Wayne Brady Exits Ms. Blakk For President; Ato Blankson-Wood Takes — SkimNews
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- Wayne Brady withdrew from the upcoming Off Broadway production of Ms. Blakk For President after being diagnosed with a vocal polyp and ordered by his doctor to rest his voice.
- Producers described Brady as "heartbroken" about the departure, framing the exit as medically necessary rather than a creative decision.
- Ato Blankson-Wood, a Tony Award nominee, will assume the role of Terence Alan Smith/Joan Jett Blakk that Brady was set to play.
- The production is an Off Broadway staging of Ms. Blakk For President, a show built around the real-life drag persona Joan Jett Blakk.
- Brady's withdrawal is specifically tied to the vocal demands of the role, with a vocal polyp making continued performance impossible per medical advice.
Why it matters: A lead casting change this close to an Off Broadway opening disrupts the production's rehearsal and previews timeline, forcing the creative team to recalibrate around a new lead. For Brady, the vocal polyp underscores the physical risk of performing through demanding roles without proper vocal recovery. Blankson-Wood inherits a high-profile replacement slot — and the chance to put his own stamp on a role originally built around Brady's profile.
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