NEW YORK (AP) — The Tony Awards could bring Cynthia Erivo another Emmy. Days after the British performer belted Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way” during a red carpet interview at the 2019 Tonys — explaining that it is her guilty pleasure song — she got a call from the producers of the National Geographic series “Genius: Aretha.” Fast forward two years and Erivo is playing the Queen of Soul in the eight-episode series debuting March 21. Erivo, a Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner, says portraying Franklin was a dream come true and she worked hard to pull off the role.
