The 20-year-old actress and TV host will be taking over the title role in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and will be working with famed director Mark Brokaw and producer Robyn Goodman.
After the announcement today Palmer told the Associated Press she was delighted with her new role.
“It’s honestly one of those things that I can’t believe is really happening,” said Palmer.
Keke Palmer is a face to watch landing gigs as an actress, singer and talk show host.
Palmer made her acting career debut in 2004, when she landed the role as the niece of Queen Latifah in Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and has since stared in her own show on Nickelodeon, ‘True Jackson, VP’ as well as released a studio album, but Cinderella will be Palmer’s first role in theatre.
“Theatre offers so much more than I haven’t been able to access doing film and TV and everything like that,” she told AP.
Actors Equity has previously honoured Rodgers and Hammerstein for the excellence in diversity of their casting over the last year.
Cinderella producer, Robyn Goodman says Palmer was cast because of her talent, not to make a statement.
“We’ve always just cast the best people for the parts. Sometimes they’re African-American, sometimes they’re Latino, sometimes Asian-American.”
Though Palmer will be the first actress to play the fairy tale character on Broadway Brandy famously portrayed the would-be princess in the 1997 movie Cinderella.
The play is due to kick off in New York on September 9.
