James Brown is one of the most iconic figures in music history, whose work has inspired some of the industry’s icons like Michael Jackson and Prince, just to name a few.
Now, as Broadway musicals have found recent success documenting the lives of legendary Black artists, Brown’s story is finally hitting the stage to introduce him to a new generation.
“James Brown The Musical,” a new Broadway-bound production, will officially chronicle the Godfather of Soul, tracking James Brown’s epic journey from childhood strife to his legacy as one of the greatest artists of all time.
Atlanta Black Star spoke with the show’s lead producer, playwright and director, Jeremy E. Cormier, who gave us insight into what fans can expect to see, how Brown’s musical will differ from others, the difficult casting process for the lead role, and more.
Cormier, a Morehouse graduate, has a long list of regional theater producing credits through Dominion Entertainment Group — such as serving as company manager and associate producer on productions including “Dreamgirls,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Black Nativity,” “Mahalia,” “Crowns,” and “Chicken & Biscuits.”
Since founding Jeremy Cormier Presents LLC in 2015, he has directed and produced original musicals such as “It’s A New Day” and “Even A Good Man Is Tempted” as CEO and executive producer.
He is also on the board of the James Brown Family Foundation.
When asked why now is the perfect time to bring Brown’s story to life on the Broadway stage, Cormier explained how it ties into a somber anniversary.
“Mr. Brown has been gone for 20 years and his story has yet to be told on any facet on a stage. We’ve seen a lot of documentaries, we’ve seen the movie ‘Get On Up,’ but we have yet to see it acted out and portrayed on stage,” Cormier said.
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“The beauty about why now is we get to tell the story free, we get to tell the story from the daughter’s perspective,” Cormier explains, referencing Deanna Brown-Thomas, Brown’s daughter and a partner in the production.
“She was on tour with her dad, she did his hair. So, you get a chance to see a story that’s not sanitized,” he continues.
Cormier also shares that the musical will chronicle Brown’s entire life, including his death on Christmas Day 2006.
“We take people on a rollercoaster of how [Deanna] felt. How she never really understood what he meant to the world until she got older because to her, he was ‘just my dad,’” he tells ABS.
Attempting to chronicle Brown’s larger-than-life existence is no small feat, but Cormier reveals that tackling the production chronologically allows him to tell Brown’s most defining moments.
”We get everything. We get the moment that he’s winning the [music] contest to him shining shoes on the steps of the radio station that a white owner told him to get off the steps of,” he shares.
Cormier continues, adding, “ We get to tell the story about how him and Elvis Presley had a brotherhood, of how he saved Boston after the death of Dr. King — we get to tell the story of the hardest working man in showbiz.”
Longtime fans know that Brown faced darker moments throughout his life, and Cormier promises he won’t sweep them under the rug—instead, the production will actively explore “the demons of his life.”
”Having an understanding of how domestic violence played in his life from him growing up seeing that from his father, and how his mom left him due to domestic violence,” he explains. “And how he treated women in his life [due to domestic violence.]”
Perhaps the biggest challenge of the James Brown musical is deciding who is worthy enough to tackle the lead role of the soul legend — a process that Cormier admits wasn’t an easy task.
“Casting wasn’t easy, but it was easy because of who plays Mr. Brown in our show,” he shares with ABS, while revealing that he ultimately found “his James Brown” in a local Atlanta production of “Dreamgirls.”
Cormier’s gut feeling was right, as Brown-Thomas, whom he calls the musical’s “secret sauce,” co-signed his choice after seeing the lead actor perform.
”That’s my Daddy,” she told Cormier after the show. “He’s the whole package,” he says confidently.
When questioned about whether a newcomer or an established star will play the lead, Cormier kept the name secret but confirmed that the public already knows the actor.
”He’s done a lot of shows in the Atlanta area. He’s a Billboard gospel artist, so you will know him when you see him and you’ll be like ‘Wow!” he teases.
”James Brown The Musical” marks the first Broadway venture for both Cormier and Brown-Thomas; yet, instead of fear, Cormier feels immense excitement for the final result, even if it comes with “plenty of sleepless nights.”
”I can put on a musical, but to take it to another level of touring and Broadway, we gotta bet the people who know the things,” he says.
Although Cormier admits that award recognition and healthy box office receipts would be a welcomed result of the musical’s success, he says that connecting Brown with a younger generation and new audiences means just as much.
Brown-Thomas shares Cormier’s sentiments about what the musical hopes to achieve and how important it is for his legacy to be told on a new platform.
“I am thankful for this blessed opportunity to tell the story about my father Mr. James Brown,” she tells ABS. “In ‘James Brown The Musical,’ all these teachings from my father are laid out and expressed in a meaningful way.”
“There are exciting moments, sad moments, moments of shame and greatness, but also him just being Daddy. The highs, the lows, the blows and the blessings, it’s all in ‘James Brown The Musical,’” she says.
My Entire Family Loves James Brown🥹💪🏽🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HEezVAZsAL
— Jackson Harlem (@JacksonHarlem) April 24, 2026
Brown-Thomas also currently runs the James Brown Academy of Musik Pupils, where she “pours into the students what dad poured into me.”
As fans await the official announcement for the show to make its formal Broadway debut, Cormier leaves them with a message of what they will encounter when they take in Brown’s captivating legacy on the New York stage.
”It’s about art, music, fun, creativity, and all the things we hope resonate with the audience,” he says.
“We hope that it brings peace and joy to the times we are living in now, and that we can spread a little bit of peace and happiness into the lives of anybody who witnesses the historical presentation of this beautiful musical.”
