Phylicia Rashad will star in the New York premiere and Roundabout Theatre Company production of Charles Randolph-Wright's Blue. The production begins previews at the Gramercy Theatre on June 1, 2001, and opens officially June 28. Blue premiered successfully at Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage in April of this year. Sheldon Epps helms the Roundabout production, which features music by Nona Hendryx and lyrics by Hendryx and playwright Randolph-Wright.

Blue is a comedy based in South Carolina that deals with the story of the Clark family's search for unconditional love. Production notes indicate a cast featuring a matriarch, Tillie, who offers unsolicited advice while "son Sam Jr. runs the profitable business, Sam III runs with the girls, 12-year-old Reuben runs errands and fashion-conscious mother Peggy runs up the credit cards."

An associate artist at Arena Stage. Randolph-Wright was an original cast member of Broadway's Dreamgirls and recently directed Guys and Dolls at Arena Stage, which will go out on national tour in 2001. Known as Clair Huxtable in NBC's "The Cosby Show," Rashad played Zora Neale Hurston in Thulani Davis' Everybody's Ruby. On Broadway she was in Jelly’s Last Jam, Into the Woods, Dreamgirls and The Wiz.