Broadway Cast Creative Team

Morgan Dudley, breakout star of Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red, is having one of her busiest years to date with the release of her record-breaking movie! Not only captivating on camera, Morgan’s undeniable presence continues to be unmatched on any stage she finds herself. Whether on Broadway or belting the National Anthem at a New York Knicks playoff game, Morgan is the definition of a multi-hyphenate superstar. Along with the continued success of the film, Morgan will be releasing her own original music in August!

Descendants: The Rise of Red broke viewing records for its trailer, and now breaks streaming viewership records for Disney+, as reported by Deadline. The film follows Red and Chloe, daughters of the Queen of Hearts and Cinderella, respectively, as they travel back in time to thwart an imminent coup. In the film, Morgan brings to life Ella, a young Cinderella who must team up with her time-traveling daughter from the future for the sake of Auradon and the Wonderland Kingdom.

While Morgan continues her acting journey, she is simultaneously working on her music career, crafting original songs that will resonate with her growing fanbase. Drawing inspiration from the careers of icons like Ariana Grande and Zendaya, Morgan’s pop-infused sound, enriched with acoustic elements, promises to leave a lasting impression on listeners worldwide when her first song is released in late August. 

Morgan’s upbringing in Hiram, Georgia was steeped in the melodies of Alanis Morissette, setting the stage for her musical aspirations. Even before she was born, her mother sang karaoke renditions of Jagged Little Pill, igniting a connection to the musical that would give her the opportunity of a lifetime. At only 20 years old, Morgan made the bold leap to New York City, where she secured a coveted role in the acclaimed Broadway production of Jagged Little Pill. This transformative experience molded her into the fearless performer and confident artist she is today.

When Morgan isn’t busy on set, prepping for roles, auditioning, or working on her music, she splits her time between New York, Los Angeles, and her home state of Georgia. She enjoys staying active with dance classes, spending time with friends and family, and keeping up with the latest in fashion and skincare.

Kurt Elling, a two-time Grammy Award winner, is making his Broadway debut as Hermes in Hadestown. The Chicago-based musician is renowned for a signature, rich sound and an inventive, individualized body of work. With a singular style of contemporary Beat lyricism and vocalese-writing ingenuity, he has expanded the parameters of vocal jazz and increased its vocabulary. The New York Times called Kurt Elling “the standout male jazz vocalist of our time.” The Guardian (UK) pronounced him “a kind of Sinatra with superpowers.”

Over twenty-five years of touring and recording, Elling has earned an array of top honors, including 17 Grammy nominations and a host of international awards. He’s spent two decades leading the DownBeat Critics and Readers polls and has won fifteen Jazz Journalists Association Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year.

Elling has performed in over 70 countries, headlining the world’s top festivals and venues. Collaborators within the jazz world’s elite include Branford Marsalis, Danilo Pérez, Fred Hersch, Charlie Hunter, and the Yellowjackets. Elling is in constant demand as a featured soloist with premier orchestras and big bands around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the BBC Concert Symphony, WDR Big Band, and the Count Basie, Metropole, and Village Vanguard Orchestras.

Beyond the concert stage, Elling has written, directed and performed in multidisciplinary, large-scale commissions for Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the City of Chicago. Elling enjoyed a world premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center of The Big Blind, a jazz musical he co-wrote with Grammy-nominated songwriter Phil Galdston.

Elling has appeared at the White House multiple times, including a performance with the National Symphony Orchestra for President Obama’s first State Dinner. He served six years as a Trustee and two years as National Vice Chairman of The Recording Academy. He currently serves as Co-Chairman of the Chicago Jazz Alliance and as the Audrey L. Weaver Jazz Advisor to the Ravinia Festival.

Wildflowers, Vol. 3 – Elling’s new duo EP with acclaimed pianist and composer Christian Sands – will be released August 22, 2025. His album recorded with the WDR Big Band, …in the Brass Palace, is due February 2026.

Montreal born, Nashville based, Allison Russell, is a Grammy, Juno, Americana, Socan and Folk Awards winning, Polaris Prize short-listed artist, actor, author, songwriter, producer, human rights advocate, survivor and mother.  

