Lin-Manuel Miranda Announces Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway

On the heels of an acclaimed off-Broadway run, Lin-Manuel Miranda has announced a Broadway engagement of Freestyle Love Supreme, the high-energy show that blends hip-hop, improvisational theater, music and vocal stylings, all backed by live music from keyboards and beats. Freestyle Love Supreme will begin its run on September 13 ahead of an October 2 opening night at the Booth Theatre. 

"Fifteen years ago, when Freestyle Love Supreme was first developed, the idea of bringing our little improv show to Broadway seemed completely out of the realm of possibility," said Miranda and director Thomas Kail. "But it is out of that improbability that FLS has found this new home, thanks to legions of loyal fans—first at Ars Nova, at various festivals around the world, then with one-off shows and most recently with our off-Broadway run last winter. We've had many of our happiest and most fulfilling creative moments working on FLS and are excited to see its next chapter unfold at the Booth Theatre. It is a show that consistently surprises us: we have no idea what to expect any time we do it—and isn't that the true beauty of live theater? Freestyle Love Supreme wouldn't want or have it any other way!"

Conceived by Miranda, Kail and Anthony Veneziale, Freestyle Love Supreme features six talented performers providing nonstop action throughout a fast-paced evening, spinning cues from the audience into humorous bits, instantaneous songs and fully realized musical numbers. The vocals of the performers—from singing to rapping to beat-boxing with harmonies and freestyle flow—are backed by keyboards and human percussion.

Freestyle Love Supreme will feature Andrew Bancroft AKA "Jelly Donut," Arthur Lewis AKA "Arthur the Geniuses," Bill Sherman AKA "King Sherman," Chris Sullivan AKA "Shockwave," Anthony Veneziale AKA "Two-Touch" and Utkarsh Ambudkar AKA "UTK."

Special surprise guests are planned for select performances during the run, which could include, in addition to Miranda, FLS members Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs and James Monroe Iglehart, along with Wayne Brady, Ashley Pérez Flanagan and many more.

In name and beyond, Freestyle Love Supreme pays homage to John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," with a nod to musical roots in jazz, soul, blues and hip-hop. Freestyle Love Supreme was originally developed and produced in 2004 by Ars Nova in association with producer Jill Furman.

The 85-minute show will feature set design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Lisa Zinni, lighting design by Jeff Croiter and sound design by Nevin Steinberg. The show is scheduled to play a limited Broadway run through January 5, 2020.

Freestyle Love Supreme will be a phone-free experience. Upon arrival at the theater, guests will be asked to secure all phones and smartwatches in a lockable Yondr pouch that will remain in their possession throughout the performance and will be unlocked at the end of the show.