It’s great to see a completely original musical on the boards this season. Producing shows that don’t have a familiar draw is always a risky proposition. So kudos to the creators of Wanted for hedging their bets with phenomenal talents. The quasi-true tale of female outlaws in 19th century Texas aims impressively high. And while it doesn’t always hit the mark, there’s still much to applaud.
Wanted has got a lot of hits and misses. The story of sisters Mary and Martha Clarke in 1893 was passed down through the generations, settling into the imagination of their great great niece Angelica Chéri who happens to be a lyricist. So inspired by the tale, she and her songwriting partner Ross Baum spent more than a decade crafting a musical about the gunslinging sisters who went from farm girls to outlaws to legends. It’s certainly a compelling story that incorporates powerful messages about race and blood relations.
Mary (Solea Pfeiffer) and Martha (Liisi LaFontaine) were mixed race with very light skin. When they and their mother (Ledisi) were threatened with eviction from their rural home, the sisters “passed” as white and went on a robbery spree to raise the money to buy their property.
[Read Michael Sommers’ ★★★☆☆ review here.]
So far so good, but here’s where it falls short. The book for the musical, also written by Chéri, is full of holes and the plotting is so convoluted and farfetched it’s hard to know who to root for. In a quick succession of scenes, the outlaw sisters tear up the west, robbing white men (and women) with such improbable ease that a bounty of $5000 is put on their heads. When they’re finally caught red-handed by Jesse (Bradley Jaden), a white landowner, it leads to a romance. He’s the main villain in the story, yet there’s little villainy to show until a revelation at the end. But it’s mostly talk, not enough action.
None of that may matter all that much when the company starts to sing, which is right at the very top. The “Prologue” led by six performers all dressed in flowing white costumes introduce the story. They are the angelic “Kinfolk” acting as a kind of Greek chorus with voices that are truly heaven sent. Melody A. Betts, Jennie Harney-Fleming, Aaron Arnell Harrington, Harris Matthew, and Hailey Thomas stand out individually and in harmonizing unison, each capable of blowing the roof off the James Earl Jones Theatre.
And that’s not all…the Prologue blends right into “Inheritance”, where we meet the sisters and their mother Tallulah. It’s a joy to hear Ledisi lend her golden pipes to this performance. With the bar so high, it would be easy to find the two leads wanting…but with their beautifully trained voices, Pfeiffer and LaFontaine push the envelope into vocal ecstasy.
Chéri and Baum’s gospel and jazz infused songs are richly layered, providing the cast with moments to shine. Among the best, Mary’s “The Way I Am”, a beautifully soulful number in a minor key revealing the character’s bitter struggles with her racial identity.
There are two more performances that deserve the highest praise. Aurelia Williams and Awa Sal Secka, as Sissy and Flo, two of Jesse’s plucky household maids, are delivering comic relief with a virtuosity that threatens to steal the show. And they do it with as little as a perfectly timed eye roll, dismissive gesture or a suck of the teeth expressing a whole sermon of disapproval in a single sound.
The male roles are not as well drawn. Bradley Jaden was sensational as another villain, Javert, in the concert version of Les Miserables over the summer. Luke James, a Grammy nominated artist, plays Elijah, a conflicted former slave and love interest. He gets a chance to show off his R&B pipes in “Invisible.” While both sing impressively, they’re saddled with stock characters.
Director Stevie Walker-Webb has quite a challenge with this production. It’s overlong with a few too many songs that slow the pace. And he’s hamstrung by Beowulf Boritt’s framed scenic design that’s too clunky with so much heavy furniture, it limits the playing space. And the minimalist staging looks more low budget than expressive. Fortunately, Adam Honoré’s evocative lighting goes far to cover the visual weaknesses.
All that aside, the uplifting finale ends on a high note. The entire company joins to sing “All of Me,” an inspiring tune that sums it all up in rousing fashion. If you’re a fan of the vocal arts, Wanted will likely leave you wanting more.
Wanted opened November 8, 2026 at the James Earl Jones Theatre. Tickets and information: wantedmusical.com