She is the co-founder of Once and Future Sounds and Love Rising. Her debut solo album Outside Child was released in 2021, followed by The Returner in 2023 via Concord/Fantasy Records. 

Prior to her solo career she co-founded, recorded and toured internationally with the bands Po’Girl, Birds of Chicago, and Our Native Daughters. She is a proud member of Joni Mitchell’s Joni Jam band and continues to work with OND. 

Russell’s ensemble the Rainbow Coalition opened for Hozier’s Unreal Unearth tour throughout 2024. Their duet “Wildflower & Barley” made The Billboard  top 100 in both the US & Canada. Russell’s All Returners headlining tour continued in 2025 in Australia and North America. Hozier and Russell co-wrote the song “Human Mind” for their hero Mavis Staples. 

Allison made her Broadway debut starring as Persephone in Anais Mitchell’s Hadestown from Nov 2024 to Feb 2025. She is deeply honoured to be returning to that life changing role in her favourite musical on Dec 16th, 2025. Russell’s memoir will be published by Little Brown, release date TBA and her third album is coming in 2026.

Paulo Szot received Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards for his Broadway debut in South Pacific at the Lincoln Center Theater and an Olivier nomination for the same production at the Barbican, London. He was born in São Paulo and studied at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.

Other work in musical theatre: My Fair Lady, Candide, Chicago (São Paulo); Evita (Sydney, Melbourne, The Muny); Chicago, & Juliet (Broadway); Here We Are (London, Royal National Theatre).

Opera: ten seasons with the Metropolitan Opera; collaborations with La Scala, Paris Opera, Teatro Real (Madrid), Bayerische Staatsoper, Canadian Opera, Washington Opera, San Francisco Opera, Opera di Roma, Opéra de Bordeaux, and Opéra de Marseille.

Concerts: multiple collaborations with Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, New York Pops, American Pops, OSESP, Barcelona Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra.

Albums include Jardim Noturno; Broadway cast recordings: South Pacific and & Juliet.

Jack Wolfe is an Olivier award nominated actor, who recently played the part of Gabe in Next to Normal at the Donmar Warehouse and in the West End at Wyndham’s Theatre. This role also garnered him a Critic’s Cricle Award, a Stage Debut Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination and a win at the WhatsOnStage Awards for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical. Some of Jack’s other stage credits include Moritz in the Spring Awakening 15th Anniversary Concert at the Victoria Palace Theatre, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry at Chichester Festival Theatre, The Magician’s Elephant at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Pinocchio at the National Theatre, among others.

Jack lead Florian Sigl’s feature film adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and joined the hit fantasy show “Shadow and Bone” for Netflix in season 2, playing Wylan.  His other TV work includes “Inside No. 9,” “Father Brown” and “Hetty Feather” for The BBC, “The Witcher” for Netflix and the filmed proshot of Next to Normal which was shown on PBS as part of “Great Performances.”

Joshua Colley is a multi-talented performer who most recently starred as young ‘Captain Hook’ in Disney’s Descendants: The Rise Of Red – the latest installment of the hit musical franchise – which became the most-viewed DCOM premiere on Disney+ and the Greg Berlanti-produced Dead Boy Detectives for Netflix, based on the beloved DC Comics property. Soon after, he toured sold-out arenas around North America on the Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour, in which he performed numerous fan- favorite numbers from the adored franchises, as well as standout solo performance of “I’m Gonna Remember This,” an original song penned by Colley himself.

In 2022 alone, Colley appeared in Hulu’s Sex Appeal and Love, Victor, as well as the Netflix film Senior Year. For the latter, he received great recognition amongst the all-star ensemble, which includes Rebel Wilson, Justin Hartley, Alicia Silverstone, and more. He will next be seen in the coming-of-age comedy Brian from executive producer Seth Meyers.

Colley began his career in New York City as a young actor on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of ‘Les’ in the musical Newsies, as well as ‘Gavroche’ in the 2014 revival of Les Misérables. Colley also originated the role of ‘Young Calogero’ in A Bronx Tale at Papermill Playhouse Directed by Jerry Zaks and Robert De Niro, featuring music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. In 2016, he played the titular role in The York Theatre Company’s You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, and ‘Flounder’ in The Hollywood Bowl’s The Little Mermaid alongside Sara Bareilles, Tituss Burgess, John Stamos, and Rebel Wilson. He is also known for his viral videos (Youngest Jean ValjeanEver … Easter Bonnet 2015) and ('The Schuyler Sisters' from Hamilton get MisCast). Joshua is now working on his original music with major releases coming soon.

