Fela On Broadway For The First Time

By Author: Al Terry
Total Articles: 787
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Fela has been dubbed as the most original musical on Broadway today. Based on a book by Jim Lewis, with direction and choreography by Bill T Jones (Tony Award Winner), and featuring the Afrobeat music of Fela Anikilapo-Kuti; this show is a blend of dance and music the likes of which one must have never seen before.

The music is based on the inspiring story of Fela's life as an artist, a political activist, and of course a musician. The music is a blend of African rhythm, funk, and jazz which is truly soul stirring and features some of the artists' most famous works. The choreography is passionate and inspiring and is based on the real life stories of this man.

For those of us new to Fela, he was a Nigeria born musician and composer, who could play many instruments. He was a human rights activist also and played an active role in politics. He has been ranked as one of the world's most influential musicians and is a must for Afrobeat lovers. He was born in 1938 and was the son of a Christian school master and minister. His mother was a world famous feminist who was part of the Nigerian women's movement during the ...
... country's struggle for independence from the British. His education was at first in Nigeria after which he was one of the privileged few sent to London to earn a medical degree. Instead of medicine he enrolled in the prestigious Trinity College of music, where he studied the trumpet before returning to Nigeria to refine his signature style of music. After his US tour, he returned to Nigeria and became a part of the political life of the country and was harassed by the military and jailed over 200 times during his life.

He was exiled to Ghana for a year before returning to Nigeria to continue his work before dying of AIDS in 1977. He left behind him a legacy of inspirational work which got filled in over 70 albums and is a source of inspiration to millions today.

The show runs for 2 hours and 40 minutes with one brief 15 minute intermission in the middle. As of now shows are only scheduled till November 30th and run 6 days a week either at 7 or 8 pm with some weeks having two additional shows at 2 pm on the weekend. The musical is being staged at Eugene O'Neill Theatre on W 49th Street.

The world-premiere of this musical was staged in 2008, at Off-Broadways 37 arts theatre. At this time it earned a wide-spread acclaim, great reviews, and won three Lucille Lortel awards for Outstanding Musical, Outstanding choreography, and Outstanding Costume design.

The role of Fela was played by Sahr Ngaujah who won the Obie award for his performance and the musical was nominated as New York Magazine's Best Pick for Theatre 2008.

While children may not find the show riveting, the show is appropriate for people who love music and dance. Fela is an inspiration, a treat to the senses, and an insight into the life of a man who gave so much to his country and to the world.

While tickets are available at the theatre, you can also book them online and have them delivered ta your place. Group bookings are also available online at very competitive rates.
The author of this review focuses on writing entertainment articles for many different events inluding information on Locating Fela On Broadway Tickets Resources for the latest popular tour. His content keeps up with the latest news on the show and reviews of the productions and venues with tips for getting Fela On Broadway tickets news and resources.