Luke James is trading the streets of Chicago for the wild frontier of 1893 Texas. The Grammy Award-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, and actor has been cast as Elijah in Wanted, a new Broadway musical that is already generating serious buzz before it even opens its doors.
Wanted begins previews at The James Earl Jones Theatre on October 15, with an official opening night set for November 8. Tickets are on sale now.
James joins a cast that was already turning heads. Solea Pfeiffer, known for her work in Hadestown and Gatsby: An American Myth, stars as Mary Clarke. Liisi LaFontaine, who lit up the West End in Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Dreamgirls, plays Martha Clarke. And 16-time Grammy Award-nominated R&B legend Ledisi rounds out the central family as Tallulah Clarke.
The show itself is the kind of story that feels long overdue on the Broadway stage. Set in Texas in 1893, Wanted follows twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, Black women who pass for white and navigate a razor-thin line between two Americas.
When powerful forces threaten to strip their family of everything they have built, the sisters are pushed to desperate measures in the name of survival, dignity, and a future that has been denied them at every turn. The production bills itself as “the mostly true story of Mary and Martha Clarke: sisters, outlaws, legends”, and the New York Times already named it a Critic’s Pick, calling it “thrillingly original” with an “audacious and rollicking story.”
For James, this marks a return to Broadway after his acclaimed turn in Keenan Scott II‘s Thoughts of a Colored Man in 2021. He has spent the time since expanding an already impressive résumé, most recently earning a devoted fan base as Victor “Trig” Taylor on the hit Paramount+ series The Chi, but the stage has always been part of his story.
Special preview pricing is available for performances running Monday through Thursday during the first three weeks of previews, October 15 through November 5, 2026. Orchestra seats are available for $99, mezzanine for $79, and balcony for $49, all fees included. Tickets can be purchased at Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.
Photo Credit: Instagram – WolfJames
