(DEAL PARK, NJ) -- Axelrod Performing Arts Center (APAC) presents premiere of That's Love! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical, starring Tony®, EMMY®, and GRAMMY® Award–nominated internationally acclaimed performer N'Kenge (Motown the Musical, Caroline, or Change). Performances run February 19 through March 8, 2026.
N’Kenge – the conceiver and guiding creative force behind the show – is thrilled to be directing That’s Love! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical alongside Broadway veteran Christina Sajous (A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical). Together, they lead the world premiere with an unwavering commitment to honoring Dorothy Dandridge’s legacy, bringing her story to the stage in a powerful new light.
With an extraordinary creative team and elite cast, N’Kenge brings the story of the late Dorothy Dandridge to the stage in a new light. The show traces Dandridge’s triumphant journey from humble beginnings to making history as the first-ever Black woman to receive an Academy® Award nomination in the category of Best Actress. Along the way, she endures struggles and heartbreak in pursuit of her dream, while the show’s stunning choreography, powerhouse vocals, and sweeping score celebrate her life and legacy with reverence and joy. From the first number through the final curtain call, it’s an impassioned and powerful portrait of the "first Black leading lady."
Blending Broadway, jazz, blues, and cinematic storytelling, the musical follows Dandridge through defining moments—from the Apollo Theater and Harlem nightlife to Hollywood’s golden age and the glamour of Las Vegas. The show includes a Broadway elite cast of 15 members, portraying iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, the Nicholas Brothers, and Harry Belafonte as part of Dandridge's world, illuminating the challenges she navigated in an industry that struggled to acknowledge her greatness. At its core, That’s Love! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical explores identity, artistry, motherhood, and legacy — the intimate story of a woman fighting for agency, dignity, and her place in history against extraordinary odds.
Performances run Wednesdays through Sundays. Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling 732-531-9106 ext. 14. Axelrod Performing Arts Center is located at 100 Grant Avenue in Deal, New Jersey. APAC is conveniently located just five minutes from downtown Asbury Park and offers ample free parking.
The creative team brings together award-winning talent across disciplines. Two-time EMMY® Award-winner Trey Ellis provides the book and original lyrics, while Tony® Award-winner Shelton L. Becton contributes the music and lyrics. Choreography is crafted by Ray Mercer (Disney’s The Lion King), and the musical arrangements are shaped by GRAMMY® Award–nominated artist Everett Bradley.The producing team features Michael T. Clarkston (Jersey Boys), Perri Gillon(The Last Five Years), MAC & Bistro Award Winner Dawn Derow, and TyNia René Brandon (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical). Executive Producers include multi–award-winning Y. Dolly Fox, Tony® Award-winner Willette Klausner, Tony® Award-nominated Richard Bell, and executive producer The N’Kenge Foundation.
As part of its mission, The N’Kenge Foundation supports programs that expand artistic access and education — including Beyond the Spotlight, which helps students look past the glamour and understand an artist’s full journey. Using Dorothy Dandridge’s life as a case study, the program explores the pressures, racism, financial struggles, and emotional costs she faced. Students gain tools in mindfulness, mental wellness, and basic financial literacy, learning how resilience is built, how creativity supports well-being, and why caring for both mind and money is essential for a sustainable artistic life.
That’s Love! The Dorothy Dandridge Musical’s journey to the stage has already garnered significant acclaim, beginning with two sold-out nights at Carnegie Hallduring its concert debut. It continued building momentum with three sold-out performances at the New York Theatre Festival, where it earned the most nominations and secured the most wins of any production that season. And most recently, the creative team presented an exclusive, invite-only staged reading for industry professionals at the newly renovated Laurie Beechman Theater.
This past August, N’Kenge released her album CENTERSTAGE – Live from the Ella Fitzgerald Festival, with lead single “Bewitched – Live.” The track has been rapidly rising at radio; after peaking at #22 on the Smooth Jazz Radio Airplay Chart, it recently became the No. 2 most added song in the format with six new station adds. The single also recently broke into the Smooth Jazz Global Top 50 Listener Countdown, and reaching #34 on the Smooth Jazz Global Radar Chart.
The Axelrod Performing Arts Center produces its own professionally staged musicals and ballets for the Jersey Shore in collaboration with Broadway directors, choreographers, and designers, showcasing professional actors, dancers and singers.
The Axelrod Performing Arts Center fosters artistic excellence by showcasing varied and distinct cultural programs which enrich the imaginative, intellectual and creative soul, inspire Jewish journeys, and cultivate an appreciation of our diverse communities through the pursuit of the arts. A 501c3 organization, funding support for the Axelrod PAC comes from individuals, foundations, and grants that enable the arts center to present our year-round events and programming.
