Taraji P. Henson and Cedric 'The Entertainer' to Star in Broadway Revival of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Published: June 30, 2025

Taraji P. Henson is making her Broadway debut, and she's bringing Cedric "The Entertainer" along for the ride! The Empire star and Oscar nominee will take the stage alongside Cedric in a new production of August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, directed by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Debbie Allen.

The play, which opens in spring 2026 at a Shubert theatre in New York City, tells the story of Herald Loomis, a man haunted by the trauma of enslavement and searching for his wife and sense of self after years in captivity. Henson will play Bertha Holly, the warm and welcoming matriarch of a Pittsburgh boarding house, opposite Cedric as her husband Seth.

This marks a theatrical homecoming for Cedric, who previously appeared on Broadway in American Buffalo in 2008. Henson, meanwhile, joins a growing list of Hollywood stars making their Broadway debuts as the theater industry continues a post-pandemic boom.

Producer Brian Anthony Moreland, whose hit productions of The Piano Lesson and Othello have helped usher in a new era of starry, high-impact Broadway dramas, said in a statement, "We are truly honored to return to August Wilson's legacy. With Debbie Allen's visionary direction and this extraordinary cast, the entire company will present a performance that resonates deeply and lingers in the hearts and minds of all who experience it."

Additional casting for Joe Turner's Come and Gone, as well as ticket information, an official theater, and the show's production dates, will be announced later.

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