Fela Kuti coming to Off-Broadway: August 5, 2008

Well, I just got the news via Joe's Pub that the life of Fela Kuti is coming to Off-Broadway, in the form of FELA! A New Musical. Helmed by Tony award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones who is directing and choreographing the musical with a book by Jim Lewis and arrangements by Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, performed by members of Antibalas.

Apparently it was Bill T. Jones' who conceived of bringing the story of the creator of Afrobeat, genius Nigerian multi-instrumentalist/composer and controversial political and human rights activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti (1938-1997) to the theater. The iconoclast Kuti was an international figure, whose popularity on the African continent and in his home of Nigeria made him a frequent target of the government. Kuti died in 1997 from AIDS-related complications. Here's Bill T. Jones talking about his complex vision of Kuti and the impetus to produce a theatrical expression of Kuti's life. Jones is so wonderfully brilliant; check out this video. Also, check the musical's website for more video of interviews, rehearsals, and performances.




The show is running August 5 - September 21, 2008
37 Arts
450 West 37th Street @ 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10018
Box Office: (212) 560-8912
Google Map

(The tickets aren't cheap: $51.25 the last I checked. But the Ticketmaster site isn't currently selling any tickets -SEE BELOW for $25 tix!)


Endnote:
• The Fela Kuti Project, combining Palgrave Macmillan's publication of a collection of essays, Fela: From West Africa to West Broadway, the 2003 art exhibition Black President: The Art and Legacy of Fela Anikulapo Kuti and initiatives meant to commemorate Kuti's life and legacy.

• A note from the Fela! folks: You can actually get $25 tickets to Fela! if you visit http://www.felaoffbroadway.com/socnet-01.html and use code Social1