Fela! 2009 - Articles Page 1.8

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.

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!

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.

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.

Tickets to participating shows for a special Halloween KIDS' NIGHT ON BROADWAY (KidsNightonBroadway.com) are currently on sale.

Photographer Marilyn Nance is suing the musical FELA! for unauthorized use of one of her photographs, the New York Post reports.

The New York Times reports that Femi Kuti, son of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, saw FELA! while in New York on Sunday. Previously, Kuti would not see the production unless it was brought to Lagos, where his father originally built the nightclub. On Saturday, over a World Cup viewing with FELA! co-conceiver and producer Stephen Hendel, Kuti was promised the show will see a production in Lagos. Said Hendel: 'We're going to keep our word.'

The best of Broadway will be presented FREE on six consecutive Thursdays this summer with '106.7 Lite fm Presents Broadway in Bryant Park 2010' - a lunchtime series beginning on Thursday, July 8th at 12:30pm on the Bryant Park Stage.

Casting for the London production of FELA! has been announced, Grace Notes reports. As previously reported on BroadwayWorld, the production will star Sahr Ngaujah, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway production, as Nigerian composer and activist Fela Kuti. The production will also star Paulette Ivory and Melanie Marshall.

Fela!, recipient of three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Choreography, will celebrate its 250th performance on Wednesday, June 30 @ 8pm. Produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, this critically acclaimed show based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Kuti, began performances at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) on October 19 and opened to rave reviews on November 23.

The best of Broadway will be presented FREE on six consecutive Thursdays this summer with '106.7 Lite fm Presents Broadway in Bryant Park 2010' - a lunchtime series beginning on Thursday, July 8th at 12:30pm on the Bryant Park Stage.

According to contactmusic.com, FELA! has been asked by officials at the Nigerian Ministry of Culture to perform in Nigeria this October. A FELA! performance would be part of the celebration for the country's 50 years of independence.

If you missed the online broadcast of the pre-televised 2010 Tony Awards ceremony, honoring the best in Creative Arts on Broadway in the 2009-2010 season, here is your chance to watch the award presentations! Courtesy of TonyAwards.com, BroadwayWorld is bringing you the presentations to all of the 2010 Creative Arts Tony Award winners and honorary Tony Award recipients Alan Ayckbourn, Marian Seldes, David Hyde Pierce and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

If you missed the online broadcast of the pre-televised 2010 Tony Awards ceremony, honoring the best in Creative Arts on Broadway in the 2009-2010 season, here is your chance to watch the award presentations! Courtesy of TonyAwards.com, BroadwayWorld is bringing you the presentations to all of the 2010 Creative Arts Tony Award winners and honorary Tony Award recipients Alan Ayckbourn, Marian Seldes, David Hyde Pierce and the Eugene O'Neill Theatre.

Broadway Beat was backstage at the 2010 Tony Awards talking to ALL the winners right after they won! Here, host Richard Ridge talks to Bill T. Jones, recipient of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Choreography for FELA!

Fela was nominated for Best Musical at the 2010 Tony Awards. Although they didn't walk away this this honor, the show did win for Best Costume Design of a Musical, and Best Choreography.

Last night, June 13, the 64th Annual Tony Awards were held at Radio City Music Hall. Hosted by PROMISES, PROMISES star Sean Hayes and Broadcast on CBS, the evening honored movie stars (Catherine Zeta-Jones, Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Scarlett Johansson), industry vets (Katie Finneran, Michael Grandage), Broadway newcomers (Eddie Redmayne, David Bryan, Douglas Hodge) and more, including FELA!'s own director/choreographer, Bill T. Jones and costume designer Marina Draghici.