HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, the world inside Tupac Shakur's music and lyrics, blazes to life in a non-biographical story about friendship, family, revenge, change and hope. Inner city lives struggle for peace against the daily challenges they face in this entertaining and original musical. Through the poetry of one of the 20th century's most influential and culturally prominent voices, we are given a window into realities of the streets still relevant today.
HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME, written by Todd Kreidler, directed by Kenny Leon, will begin performances on June 2nd, 2014 (1564 Broadway at 47th Street).
One would think, or at least sincerely hope, that 'Holler If Ya Hear Me,' the new musical incorporating songs and poems by the late rapper and hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur...would turn out to be an innovative, socially conscious work... So it's extremely disheartening to report that 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' is a total mess and misfire. Perhaps it needed more time for development...Rather than focus on Shakur's short and tumultuous life, which would have provided some structure, 'Holler If Ya Hear Me' integrates -- or at least attempts to integrate -- Tupac's songs into an aimless and confusing tale of gang violence in a generic urban landscape that is full of undeveloped characters. In other words, it's a really poor imitation of 'West Side Story.'
John Singleton can relax. Any danger of his long-in-development Tupac Shakurbiopic being beaten to the punch by Holler If Ya Hear Me is quickly dispelled by the deflating experience of this well-intentioned but toothless Broadway rap musical. The show is not a biographical drama but a story of friendship and family, gun violence, racism and redemption in an inner-city black neighborhood, inspired by Shakur's lyrics and poetry. However, therein lies the problem. The music is often powerful and the performers uniformly capable, but the songs are a poor fit for narrative presentation, at least in writer Todd Kreidler's cut-and-paste of cliched situations and stock characters.
2014 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
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