BroadwayWorld has just learned that three-time Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Luke James has joined the Broadway cast of WANTED. James will star as Elijah, alongside Solea Pfeiffer as Mary Clarke, Liisi LaFontaine as Martha Clarke and Ledisi as Tallulah Clarke. WANTED will begin previews at The James Earl Jones Theatre on October 15, 2026, with an opening night set for November 8, 2026.
This year, Luke stars in the final season of the critically acclaimed drama series The Chi on Paramount+. Created by Emmy winner Lena Waithe and executive produced by Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Common, the series has been a cultural touchstone since its debut in 2018. Luke joined the cast in season three, quickly becoming a fan favorite as Victor “Trig” Taylor—a protective and evolving figure who rises from a troubled past to become a community-focused political leader on Chicago’s South Side. The eighth and final season premiered May 22, 2026 on Paramount+ Premium.
Aside from The Chi, Luke starred in Amazon Prime’s Them (Sony Pictures Television, Amazon Studios) alongside Pam Grier and returning star Deborah Ayorinde. The second installment, Them: The Scare, was set in Los Angeles County circa 1991 and followed LAPD Detective Dawn Reeve (Ayorinde) as she investigated a gruesome murder that shook even the most seasoned detectives. Luke delivered a standout performance as Edmund Gaines, an aspiring actor whose sensitive exterior masked a deeply unsettling inner void. The series premiered in April 2024.
In film, Luke appeared in the short Rocky Road on Channel Three (Indeed), which earned a 2024 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action), as well as Universal Pictures’ hit comedy Little opposite Issa Rae, Regina Hall, and Marsai Martin. His additional credits include standout roles in National Geographic’s Genius: Arethaopposite Cynthia Erivo, FOX’s Star, HBO’s Insecure, USA’s Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., and BET’s The New Edition Story, where he portrayed Johnny Gill in the record-breaking miniseries. He also lent his voice to the QCODE podcast Hold Still, Vincent, produced by Gemma Chan.
Luke’s talents extend beyond the screen to the stage. He starred in Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II at Broadway’s Golden Theatre, further cementing his presence as a multifaceted performer. In music, his work has been praised as “rich in sound and content” and among “the most soulful performances today.” His independent album to feel love/d (2020) earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album—his third career nomination—and stood as the only independently released project in the category.
Texas, 1893 — Twin sisters Mary and Martha Clarke are on the run. The sisters, Black women who pass for white and hide in plain sight, straddle a dangerous line between two Americas. But as powerful forces close in to keep their family from claiming a future of their own, Mary and Martha are driven to desperate measures to save their mother and their family’s legacy. When survival demands they do the unthinkable, the sisters nevertheless fight for self-determination, dignity, and the inheritance they have long been denied.
A soulful and dangerous new Broadway musical, WANTED is the mostly true story of Mary and Martha Clarke: sisters, outlaws, legends. WANTED features book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri, a descendant of the Sisters Clarke, and music by Richard Rodgers Award–winning composer Ross Baum. The production is directed by Tony Award nominee and Obie Award winner Stevie Walker-Webb, with choreography by Chelsey Arce.
