Zhailon Levingston

Zhailon Levingston (born June 27, 1994) is an American director known for his work on notable productions such as Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Chicken & Biscuits and Cats: The Jellicle Ball. For the latter, he won a 2026 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical, along with winning an Obie Award.

Early life

Levingston was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana and attended Captain Shreve High School. As a child, his parents frequently took him to the Strand Theatre and was active in school and community theatre productions. He attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, graduating in 2015.

Career

One of Levingston's first gigs were acting and directing in his hometown of Shreveport. He was seen at the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse as the titular character in a 2012 production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, along with serving as co-director and choreographer of 9 to 5 in 2013 there, and performing in A Chorus Line as Bobby at Stage Center in 2014. In 2017, he returned to Stage Center to direct Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

He eventually moved to New York City and worked as a Broadway street ticket seller before launching the "Words on White" campaign. Following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, Levingston created the guerilla-style production in the streets, in churches and outside schools to raise awareness of racial violence.

In 2021, Levingston made his Broadway directorial debut as the associate director for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on October 12, 2019, and, after closing for the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually played through August 14, 2022.

In 2023, he became the youngest Black director on Broadway when his production of Chicken & Biscuits opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, starring Michael Urie and Norm Lewis. The production opened on October 10, 2021, and closed on November 28, 2021.

He has a history of returning to direct or perform in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2023, he directed the musical, The Color Purple, at the city's Marjorie Lyons Theatre. Additionally, in 2024, he returned to Shreveport to star in Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks at the same theatre, opposite local actor Michael Thomas. The production ran from January 5 through 7, 2024.

Levingston furthered his advocacy as a co-creator and board member of the non-profit Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which hosts work-shops and coalition-building to "create more humane policies" in the Broadway community and industry.

His additional directing credits include the Off-Broadway productions of Patience at Second Stage Theatre in 2022, Table 17 at MCC Theatre in 2024 and Wonderful Town in New York City Center's Encores! series in 2025.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball

In 2024, he co-directed a revival of Cats with Bill Rauch, reimagining the show within the context of ball culture, with each cat serving as a competitor or judge in a "Jellicle Ball." As such, the production was retitled Cats: The Jellicle Ball and opened Off-Broadway at the Perelman Arts Center on June 13, 2024. The production utilized both an official ballroom consultant and gender consultant. The production starred André de Shields as Old Deuteronomy and "Tempress" Chasity Moore as Grizabella, amid an ensemble cast. The show ran through September 8, 2024, after extending multiple times due to high demand.

The Off-Broadway production was mostly positively received, with New York Theatre Guide praising Levingston and Rauch's direction as "novel" and "clever, fun-filled," but "sometimes confusing." The New York Times named it a Critic's Pick and praised the production as "a joyful reinvention" that "often works," though derided it as hard to follow. The production was nominated for seven Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Director of a Musical for Levingston and Rauch, four Outer Critics Circle Awards, winning for Outstanding Revival of a Musical and De Shields for Outstanding Featured Performer in an Off-Broadway Musical, and won three Dorian Awards from five nominations.

The production later transferred to Broadway in 2026 at the Broadhurst Theatre and received critical praise and nine 2026 Tony Award nominations, including Best Direction of a Musical. The New York Times praised the production as "fanciful and fabulous," and singled out Levingston and Rauch's direction, claiming they "revived and reappraised" the musical. Additionally, Deadline praised their direction as a "joyous, respectful homage" to the musical's origins, calling it "beautifully executed."

In addition to the Tony Award nominations, the production was nominated for three Drama League Awards, including Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Levingston and Rauch, an Outer Critics Circle Award and four Drama Desk Awards, with Nikiya Davis winning Outstanding Wig and Hair Design and Qween Jean winning Outstanding Costume Design.

Stage credits

Awards and nominations