>>212021410Gradne didn't carry it, and neither did Erivo. Quite the opposite as a pop singer she's a has-been. That's why she's not out on the road making Tay-tay or even Beyonce money right now. Really none of the actors carried it. It was a forced diversity-fest to send the message that whites who created it and built it into a success don't own it any more, and had massively more CGI greenscreen work than a George Lucas or Marvel movie.
It was a success because somehow the Broadway play is one of the most popular plays to come out in a very long time, and is one of the very few Broadway musicals that can produce sold-out shows in every city the touring production visits.