Fela! 2009 - Articles Page 4

Run Time:
2 hours and 40 minutes, with one intermission
Opened: November 23, 2009
Closing: January 02, 2011

Fela! - 2009 - Broadway History , Info & More

Fela!, directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones, welcomes audiences into the extravagant, decadent and rebellious world of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies), the musical explores Kuti's controversial life as artist, political activist and revolutionary musician.



Fela! features a multi-cultural cast led by Sahr Ngaujah (recipient of an Obie Award for his performance in the title role Off- Broadway) and Kevin Mambo (MTC’s Ruined), alternating in the role of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Tony Award-winner Lillias White plays Funmilayo Ransome Kuti (Fela’s mother) and Saycon Sengbloh (Hair) plays Sandra, Kuti’s love interest.

Fela! - 2009 - Broadway Cast

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Fela! - 2009 - Broadway Articles Page 4

STAGE TUBE: MIRACLE WORKER's Abigail Breslin & FELA! Cast Visit 'The View'
by Jessica Lewis - March 5, 2010


Broadway dominated The View yesterday, March 3. Following an interview with The Miracle Worker's Abigail Breslin, the Fela! cast took the stage to perform 'Zombie' for viewers. Valerie Bertinelli filled in for Whoopi Goldberg, alongside View regulars Barbra Walters, Joy Behar, Sherri Sheperd and Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Audience members were sent home from the taping with a pair of tickets to see the Fela!. The View airs weekdays at 11:00am EST on ABC.

Photo Coverage: FELA!'s Kevin Mambo Leads Sing for Hope-Art U! Program
by Genevieve Rafter Keddy - March 5, 2010


Sing for Hope (www.singforhope.org), an 'artists' peace corps' that mobilizes world-class artists in volunteer service programs that benefit schools, hospitals and communities, has collaborated with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to create Bringing It To YOU - a multidisciplinary arts day of gallery tours and featured performances for New York City school children. The event, presented by Sing for Hope, took place at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 4, 2010 with the performance beginning at 2:30pm at the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. BroadwayWorld was on hand to capture the event.

St. Ann's Gala to Feature FELA!'s Ngaujah and the FELA! Band, 5/3
by Jeff Dennhardt - March 3, 2010


St. Ann's Warehouse has announced the attendees for its upcoming Gala to celebrate its 30 year anniversary. The event will include FELA! star Sahr Ngaujah, who plays the title role in the hit Broadway musical, alongside the FELA! band.

FELA! Celebrates 100th Performance 2/19
by Gabrielle Sierra - February 18, 2010


Fela!, the critically acclaimed new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will celebrate its 100th performance on Friday, February 19 @ 8pm.

STAGE TUBE: FELA!'s Director and Choreographer Bill T. Jones Profiled on NBC Nightly News
by BroadwayWorld TV - February 2, 2010


As a nod to Black History Month, during the course of the week NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams pays tribute to a series of history makers, including FELA!'s Bill T. Jones. In the video piece below, Anne Curry profiles Jones and speaks to the Tony Award-winning director and choreographer him about his career, achievements and the tremendous success of FELA!

GYPSY OF THE MONTH: Jeffrey Page of 'Fela!'
by Adrienne Onofri - February 2, 2010


An African dance specialist, Jeffrey gave up a Hollywood choreography career to join the Nigeria-set musical.

Photo Coverage: FELA! Honors The Actors Fund
by Brian Estrada - January 26, 2010


FELA!, currently playing at the Eugene O'Neill on Broadway starring Lillias White and Sahr Ngaujah, dedicated the January 25th performance last night to The Actors Fund, granting proceeds to the fund in support of their programs and services.

FELA! Dedicates Special Performance to The Actors Fund, Jan. 25
by BWW News Desk - January 25, 2010


FELA!, currently playing at the Eugene O'Neill on Broadway starring Lillias White and Sahr Ngaujah, will dedicate the January 25th performance to The Actors Fund, granting proceeds to the fund in support of their programs and services. The curtain rises on Monday the 25th at 8:00pm. For information on The Actor's fund, visit www.actorsfund.org.

FELA! Cast to Appear on 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'
by Gabrielle Sierra - January 21, 2010


Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will perform on NBC's 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' on Tonight at 12:35am EST.

FELA! Dedicates Special Performance to The Actors Fund, Jan. 25
by Jeff Dennhardt - January 20, 2010


FELA!, currently playing at the Eugene O'Neill on Broadway starring Lillias White and Sahr Ngaujah, will dedicate the January 25th performance to The Actors Fund, granting proceeds to the fund in support of their programs and services. The curtain rises on Monday the 25th at 8:00pm. For information on The Actor's fund, visit www.actorsfund.org.

BWW Interviews: FELA!'s Saycon Sengbloh
by Gabrielle Sierra - January 8, 2010


Saycon Sengbloh takes on her largest and most influential role to date as the muse of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in Fela!, now playing at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

TV: Broadway Beat Saturday Special - FELA! and GYPSY OF THE YEAR
by Robert Diamond - January 9, 2010


The all new 20th Anniversary Season of Broadway Beat has begun! This week catch up with Broadway Beat at the opening night FELA! and at Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS GYPSY OF THE YEAR Competition!

