juilliard-trained actress joined the cast of Appropriate midway through its run, she may have been the new kid, but “I felt immediately like these were my people,” Beatty says. She stars opposite Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll in the hit (written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins), and earlier this year she had a role in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. But being busy isn’t a problem. “Downtime is what’s hard for me,” she says.“Working is where I’m happiest.”

Nichelle Lewis in The Wiz

“It is a lot of pressure,” Lewis says of bringing a beloved show like The Wiz back to Broadway, but she’s up to the challenge. In preparation to play Dorothy, she watched a recording of the 1984 revival just twice, and then “I put it away to pull from my own imagination.” Where will the Yellow Brick Road lead on opening night? “The boys are like, ‘Are we going to go out to celebrate?’” she says.“But in my mind, I’ll just be grateful to be there.”

Sarah Pidgeon, Juliana Canfield, and Tom Pecinka in Stereophonic

Stereophonic tells the story of a rising-star rock band recording its sophomore album, which means its cast sometimes works behind the glass walls of a sound booth. “I spent the first couple of shows wondering what was happening on the other side,” says Canfield, who plays Holly, one of the rockers.“Often we can’t hear if there’s laughter.” There was, but the play, which was written by David Adjmi and features original songs by indie rock titan Will Butler, isn’t a comedy. Pidgeon, who plays Diana, says,“It’s a meditation on people coming to terms with ego, relationships, and what it means to be an artist.” Its Broadway run is also a chance for audiences to get seats, which wasn’t easy during a buzzy off-Broadway run. “So many of my friends were like, ‘We can’t get in,’" says Pecinka, who plays Peter. “I’m happy that more people are going to be able to experience this show. It’s rare for a play like this to come to Broadway.”

Dan Berry, Jason Schmidt, Brody Grant, Kevin William Paul, and Brent Comer in The Outsiders

When the big-screen version of The Outsiders was released in 1983, it helped launch the careers of Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, and Emilio Estevez. Today the Broadway musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic novel may just do the same for this group of first-timers portraying feuding Tulsa teenagers.And like members of any gang worth its salt, they’re decidedly on the ride as a posse. “There are a lot of us taking this first step together, so nobody feels alone,” says Comer, who plays greaser Darrel Curtis.“We all have each others’ backs.”

Maleah Joi Moon in Hell's Kitchen

When the star of Hell’s Kitchen, the new musical inspired by the life of Alicia Keys (and featuring her songs, both new and classic), heard the show was moving from the Public Theater to Broadway, she says, ”The first thing I thought about was how I almost didn’t do this show.” At that time she didn’t feel quite ready, but today, after a hit run off-Broadway, that’s no longer the case. “I feel like I’m not flying by the seat of my pants so much anymore,” Moon says. “But I’m definitely still learning.”

Hannah Cruz in Suffs

“Moving with a show,” Cruz says,“you have less butterflies.” The actress performed in the new musical Suffs off-Broadway, and for its Broadway run she’s taking on the role of the suffragist Inez Milholland. But less butterflies isn’t none. “If Patti LuPone comes to see us, I don’t want to know until after,” Cruz says.“Leonardo DiCaprio came ands aw us off-Broadway, but that didn’t freak me out as much.”

By Adam Rathe
Photographs By Emilio Madrid
Styled By MaryKate Boylan

Shot on location at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Hair by Nai’vasha at the Wall Group (Lewis, Canfield, Moon). Makeup and grooming by Emily Amick for Armani Beauty at Exclusive Artists (Thallon, Lewis, Canfield, Outsiders, Moon). Hair by Jerome Cultrera for Oribe at LAtelier NYC (Beatty, Pidgeon, Pecinka, Outsiders, Cruz). Makeup and grooming by Alexa Rodulfo for Estée Lauder (Beatty, Pidgeon, Pecinka, Outsiders, Cruz). Nails by Kayo Higuchi for Chanel Les Vernis at Bryan Bantry.

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