February 12, 2026
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John Legend is teaming up with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage on the Off-Broadway musical 'Imitation of Life.' It debuts this fall.
John Legend is turning a classic novel, and its two subsequent films, into an Off-Broadway musical.
The University of Pennsylvania alum is penning the music and lyrics for "Imitation of Life," a stage version of the 1933 book of the same name and its 1934 and 1959 movie adaptations. It's be Legend's first time composing a musical. He previously served as a theatrical producer — for "Jitney," which earned him a Tony — and contributed a song to "SpongeBob SquarePants."
"Imitation of Life" centers on Bea and Delilah, two single mothers raising their daughters in early 20th century America. Bea, who is white, initially hires Delilah, who is Black, as a housekeeper. And though they eventually go into business together, those class and racial differences do not disappear. Their children, particularly Delilah's biracial daughter Peola, feel it most keenly. She attempts to pass as white, increasingly distancing herself from her distraught mother.
Legend's take on the story premieres at The Shed, a theater in Manhattan's Hudson Yards development, this fall. Playwright Lynn Nottage is writing the musical's book, and Liesl Tommy is directing the show. Nottage is the only woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama twice, and Tommy was the first woman of color to receive a Tony nomination for best direction of a play.
"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," Legend said in a joint statement with Nottage and Tommy. "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."
The musical is set in 1920s Atlantic City and 1930s New York. Casting has not been announced.
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