Black Lives Matter Protest Halts Performance of AIDA at the Muny

By: Aug. 10, 2016
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On the two-year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown, the performance of AIDA at the Muny in St. Louis was briefly halted at the top of the second act last evening, as protesters representing the Black Lives Matter movement held up signs and chanted.

The Muny confirmed the disruption early this morning on Twitter:


Images of the protest, including a banner which read "The Muny says black lives matter" were also shared on Twitter:

During the brief interruption, the show's stars, Michelle Williams and Ken Page appeared on stage to address the situation, with Page requesting thoughts and prayers from the audience. Watch his speech below:

Shortly after the speech, the performance was resumed.

About AIDA at The Muny: Returning to a role she played on Broadway, Destiny's Child's Michelle Williams stars in The Muny's 2016 season closer, AIDA. The cast also features Zak Resnick (Radames), Taylor Louderman (Amneris), Patrick Cassidy (Zoser), Ken Page (Amonasro), and Lara Teeter (Pharoah) .

Set in ancient Egypt, Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA is an epic tale of an enslaved Nubian princess, Aida, a jealous Egyptian princess, Amneris, and the soldier they both love, Radames. As the story unfolds, forbidden love blossoms and a choice must be made between leading with a yearning heart or a responsible mind.

Image: Twitter



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