Keke Palmer will be new Cinderella on Broadway

Keke Palmer will take over the title role in the current revival of “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella” in New York, becoming what is believed to be the first black actress to play the role on Broadway.

The 20-year-old Palmer is scheduled to begin her run in the musical starting Sept. 9. Other actresses who have played Cinderella in the current revival at the Broadway Theatre include Laura Osnes and singer Carly Rae Jepsen.

Palmer’s first big screen role was as the title character in the 2006 movie “Akeelah and the Bee.” She has since appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, including her BET talk series “Just Keke.”

“Cinderella” opened on Broadway in early 2013 and features a revised book by playwright Douglas Carter Beane.

Also making theater history is actor Norm Lewis, who is the first black actor to play the title role of “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway. Lewis joined the cast of the long-running musical earlier this year.

While Palmer will be the first black actress to play Cinderella on Broadway, pop star Brandy played the same role in a televised version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that aired in 1997 on ABC.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT