TikTok Star Cheryl Porter Vaults to Broadway in & Juliet
Here comes the latest chapter in “Look Who’s On Broadway Now”: TikTok’s vocal guru Cheryl Porter is ditching her online studio for the Stephen Sondheim Theatre this summer. Porter, known to her 38 million followers as “Mama Cheryl,” steps into the role of Juliet’s nurse Angélique in the jukebox musical & Juliet for a strictly limited 13-week stint starting Aug. 7. She’ll fill the shoes of Tony nominee Jeannette Bayardelle, who bows out on Aug. 3, handing over those legendary pop-ballad reels with “thank you, thank you, THANK YOU” fanfare on her socials (People Magazine).
If you’re bracing for a motivational manifesto, Porter’s got you covered: “Do not put a time limit on your dreams,” she urged in a viral post. “No dream is too big. No goal is out of reach.” Sure, Cheryl—because leaping from gospel and jazz coaching to Broadway prima donna in your 50s is just a casual Wednesday move. Trained in opera and turned digital singing sensei thanks to her Cheryl Porter Vocal Method, she’s parlayed her infectious energy into viral tutorials on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. And now, Broadway.
For the uninitiated, & Juliet rewrites Shakespeare’s tragedy into a pop-fueled romp that asks: what if Juliet didn’t die and got to live on her own terms? Scripted by Schitt’s Creek alum David West Read and set to anthems from Max Martin’s catalog—Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Ariana Grande and more—it’s become a global sensation since its 2019 West End bow. By spring 2025, this cheeky comedy will have toured nine countries across four continents (Dotdash Meredith).
The current Broadway ensemble reads like a who’s who of TV and stage game-changers: *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone as Lance, Alison Luff as Anne, Drew Gehling as Shakespeare, Maya Boyd as Juliet (wrapping up June 8), Liam Pearce’s Romeo, plus a supporting cast including Charli D’Amelio, Nathan Levy and Mackenzie Meadows. Porter’s arrival promises fresh sass as Angélique—just don’t expect her gospel high notes to be toned down.
Whether Cheryl Porter’s TikTok charisma can translate into Broadway gold or whether this is just another influencer career pivot remains to be seen. But hey, if you ever needed proof that no dream is off-limits—and that Broadway could use a dose of internet bravado—this is it. And that’s today’s theatrical tea, folks. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Dotdash Meredith
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
