The National Theatre to Produce FELA!, Previews 11/6

It was announced today that in November 2010, The National Theatre, one of the world's most prestigious venues, will produce FELA!, this season's most heralded new musical on Broadway. Performances at The National's Olivier Theatre are slated to begin Saturday, November 6, with an official Opening Night set for Tuesday, November 16, 2010. FELA! will perform in repertory at the National with William Shakespeare's HAMLET for a limited run.

Directed and choreographed by Tony®Award-winner Bill T. Jones, FELA! will open in LonDon Starring Sahr Ngaujah, who originated the role and currently appears in the Broadway production. Kevin Mambo, who shares the role with Mr. Ngaujah in NYC, will also join the otherwise all-British cast for a limited run. The Broadway production will continue its open-ended run.

Producing a hit Broadway musical with its original star on the Olivier stage is unprecedented for The National. FELA! is considered for inclusion in The National's acclaimed NT Live series, a new initiative to capture productions on the National Theatre's stages live, in high definition, and broadcast via satellite to movie theater's around the world.

Also announced today: due to the extraordinary interest in FELA!, both nationally and internationally, the producers have enlisted Margaret Selby of Columbia Artist Management, to coordinate the bookings.

Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is currently enjoying a critically acclaimed run at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) starring, in addition to Mr. Ngaujah and Mr. Mambo, Lillias White and Saycon Sengbloh. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony® Award-winner Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening), with a book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones. Sahr Ngaujah and Kevin Mambo play the title character at alternate performances, while the world renowned Antibalas and other members of the NYC Afrobeat community, under the direction of AaRon Johnson, perform Kuti's rousing music live onstage. Fela! was conceived by Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis and Stephen Hendel.

Tickets for Fela! on Broadway are available through www.Telecharge.com, by calling (212) 239-6200 or in-person at The Eugene O'Neill Box Office. For more information about Fela! please visit www.FelaOnBroadway.com.

From March 16 - April 25, the schedule will be as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday - Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 3pm & 8pm.
From April 27, the schedule will be as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday - Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 2pm & 7:30pm. There is no performance on Sunday evening, June 13.

The Broadway production of Fela! is produced by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Ruth & Stephen Hendel, Roy Gabay, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Edward Tyler Nahem, Slava Smolokowski, Chip Meyrelles/Ken Greiner, Douglas G. Smith, Steve Semlitz/Cathy Glazer, Daryl Roth/True Love Productions, Susan Dietz/Mort Swinsky and Knitting Factory Entertainment. In association with Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson.