Fela! 2009

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.

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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Fela!

A Hero's Welcome
7 / 10

There are two great things in it. One is Sahr Ngaujah, the man who, for most of the week, plays Fela. How did the producers find a performer who matched Fela in charm, wit, and insolence? They must have held a hundred auditions. In some respects, Ngaujah may actually be better than Fela. You can see a lot of Fela clips on YouTube. He is very charismatic, but Ngaujah seems more so, not to speak of the fact that he has all his teeth... The second glory of “Fela!” is the dancing, created by Bill T. Jones. It’s hard to make West African dance look bad—this is one of the great dance cultures of the world—but oh, how good Jones and the dancers, more than half of them American-born (the others are African or Caribbean), have made it look.

Fela!
9 / 10

Ngauhah -- onstage for nearly every minute of the 2 1/2-hour show -- displays endless reserves of charisma, sex appeal and musical talent, making his stage reincarnation of a genuine superstar, always a difficult task, more than credible. (Kevin Mambo plays the role at matinee performances.) This is a performance that will surely come into play come awards season. The show's raison d'etre is the music, ferociously performed by Antibalas, a Brooklyn-based band. While most of it will be new to all but African music enthusiasts, some of the tunes, such as the international hit 'Zombie,' will be familiar to clubgoers. Jones, here making his stage directorial debut, has provided a seamlessly fluid production. Not surprisingly, his choreography, including some amusing audience participation on the sexually tinged 'Originality/Yellow Fever,' is outstanding and beautifully performed by the hardworking, sexy ensemble.

BWW TV Closing Night Flashback: FELA!
by Robert Diamond - January 2, 2011

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!

Broadway Makes for a Merry Christmas for Shelter Children in NYC
by Gabrielle Sierra - December 22, 2010

For the past four years, the Broadway Kids Care (BKC) has provided the children of the Freedom House and Secret Garden with Christmas stockings filled with holiday gifts.

FELA! Enters Final Weeks, Ends 1/2/2011
by Gabrielle Sierra - December 16, 2010

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith present Fela!, the multi-Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about the music and life of the revolutionary musician and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, now playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) through January 2, 2011.

FELA! Joins With NABJ For TELLING OUR STORIES With Terry McMillan
by BWW News Desk - December 4, 2010

The award-winning Broadway musical Fela!, Harlem's Hue Man Bookstore and the Arts and Entertainment Task Force of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) have joined forces to bring a unique promotion to Broadway audiences.

FELA! Joins With NABJ For TELLING OUR STORIES With Terry McMillan
by Gabrielle Sierra - December 1, 2010

The award-winning Broadway musical Fela!, Harlem's Hue Man Bookstore and the Arts and Entertainment Task Force of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) have joined forces to bring a unique promotion to Broadway audiences.

FELA! Celebrated One Year On Broadway 11/23
by Gabrielle Sierra - November 22, 2010

Fela!, recipient of three 2010 Tony® Awards including Best Choreography, will celebrate its One Year Anniversary on Broadway on Tuesday, November 23 @ 7pm at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) where it opened a year ago to rapturous reviews.

Fela Kuti Book Author Sues Broadway Production
by Nicole Rosky - November 8, 2010

According to USA Today, Charles Moore, author of a book about Fela Kuti, has sued the producers of the Broadway musical Fela!. As presented to federal court in Manhattan today, Novemmber 8, Moore claims that producers of the show 'stole his work', and wants performances of the show to stop. Moore, who reportedly declined an offer of $4,000 in 2007 from the show's producers, is seeking at least $5 million.

FELA! Celebrates 400th Performance 11/8
by Gabrielle Sierra - November 8, 2010

Fela!, recipient of three 2010 Tony® Awards including Best Choreography, will celebrate its 400th performance on Tuesday, November 8 @ 7pm.

FELA! Gets West End Treatment, 11/6
by BWW News Desk - November 6, 2010

The National Theatre will be bringing Broadway's Fela! to London's Olivier Theatre for a November 6 premiere. The show will be joined by Michael Grandage's Danton's Death and new plays by Moira Buffini and Mike Bartlett. Also announced by the National, Desmond Barrit and Malcom Sinclair will be joining the cast of The Habit of the Art beginning July 14.

Cox, FELA!, Ripley et al. Present for Broadway South Africa Benefit, 10/4
by BWW News Desk - October 4, 2010

Pop icon Deborah Cox will headline a star-studded cast featuring performances and presentations by Sandra Thurman, former AIDS Czar under President Bill Clinton and current President and CEO of International AIDS Trust, the cast of FELA!, Dancing With The Stars finalist and N'SYNC star Lance Bass, Tony Award winners Alice Ripley, Chuck Cooper, and Melba Moore, and TV stars Graham Phillips (The Good Wife) and Ariana Grande (Nickelodeon's Victorious), for the third annual Broadway in South Africa (BSA) benefit concert. Nearly the entire show will feature world-premiere songs, created for the evening, by such composers as Grammy Award winners Desmond Child and Julie Gold. This year's honoree is producer Michael Butler. He is one of the most successful theatrical producers, lauded for bringing HAIR to Broadway in 1968, and an active proponent of youth creating positive global social change. The concert will take place on Monday, October 4, 2010, at 7:30 pm in the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom, located at 311 West 34th Street.

Photo Coverage: FELA! Receives Equity's ACCA Award
by Walter McBride - September 30, 2010

On Tuesday, September 28, FELA! received Actors' Equity Association's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) fourth annual ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, the only industry award of its kind, honors the distinctive talents and contributions made by the original chorus members of a Broadway musical. The award ceremony was held in the Council Room, at Equity's headquarters in the heart of Times Square on Tuesday. BroadwayWorld was on hand and brings you photo coverage below.

