Nichelle Lewis is a 24-year-old native of Virginia, and she is thrilled to portray Dorothy in the revival of The Wiz, marking her Broadway debut. The New York-based singer-songwriter has performed in the national tour of Hairspray (Dynamite/Cindy Watkins), Little Shop of Horrors (Chiffon/Crystal), Bare: A Pop Opera (Ivy), and most recently, Labelless, a new musical.
Nichelle always felt she had a calling much bigger than herself. It wasn’t until she was asked to sing a solo tribute to her late father at age 10 that she realized what that calling was. She mustered up as much courage as she could to sing, “My Help,” and by the end of the song the whole church was moved to tears of love and joy. In that moment, she knew she was called to inspire others through song. Nichelle truly believes the voice she sang with that day could have only been a gift, one she continues to hone and discover new things about over the years. She started her career singing in church and show choirs while booking gigs at weddings until American Idol reached her on Instagram to audition her on the show last summer.
Nichelle says all of this to say that she is unbelievably grateful for the amazing opportunity to portray Dorothy. A character who, much like herself and others, overcomes many trials and tribulations in life that only help to make her stronger, wiser, and more determined. Nichelle is grateful to her mother, who raised her children with a will like no other and encouraged Nichelle to stay on the path, remain hardworking and kind, and to never stop listening to her heart. And finally, she would like to thank her friends and family, both present and looking down from above, for their love and immense support.
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