Gary Dourdan began his acting career at an early age when he enrolled in a prestigious inner-city program in Philadelphia called “Freedom Theater.”  Born and raised in Philadelphia, Dourdan began making weekly trips to New York City for auditions and music lessons.  Before long, he relocated to New York where he trained in the “Meisner” technique and at Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

His career escalated to numerous roles in off-Broadway plays, fashion magazine layouts and a well recognized love interest in Janet Jackson’s video hit “Again.”  During this time he caught the attention of television director and producer Debbie Allen. She suggested that Gary move to Hollywood to pursue more work in TV and film.

Dourdan’s career break came when he was cast in “The Cosby Show” spin-off, “A Different World,” as “Shazza”.  After that, more television appearances followed including, “The Good Fight,” the HBO mini-series “Laurel Avenue,” a lead role in Dick Wolf’s series “Swift Justice,” as well as BET’ “Soul Food” and “Beggars and Choosers.”  Gary also starred opposite Terrence Howard as “Malcolm X” in the ABC television movie, “Muhammad Ali: King of the World.” 

On the big Screen, Gary Dourdan landed his first major role as the character “Yates” in “Playing God,” opposite David Duchovny and Angelina Jolie.  That same year he was also cast in Alien: Resurrection” with Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder.  Other notable film credits include “New Jersey Turnpikes” with Kelsy Grammar.  His independent feature works included “Scarred City” with Chazz Palminteri and “The Weekend,” with Brook Shields and Gena Rowlands.  “The Weekend” won a special jury prize at the Seattle Film Festival for Best Ensemble Cast. 

In 2000, Gary Dourdan starred as “Warrick Brown” in the #1 crime drama television series “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” with co-stars William Peterson and Margaret Helenberger.  The acclaimed CBS series has been nominated for Golden Globes, EMMYS and SAG Awards.  The show has also won the People’s Choice Award and has achieved a phenomenal status as the number one TV show in the world.  Gary Dourdan was nominated twice and won for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” by the NAACP Image Awards in 2006 & 2007; he also won a SAG Award along with being nominated for a Golden Globe, Emmy Award and several People Choice Awards. In 2017, Gary Dourdan completed filming on ‘All She Wrote’ a dark comedy by young Bulgarian director Niki LLiev, in which he plays a former MMA champion suffering from brain damage caused by his fights. 

As a talented musician, Gary Dourdan was seen on the Emmy Awards singing a duet with Macy Gray and appearing with hip hop artist DMC on stage at the “Live 8 Concert” held in Ontario, Canada in 2005.  In 2009, he was asked to make an endorsement for the Spanish Tourism board. He subsequently appeared in numerous events and shows in Europe including a duet with French Singer/Songwriter Ayo on National French TV, singing the classic Sam Cooke song “A Change is Gonna Come.”  

For the past eight years, Gary Dourdan has also been heavily involved with the non-profit organization The Heart Fund (https://www.theheartfund.eu) aimed at bringing state of the heart surgery to children in need in countries such as Haiti, India as well as in West Africa. In 2016, he visited Mali for the first time where he participated to the Festival Acoustik Bamako. He supported the festival’s social and humanitarian commitment by calling upon the artist Akon’s ‘Lighing Africa’ (http://akonlightingafrica.com) project to bring solar-powered lighting systems andelectricity to the village of Kirina in Mali. His fight against global warming and for the resilience of vulnerable communities is an ongoing duty. For the past 4 years, Gary has also helped the first Lady of Ivory Coast, SE Mrs. Dominique Ouattara’s foundation Children of Africa (https://childrenofafrica.org/en) raise funds for the construction of a children’s hospital in Abidjan, the country’s capital. He attended the hospital’s inauguration in Ivory Coast on March 15, 2018.  He continues to be of service to Children of Africa for the next fundraising endeavor to build a school.  He is also currently supporting Eva Longoria and Maria Bravo help children through their Global Gift Foundation (http://www.globalgiftfoundationusa.org) . He performed during the foundation biggest fundraising event in Marbella, Spain on July 29, 2018 in company of Eva and other celebrities such as Ronaldinho and Emma Bunton (Spice Girls). He has since become an Ambassador of the foundation and participates yearly to its fundraising activities in France, Spain, U.K., Dubai and Cannes, as well as through visits on ground projects such as in India. Gary believes that giving children access to health, education, and cultural bridges to the world at large is tantamount to insuring long term socio-economic development. 

