Fela in Ghana during the 1970s. His life and legacy is being portrayed on Broadway with a musical play. Fela joined the ancestors in 1997.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
By MONICA WILLIAMS
Wall Street Journal
After 'Fela!' ended its 14-month Broadway run on Sunday night, workers on Monday dismantle the set at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre
.After a 14-month Broadway run, "Fela!" could return to its origins.
Producers for the Tony-winning show, which closed to an enthusiastic audience Sunday at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre, are in talks for a two-year international tour that would stop in the Nigerian capital of Lagos and include the summer festival circuit in Europe. The musical, which explores the life of Afrobeat pioneer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, is set in 1970s Lagos, home of Mr. Kuti, the hottest musician in Africa at the time. He became an international music star in the 1980s, releasing nearly 70 albums before his death in 1997.
Nigeria has been touted by supporters and cast members as the penultimate stop for the production, but dollars, cents and venues are still in play.
"We have an understanding but not an agreement," said co-producer Edward Tyler Nahem. Conversations were held as late as Sunday with potential backers, whom Mr. Nahem declined to name.
The story of the Afro-pop star was celebrated for its choreography, its costume designs and its energetic dancing, but talk of a broader tour comes with reservations.
It isn't uncommon for a Broadway show to hit the European festival circuit, which Bill T. Jones, the director and choreographer of "Fela!," said the musical will do. But he also noted that the show would mark an unprecedented event for Africa, which rarely sees a production of this magnitude.
Already, "Fela!" will make history this month when London's National Theater production of it will be broadcast live at theaters worldwide, including at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The show also will be carried in January and February by theaters in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, Britain and at select American sites.
"Can you imagine? Africans seeing themselves in a Broadway production? And this production has a cast that is 80% African-American and has African-Americans as its producers," said Mr. Nahem.
But a show in Africa could have broader implications. The musical's lyrics are often critical of the Nigerian government, which Mr. Kuti often came up against during his politically charged career. In the 1970s, he built a nightclub and residence, which also served as a platform for criticism of the human-rights abuses perpetrated by Nigeria's military rulers.
In turn, the government burned down the club, the Shrine. The musician lived briefly in exile in Ghana before returning to Nigeria in 1978, where he formed his own political party and ran for president in two elections. He was jailed by the military government more than 200 times.
At Sunday's finale, Sandra Izsadore, who was married to Mr. Kuti and is prominently portrayed in and has supported the production, voiced concerns about political implications and growth. While Ms. Izsadore had no objections to the musical or the portrayal of herself, she said her late husband would not have approved.
"Fela was a man who was for the people and about the people," she said. "His music was meant for everyone. He wasn't about commercialism, or -isms of any kind."
Co-conceived and directed by Mr. Jones, "Fela!" lost millions of dollars during its Broadway run, but earned three Tonys as well as nominations for Best Musical and Best Actor. The show, which was co-produced by Jay-Z and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith drew a star-studded crowd to its shows, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington, Madonna, Usher and Bruce Springsteen. Celebrity attendees at Sunday's finale included opera singer Jessye Norman, former NBA star Julius Erving, singer D'Angelo, filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, supermodel Belinda Baidoo and Nobel-winning playwright Wole Soyinka, who is a cousin of Mr. Kuti.
Mr. Lee, who saw "Fela!" Sunday for the sixth time with his daughter, Satchel, was enthusiastic about an international run.
"Lagos would be huge," he said.
Write to Monica Williams at monica.williams@wsj.com
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