Nicole Ari Parker to be Blanche Du Bois in ‘Streetcar Named Desire’

The cast for the upcoming production of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ is starting to fill out. Blair Underwood signed on a few months ago to play the role of Stanley Kowalski and now we have our Blanche DuBois — Nicole Ari Parker. No word yet on who will play the pivotal role of Stella in the classic Broadway revival. The play will be directed by Emily Mann with Terrence Blanchard handling the musical score.

Nicole Ari Parker is perhaps best known for playing attorney Teri Joseph on the Showtime drama ‘Soul Food’ in which she’s been nominated for several Image Awards. She cut her teeth in the acting world by staring in several indie dramas in the mid to late-90s including ‘The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love,’ ‘200 Cigarettes’ and ‘Boogie Nights.’ Her background on the stage includes ‘The Vagina Monologues’ and ‘For Colored Girls…’

‘Streetcar Named Desire’ is slated to return to Broadway in Spring 2012. No theatre has yet been picked to host the play. The last time ‘Streetcar Named Desire’ was staged on Broadway was in 2005 when it starred John C. Reilly, Amy Ryan and the late Natasha Richardson.