In between guest appearances in such TV shows as “Being Mary Jane,” and most recently “Power,” and recent leading role alongside Andy Garcia in the feature length film Redemption Day, Gary Dourdan has been spending time in his state-of-the-art recording studio composing music for an album and developing three films, including a musical, under his production company.  His album which will include several well-known musical guests and is slotted for release in 2022.

These past few months Gary Dourdan was on location in Senegal for the feature length film Zero with French director Jean-Luc Herbulot, as well as in Morocco for as-yet-entitled feature length with Redemption Day director Hicham Hadji. Gary is currently preparing to record an album musicians and guest artists from Africa and the U.S.

J. Harrison Ghee won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, making history as the first non-binary actor to be nominated and win in this category for their role as “Daphne/Jerry” in Some Like It Hot, a role which also garnered them Grammy, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as Drama League and Chita Rivera Award nominations. Recently J. starred in the world premiere of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil as well as the Off-Broadway smash Saturday Church. Ghee was selected by Billy Porter to star as “Robyn/Kevin” on the hit FOX series “Accused,” and previously played the series regular of “Kwame” on Netflix’s “Raising Dion.” On Broadway, they starred as “Lola” in Kinky Boots, created the role of “Andre Mayhem” in Mrs. Doubtfire, and have dazzled audiences in roles such as “Velma Kelly” in Chicago and “Johnny Hooker” in The Sting, opposite Harry Connick, Jr. Ghee hopes that something they do or say reaches the heart at least one person to inspire them to dream big and go full-out for those dreams.

Armed with a warm, soulful sound, the Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated artist Gaby Moreno creates music that offers an intoxicating invitation into her musical world for English and Spanish speakers alike. Since moving to Los Angeles from her native Guatemala, singer-songwriter-producer Gaby Moreno has released 9 albums, received her first Grammy award in 2024 for her project X Mí (Vol. 1) (Best Latin Pop Album, 2024), earned additional Grammy nominations for her albums Alegoría (Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, 2023) and Illusion (Best Latin Pop Album, 2017), and has won two Latin Grammy Awards (Best New Artist, 2013 and Best Traditional Tropical Album, 2023). Moreno has shared the international stage with pop music luminaries such as Bono, Andrea Boccelli, Tracy Chapman, Ani DiFranco, Punch Brothers, Hugh Laurie, Buena Vista Social Club, Calexico, David Gray, and many more. Through her various projects, Moreno has redefined Americana as the only prominent Latina in the genre today, opening the doors for other marginalized voices and transforming the landscape overall. 

In addition to her critical acclaim within the music industry, Moreno has also amassed a long list of accolades within the TV and film worlds. Most famously, she co-wrote the seminal theme song for cult classic TV show, ‘Parks and Recreation’. Her moving version of the classic song “Cucurrucucú Paloma” was chosen to play at the end of the emotional episode "God Bless America" for the last season of Netflix's original show, "Orange Is The New Black”. Most recently, her music was featured in Guillermo Del Toro's new Netflix show ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’ as well as receiving a 2023 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nomination for her song on the film ‘The Valet.’ Later in 2023, she wrote and performed the lead song “El Saber” for the acclaimed film “Radical”, starring Eugenio Derbez. 

