Entertainment · Books & Arts · 14 hrs ago
Wanted musical opens on Broadway to mixed reviews
Wanted opened at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York, bringing a story inspired by two sisters to Broadway.
The musical follows Black sisters Mary and Martha Clarke in 1890s Texas, where they try to protect their family’s land.
After a white landowner rejects their offer to buy it and threatens eviction, the sisters use their light skin to pass as white and begin robbing people for money.
Their robberies are meant to save their family’s home, but the story also follows their relationships with a wealthy white man and a Black worker.
The sisters’ hidden identities put them at risk in a period when racial violence, including lynching, was a threat.
Critics praised the cast’s singing, while several said the plot and music were uneven or less compelling than the performances.
The musical is now playing on Broadway, and its next steps are not specified.
Wanted is a Broadway musical about Black twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke, who pass as white and become bandits in 1890s Texas.
The sisters’ robberies are intended to help their mother buy the land where she has worked as a sharecropper.
The musical officially opened November 8 at the James Earl Jones Theatre.
Angelica Chéri wrote the book and lyrics, and Ross Baum wrote the music.
The reviews describe the production as uneven, while praising some performances and songs.
- Who
- Black twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke.
- What
- They pass as white and commit robberies, hoping to help their mother buy land.
- When
- 1890s Texas.
- Where
- The musical opened at the James Earl Jones Theatre in New York.
- Why
- To get money to help their mother buy the land where she has worked. Deadline says the mother hopes to buy cotton-producing land; TheWrap says the sisters aim to settle her sharecropper debt.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Mary and Martha Clarke pass as white and turn to robbery in Texas.
The musical, then titled Gun & Powder, played Paper Mill Playhouse.
Wanted officially opened at the James Earl Jones Theatre.
Deadline, TheWrap and The New York Times published reviews.
- Sisters
- Mary and Martha Clarke
- Mother
- Tallulah Clarke
- Writer
- Angelica Chéri, who is a descendant of the Clarke sisters
- Composer
- Ross Baum
- Theatre
- James Earl Jones Theatre
- Earlier title and venue
- Gun & Powder; Paper Mill Playhouse, spring 2024
6 sources
Wanted review – generic crime musical lacks outlaw grit
‘Wanted’ Review: A Messy Vigilante Story Squanders Its Musical Riches
‘Wanted’ Broadway Review: Dazzling Cast Can’t Elevate the Musical’s Muted Narrative
‘Wanted’ Broadway Review: These 2 Bandits Are No Bonnie and Clyde
‘Wanted’ Broadway Review: Historical Musical Plays With Gospel Truth
Reviews: What Are The Critics Saying About Wanted on Broadway?
What people are saying
mostly true
There’s a great running gag that never fails to perk up Broadway’s newest musical.
What precedes it might be the dullest crime spree ever staged