Keke Palmer, the actress, musical artist and BET talk show host, will step into the glass slippers of Cinderella starting September 9, becoming Broadway's first African-American "Cinderella."

The announcement follows by three months the debut in Phantom of the Opera of Norm Lewis, the first African-American actor to play the title role of that musical on Broadway, and by just a few weeks the collapse of Holler If Ya Hear Me, the first Broadway musical grounded in rap music.

Palmer has pursued dual careers in acting and singing. Her movie debut came in 2004 in the film Barbershop 2: Back in Business, as Queen Latifah's niece. The following year, at age 12, she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records.

She has appeared in various TV roles, notably in the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP. Her numerous films include The Long Shots, Madea's Family Reunion, Ice Age: Continental Drift (voice), The Longshots, Shrink, Joyful Noise, the upcoming Brotherly Love, and most notably Akeela and the Bee (2006).

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