Her album “¡Spangled!” - a collaboration with musician, songwriter and arranger, Van Dyke Parks – is a set of ten songs celebrating the migration of song across the Americas and spans more than a century, including a bolero from Panama, a bossa nova from Brazil, and an elegiac ballad from the Southwest United States. The album features a duet with Jackson Browne and an art cover designed by Klaus Voormann (who designed The Beatles’ Revolver cover). Gaby was also chosen to sing the theme song and voice a character (Marlena) on the multi-Emmy Award-winning Disney children’s television series, “Elena of Avalor,” which features Disney's first Latina princess. More recently, she composed all the music for the movie “Language Lessons”, directed by Natalie Morales and co-written/starring Morales and Mark Duplass. 

In 2020 she produced, co-wrote, and sang the duet “Bolero a La Vida” with legendary Cuban singer Omara Portuondo from Buena Vista Social Club fame and received a Latin Grammy nomination in the “Best Tropical Song” category. In 2022, Moreno released her latest album, Alegoría, produced by herself, featuring among others her guitar heroes Marc Ribot and Davíd Garza. The album comprises 11 songs both in English and Spanish, exploring themes of hope, love, nostalgia, and desolation. Alegoría received a US Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album in 2023 with fellow nominees including Rosalía, Mon Laferte, Fito Páez, Jorge Drexler and Cimafunk. 

In 2023 Gaby released her new project X Mí (Vol. 1) via the trailblazing label Cosmica Artists. Ushering in a new chapter for the beloved artist, X Mí (Vol. 1), pronounced “Por Mi”, is a collection of rich and soulful acoustic songs that have remained dear to Gaby’s heart for years now in both English and Spanish. It’s lined with Gaby’s one-of-a-kind sound that has garnered large critical acclaim and the attention of some of today’s most esteemed artists. 

The acoustic project featured a striking collaboration between Gaby and Golden Globe-winning / Emmy-nominated actor, producer, and musician Oscar Isaac through a moving rendition of the beloved Guatemalan treasure, "Luna de Xelajú." The collaboration saw the two artists and close friends coming together to celebrate their shared roots, honoring their beloved country of Guatemala and their families, through a combined love for music.  

In November 2023, Gaby received a Latin Grammy award in the “Mejor Album Tropical Tradicional” category for her work as a producer on Omara Portuondo’s ‘VIDA’, further showcasing her immense skill as both an executive producer and all-around musician.   

In a historic move, the X Mí (Vol. 1) earned Gaby her first ever Grammy nomination, winning Best Latin Pop Album in February 2024, that followed a breathtaking performance of the song at the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony alongside singer and songwriter El David Aguilar. 

Also in February 2024, Gaby released her critically acclaimed new album, Dusk, via Cosmica Artists. It featured a striking rendition of "Luna de Xelajú" with Oscar Isaac paying homage to their shared Guatemalan roots. The album pays homage to Gaby’s life story, particularly her life-changing move from Guatemala to the United States in pursuit of her dreams. Rooted in Americana, it’s an album about change — and how to embrace even the most unmooring transitions with hope, touching on fear, loneliness, courage, and the many feelings that came with the drastic change. Gaby co-produced the album with Nashville producer Dan Knobler and it is lined with a melting pot of sounds such as blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and Latin folk featuring songs in both English and Spanish. 

Additionally, Gaby made her US late night TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in January 2024 featuring a moving rendition of her track "Luna de Xelajú" with Oscar Isaac. She delivered an electrifying performance of her breakout track “Solid Ground” from her latest album Dusk on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in June 2024. She wrapped up an explosive 2024 with a captivating performance on Good Morning America performing her singles “Solid Ground” and “The Way It Goes” from Dusk. 

Early this year Gaby released her short film, based on her song of the same name, Lamento which garnered acclaimed from outlets such as Rolling Stone, Vogue Mexico & Latin America, Rolling Stone En Español, Forbes México, and a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video. 

In addition to her dynamic work within entertainment, Moreno has cemented a long trajectory as a champion for immigration rights and social issues dear to her. She was recently named the first Unicef Goodwill Ambassador from Guatemala. She is focused on mentoring young female artists and creatives. 

It’s clear that Gaby remains a force to be reckoned with within the larger music arena. 

Broadway: Gypsy, The Notebook. Television: “The Chair” (Netflix). Film: Pressed, Don’t Ever Wonder (Netflix), Vampires vs. the Bronx (Netflix). Debut EP: sinking/flying March 3026