Imitation of Life Will Premiere Off-Broadway With Score By John Legend

New musical Imitation of Life will premiere Off-Broadway this fall with a score by John Legend.

The musical, based on the novel by Fannie Hurst and the Universal Pictures films, will premiere at the Griffin Theater at The Shed starting in Fall 2026. Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) is writing the book, and Liesel Tommy (Eclipsed) is directing. 

“Originally published in 1933, novelist Fannie Hurst’s Imitation of Life tells the story of two women, one Black and one white, struggling to raise their daughters in a world shaped by inequalities. While the novel’s narrative is very much a product of its time, its themes of race, class, and gender in America continue to resonate today. As artists, we are drawn to Imitation of Life’s enduring emotional power and its potential to be reimagined in ways that feel both contemporary and urgent. It has been a profound joy to collaborate on bringing this story to the stage, and we are thrilled to premiere this musical at The Shed, where we look forward to sharing the beautiful and deeply moving journey of Delilah and Peola Johnston with audiences,” Legend, Nottage and Tommy said in a statement. 

The show is currently scheduled for a four-week presentation, with exact dates and casting to be announced at a later date. 

This would be the first major theatrical production for Legend, who previously contributed a song to the 2017 Broadway musical SpongeBob SquarePants and served as a producer on the 2017 revival of Jitney.

National Black Theatre, John Legend and Mike Jackson of Get Lifted Film Co., Tommy’s Crocodile Eyes, Universal Theatrical Group, Sue Wagner, John Johnson, Mickey Liddell and Pete Shilaimon of LD Entertainment and The Shed are producing.