Singer Aretha Franklin wants to perform in the Broadway musical "After Midnight," but would reportedly prefer a lighter schedule than the regular eight performances per week.
New York Post writer Michael Riedel said Franklin told him about her desire during a dinner on Saturday, and he has a plan for making a reduced schedule for Franklin work.
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“The only way around that is to find another diva of Franklin’s stature to alternate with her. That’s not easy, but I kicked the idea around with some friends in the music business, and we hit on ... Diana Ross,” Reidel wrote. “Sign those two ladies up, and I guarantee there won’t be a seat left at the show while they’re in it.”
Franklin previously considered a role as Fela Kuti's mother in the Broadway show “Fela!”
The Tony-nominated “After Midnight” features jazz musician Wynton Marsalis and is a celebration of Duke Ellington's years at the Cotton Club, with rotating guest starts. Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, and Natalie Cole will
guest star this summer, Broadwayworld.com reported.
The music that inspired the musical was released on iTunes on Tuesday, with a CD version
set to release on June 17, according to Playbill.
The album, “Duke Ellington: The Original Recordings That Inspired The Broadway Hit ‘After Midnight,’” will be released by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment
Franklin is currently set perform at the Minnesota State Fair on Aug. 22.
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