Fela! Finally Opens Tonight

Tonight, the prestigious new Expo Centre, Eko Hotel and Suites, will be agog with Afrobeat music enthusiasts and connoisseurs as FELA!, the hit Broadway musical about the life and music of Nigerian performer and political activist, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, opens to the public.

The opening of the landmark musical, which won three awards (Broadway’s highest honour) including Best Choreography (Bill T. Jones), makes it the first Broadway show to be performed in sub-Saharan Africa and run everyday till 25 April.

This critically lauded musical will star its original Broadway cast with Sahr Ngaujah, reprising his Tony-nominated role of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, with music provided by the internationally renowned Antibalas as well as other members of the New York City Afro-beat community.

“The aim of FELA! in Lagos is to unite and connect Africans in spirit and unity, to serve as a catalyst for cultural revival in Nigeria and to celebrate Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for the contribution he has made to Nigeria and the world,” Stephen Hendel, co-producer of FELA! told Showbiz Trends at a world press conference in Lagos last week.

On Thursday, 14 April, the entire cast of the show was at the New Afrika Shrine for a special Tribute Concert in memory of the Afrobeat legend, Fela.

The special concert attracted hundreds of music lovers who stormed the Agidingbi, Ikeja, Lagos hangout to watch the original cast of the hit Broadway.

FELA! in Lagos is being produced by a Nigerian production company, Broken Shackles, in conjunction with Lagos State Government.

Spokesperson for Broken Shackles suggests that “with a series of media partners and sponsorships, FELA! in Lagos will be the most talked about show in Nigeria for years to come. We have created sponsorship, branding and advertising opportunities for those who wish to be part of this historic event.”

FELA! on Broadway was conceived by Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis and Stephen Hendel. Its producers include the entertainment legends Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. It has won numerous awards and received standing ovations from such personalities as Mick Jagger, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Spike Lee, Ben Okri, Janet Jackson, Denzel Washington, Professor Wole Soyinka, Robert De Niro and Hugh Jackman.

First Lady Michelle Obama, former UN Secretary General, Koffi Annan and President Obama’s Head of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano are, but three of the dignitaries who have embraced the show.

—Funsho Arogundade