FELA! Receives Equity's ACCA Prize for Outstanding Chorus, 9/28
by BWW News Desk - September 28, 2010

FELA! will receive Actors' Equity Association's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) fourth annual ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, the only industry award of its kind, honors the distinctive talents and contributions made by the original chorus members of a Broadway musical. The award ceremony will be held in the Council Room, at Equity's headquarters in the heart of Times Square on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

Cox, FELA!, Ripley et al. Present for Broadway South Africa Benefit, 10/4
by Jessica Lewis - September 27, 2010

Pop icon Deborah Cox will headline a star-studded cast featuring performances and presentations by Sandra Thurman, former AIDS Czar under President Bill Clinton and current President and CEO of International AIDS Trust, the cast of FELA!, Dancing With The Stars finalist and N'SYNC star Lance Bass, Tony Award winners Alice Ripley, Chuck Cooper, and Melba Moore, and TV stars Graham Phillips (The Good Wife) and Ariana Grande (Nickelodeon's Victorious), for the third annual Broadway in South Africa (BSA) benefit concert. Nearly the entire show will feature world-premiere songs, created for the evening, by such composers as Grammy Award winners Desmond Child and Julie Gold. This year's honoree is producer Michael Butler. He is one of the most successful theatrical producers, lauded for bringing HAIR to Broadway in 1968, and an active proponent of youth creating positive global social change. The concert will take place on Monday, October 4, 2010, at 7:30 pm in the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom, located at 311 West 34th Street.

FELA! to Receive Equity's ACCA Prize for Outstanding Chorus, 9/28
by Jessica Lewis - September 21, 2010

FELA! will receive Actors' Equity Association's Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs (ACCA) fourth annual ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. The award, the only industry award of its kind, honors the distinctive talents and contributions made by the original chorus members of a Broadway musical. The award ceremony will be held in the Council Room, at Equity's headquarters in the heart of Times Square on Tuesday, September 28, 2010.

BWW TV: Patti LaBelle in FELA!
by Robert Diamond - September 16, 2010

Multi-Grammy Award-winner and international recording superstar Patti LaBelle opened in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Fela! last night, September 14. LaBelle will perform in Fela! through its scheduled closing on January 2, 2011.

Photo Coverage: Patti LaBelle Opens in FELA!
by Monica Simoes - September 15, 2010

Multi-Grammy Award-winner and international recording superstar Patti LaBelle opened in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Fela! last night, September 14. LaBelle will perform in Fela! through its scheduled closing on January 2, 2011. BroadwayWorld was on hand for LaBelle's opening night curtain call and after party and brings you photo coverage below!

Patti LaBelle Joins FELA! Sept. 14 for Limited Run
by BWW News Desk - September 14, 2010

As BroadwayWorld previously speculated, producers Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Ruth & Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay will welcome Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Patti LaBelle to the cast of the hit Award-winning Broadway musical Fela! on Tuesday, September 14, when she takes over the role of Fela's mother (Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti) through Sunday, January 2, 2011, when the show will play its final scheduled performance. Tony Award-winner Lillias White (who received a 2010 Tony Nomination for her performance in this production) will play her final performance on September 12. Fela! received three 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Choreography, Best Costume Design and Best Sound Design. It is currently playing at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) where it opened to rave reviews on November 23.

LaBelle Gives Sneak Peek Of Her Role In FELA! 9/8-9
by BWW News Desk - September 8, 2010

Audiences will have the opportunity to grab a sneak-peek of the legendary multi-platinum recording artist Patti LaBelle in the Award-winning Broadway musical Fela! on Wednesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 9, both at 8pm.

LaBelle To Give Sneak Peek Of Her Role In FELA! 9/8-9, Steps Into Her Role 9/19
by Gabrielle Sierra - September 1, 2010

Audiences will have the opportunity to grab a sneak-peek of the legendary multi-platinum recording artist Patti LaBelle in the Award-winning Broadway musical Fela! on Wednesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 9, both at 8pm.

STAGE TUBE: Bill T. Jones Choreographs FELA!'s 'Zombie' on SYTYCD
by Jessica Lewis - August 27, 2010

This week, on August 24, Fox's So You Think You Can Dance featured a special number of FELA!'s 'Zombie,' choreographed by Tony-winner Bill T. Jones. Click below to see the performance!

Patti LaBelle Joins FELA! Sept. 14 for Limited Run; Show to Close January 2
by Jessica Lewis - August 12, 2010

As BroadwayWorld previously speculated, producers Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Ruth & Stephen Hendel and Roy Gabay will welcome Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Patti LaBelle to the cast of the hit Award-winning Broadway musical Fela! on Tuesday, September 14, when she takes over the role of Fela's mother (Funmilayo Anikulapo-Kuti) through Sunday, January 2, 2011, when the show will play its final scheduled performance. Tony Award-winner Lillias White (who received a 2010 Tony Nomination for her performance in this production) will play her final performance on September 12. Fela! received three 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Choreography, Best Costume Design and Best Sound Design. It is currently playing at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) where it opened to rave reviews on November 23.

BWW TV: FELA! Plays Broadway in Bryant Park!
by Robert Diamond - August 6, 2010

The best of Broadway is being presented free on six consecutive Thursdays this summer with '106.7 Lite fm Presents Broadway in Bryant Park 2010' - a lunchtime series which began on Thursday, July 8th at 12:30pm on the Bryant Park Stage. Sponsored by Bank of America, and JCPenney 33rd & 6th, and hosted by Lite fm's on-air personalities, the tenth annual presentation of open-air, On- and Off- Broadway lunch hour performances runs through August 12th.

Fela! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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.
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.
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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