Respect! Aretha Franklin Eyeing Star Turn in After Midnight on Broadway

We're saying a little prayer that this comes true! Aretha Franklin recently visited After Midnight for a birthday treat and enjoyed herself so much that she wants to make her Broadway debut in the Tony-nominated tuner. According to the New York Post, the only sticking point in the Queen of Soul becoming the guest star vocalist of the show, set in the heyday of Duke Ellington’s years at Harlem’s Cotton Club, is that she only wants to do four, instead of the usual eight, performances a week.

A production spokesperson told Broadway.com: "Everybody at The Brooks Atkinson would love The Queen to meet The Duke!" While the producers think about the proposition, Fantasia Barrino is taking center stage in the musical. She will be followed by Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight and Natalie Cole over the summer.

Conceived by Jack Viertel, After Midnight is an evocative new tuner that tackles the sexy, smoky glamour of the Jazz Age. In addition to Barrino, the show currently stars Tony winner Adriane Lenox and Dule Hill. The tuner received seven Tony nods, including Best Musical, Best Featured Actress for Lenox and Best Director and Best Choreography for Warren Carlyle.