FELA! Adds Wednesday Mats.; Pushes Sunday Performances to 3pm for New Year
by Jessica Lewis - December 18, 2009


Producers Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith announced today that beginning January 6, the new critically acclaimed Broadway musical Fela! will add Wednesday matinee performances to its weekly schedule and push back Sunday matinee times to 3pm. The new schedule, beginning Tuesday, January 5 will be as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm & 8pm, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 3pm (except Sunday, January 10 when curtain is 2pm).

The New York Times Profiles the FELA! Women
by Jessica Lewis - December 17, 2009


The New York Times this week profiles the women of FELA! - the nine unnamed, almost speechless figures that decorate the stage of the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, representing the 27 wives of the Nigerian Afrobeat musician and political activist.

Photo Flash: FELA! celebrates 'The Zombie' Pizza at A SLICE OF BROADWAY
by Jessica Lewis - December 16, 2009


Two Boots Pizza and MJS LIVE, Inc. have announced it's second show for A SLICE OF BROADWAY, a celebration of Broadway's finest at NY's Pizza Pioneers Two Boots Pizza. The 'tastiest pizza in Manhattan' (yelp.com) will honor the amazing cast of Fela! With a specialty pizza offered now until mid January at its Hell's Kitchen location. This afternoon, cast from the first selected show, Fela!, now playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theater and starring Sahr Ngaujah, Kevin Mambo, Lillias White, and Saycon Sengbloh attended Two Boots in their Theater District neighborhood. The cast posed for photographs and sampled The Zombie slice (named after one of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's most popular songs). The pizza slice included African-spiced chicken, criss-crossed with jalapeno pesto, and for the first time ever on a pizza - Yam pesto.

TDF's Stage Doors Program Takes 1,000 NYC High School Students To See FELA! 12/9
by BWW News Desk - December 9, 2009


It is Theatre Development Fund's belief that future audiences are built by engaging students, first-hand, in the vital and exciting activity of the creative process, as well as providing opportunities to see live performances of great theatre.

FELA! to Get Big Screen Treatment
by Jessica Lewis - December 8, 2009


Variety reports that Fela!,will get big screen treatment by Hunger director Steve McQueen. Like the musical, the film is based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as written in the book, Fela: The Life and Times of an African Musical Icon, by Michael Veal.

STAGE TUBE: FELA! Performs on The Colbert Report
by Robert Diamond - December 8, 2009


Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, performed on Comedy Central's 'The Colbert Report' on Monday, December 7 at 11:30pm EST.

FELA! to Appear on 'The Colbert Report' 12/7
by Gabrielle Sierra - December 7, 2009


Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will perform on Comedy Central's 'The Colbert Report' on Monday, December 7 at 11:30pm EST.

Rialto Chatter: FELA! Cancelled This Evening Due to Multiple Injuries
by Robert Diamond - December 6, 2009


BroadwayWorld.com has received a slew of emails tonight from theatergoers noting that tonight's scheduled 7pm performance of FELA! was cancelled due to multiple injuries. Audience members tell BroadwayWorld.com that they arrived at the theatre to be told that the show would begin late because they were doing onstage rehearsals of understudies to see if the show could go on, which ultimately it did not as the show was officially cancelled at 7:15, fifteen minutes after its scheduled start time. There's no word at this time on which performers from the dance-heavy show are injured. More information to come as it's available.

TDF's Stage Doors Program Takes 1,000 NYC High School Students To See FELA! 12/9
by Gabrielle Sierra - December 4, 2009


It is Theatre Development Fund's belief that future audiences are built by engaging students, first-hand, in the vital and exciting activity of the creative process, as well as providing opportunities to see live performances of great theatre.

TV Video: Broadway Beat's Sneak Peek of FELA's Opening Night!
by Craig Brockman - December 3, 2009


Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) on November 23, 2009. BroadwayWorld and Broadway Beat were on hand and bring you these explosive clips and interviews with the cast and creative!

Fela! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What productions of Fela! have there been?
Fela! has had 6 productions including Off-Broadway which opened in 2008, Off-Broadway which opened in 2008, Broadway which opened in 2009, West End which opened in 2010, US Tour which opened in 2011 and Broadway which opened in 2012.
What awards has Fela! been nominated for?
Fela! has been nominated for several awards. These include Outstanding Choreography at the Drama Desk Awards for Bill T. Jones, Outstanding Orchestrations at the Drama Desk Awards for Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, Performance at the Obie Awards for Sahr Ngaujah, Outstanding Choreographer at The Lortels for Bill T. Jones, Outstanding Costume Design at The Lortels for Marina Draghici, Outstanding Musical at The Lortels for Ruth and Stephen Hendel, Outstanding Musical at The Lortels for Roy Gabay, and Outstanding Musical at The Lortels for Roy Gabay.
What awards has Fela! won?
Fela! has won several awards, including Outstanding Choreography at the Drama Desk Awards for Bill T. Jones, Outstanding Orchestrations at the Drama Desk Awards for Aaron Johnson and Antibalas, Performance at the Obie Awards for Sahr Ngaujah, Outstanding Choreographer at The Lortels for Bill T. Jones, Outstanding Costume Design at The Lortels for Marina Draghici, and Outstanding Musical at The Lortels for Ruth and Stephen Hendel, as well as for Roy Gabay.

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