Charles Randolph-Wright's Duke & Roya officially opened its New York premiere Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre June 24, and the reviews are in. See what critics are saying about the new show, directed by Warren Adams, below.
The cast features Jay Ellis (Top Gun: Maverick), Stephanie Nur (Lioness), Olivier winner and Tony nominee Noma Dumezweni (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Dariush Kashani (Oslo). Understudies include Ariana Afradi (Pieces), Shirine Babb (A Beautiful Noise), René David Ifrah (Homeland), and Jequrey Slaton (Power Book II: Ghost).
Duke & Roya follows Duke, an American hip-hop superstar, who meets a fearless Afghan interpreter, Roya, in the heart of war-torn Kabul. They learn to navigate the stark realities of their worlds through a romantic relationship that challenges their beliefs.
Read the reviews below.
1-Minute Critic (Matthew Wexler)
New York Stage Review (Melissa Rose Bernardo)
New York Theater (Jonathan Mandell)
New York Theatre Guide (Allison Considine)
The New York Times (Juan A. Ramírez)*
*This review may require creating a free account or paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
The production also has original music by Ronvé O’Daniel, scenic design by Wilson Chin, costume design by Snowber Sabrina Spanta, lighting design by Amina Alexander, projection design by Caite Hevner, and sound design and additional music by Taylor J. Williams
The producing team includes Get Lifted Film Co.’s Emmy and Tony winner Mike Jackson, Emmy winner Ty Stiklorius, EGOT winner John Legend, Naturi Naughton-Lewis and Take Two Entertainment, Laura Ivey, Janet Brenner, Smada Media, Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone, and Simpson Street. General management is by TT Partners.
Visit DukeandRoya.com.
Jay Ellis in Duke and Roya
Jay Ellis and Stephanie Nur in Duke and Roya
Jay Ellis and Stephanie Nur in Duke and Roya
Jay Ellis and Noma Dumezweni in Duke and Roya
Jay Ellis and Stephanie Nur in Duke and Roya
Dariush Kashani, Stephanie Nur, and Jay Ellis in Duke and Roya
Dariush Kashani and Stephanie Nur in Duke and Roya
Dariush Kashani and Noma Dumezweni in Duke and Roya
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