Misty Copeland Joins Cast of 'On the Town' in Broadway Debut

Misty Copeland may have already been on a cloud of grandeur but now, her year is nearly bursting at the seams. After becoming the American Ballet Theatre's first ever black female principal dancer, as of recently she will make her Broadway debut in On the Town.

If you aren't already aware, Copeland is ABT's premiere dancer. She was a part of Time's top 100, where she graced the cover of one of Time's five issues, and she has become a cultural icon, even being dubbed "the people's dancer" by some.

Thus, in a special two-week run, according to Vulture, Misty Copeland will join the cast from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6. She will be taking over for New York City ballet principal Megan Fairchild as the main love interest, Ivy Smith.

Speaking to Variety, Producer Howard Kagan said of Copeland's presence in the performance:

"We are so thrilled to have Misty joining us at this momentous time in her career. On the Town' has a long history of progressive, diverse casting which began with the creative team's casting of Japanese-American dancer Sono Osato as 'Ivy Smith' in the original 1944 production, in the midst of World War II, as well as featuring one of the first racially integrated ensembles. So it seems fitting that this incredible talent, who has broken through barriers in the dance world, will make her Broadway debut in this show."

If the aim of the production is to boost ticket sales, what better way to do so than to bring in Ms. Copeland? The fledgling play may have received good reviews but it still hasn't been able to find its footing as of late, performing at about 70 percent capacity.

In a report at The New York Times, Copeland spoke with Taye Diggs, who is already gearing up for Hedwig and the Angry Inch, about acting.

As one would imagine, he supported her, saying, "I think you've got this."

In addition, as the article proclaims, "and so do we, that is without question."

We wish her the best of luck and in the meantime, keep up with one from Copeland below.