“Cosby Show” actress Raven-Symone is gearing up to hit Broadway in late March.
According to the Associated Press, the 26-year-old actress will take over the lead role in the hit musical “Sister Act” March 27.
Though Symone appeared in the “Boys Choir of Harlem” on Broadway when she was young, she considers her coming stint as her true Broadway debut.
“I want to do stuff I haven’t done before,” Symone told the AP. “I did it at 5 but I don’t remember that, obviously. So I want to do it for real—a big, crowd-pleasing show as well as working with these great people.”
Symone will take over the role of singer-turned-nun Deloris Van Cartier from actress Patina Miller, who won a Tony Award for her performance. The musical was inspired by the 1992 film of the same name which starred Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg is the producer of the stage version.
“Finding an actress who can play Deloris in Sister Act is no easy feat,” Goldberg told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s got to sing like an angel, dance her heart out, and land some really big laughs—and trust me, doing it all in a habit is not easy! Luckily for us, Raven is more than up to the challenge and I think audiences are going to be wowed by her performance.”
“Sister Act” debuted at New York’s Broadway Theater in April. Staying true to the film’s plot, it follows the misadventures of a nightclub singer who witnesses a murder and hides out at a convent. The production’s original tunes were written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater.
“‘Sister Act’ has everything—amazing songs, hilarious jokes and a fabulous lead character you can root for,” Symone told The Hollywood Reporter. “I can’t wait to get onstage and share her story with audiences eight times a week.”