Imitation of Life

Preview: written before the show opened

Two single mothers, one Black and one White, raise their daughters together, first in what The Shed calls "the neon rush of 1920s Atlantic City", then in 1930s New York. Adrienne Warren plays Delilah, Jessica Vosk plays Bea, and the songs are John Legend's, his first score for a musical. Lynn Nottage wrote the book.

The story comes from Fannie Hurst's 1933 novel, which Universal filmed twice, in 1934 and 1959. Here Delilah's daughter Peola is played by two actors, one as a girl and one grown up. You sit in the Griffin Theater for about 2 hours 40 minutes, with one intermission.

This is the world premiere: previews start 21 November, it opens officially on 3 December and closes 3 January after six weeks. Post-show conversations follow the performances on 8, 15, 17 and 22 December. The ASL-interpreted performance is 20 December at 1pm, booked by emailing accessibility@theshed.org.