Producers Shawn 'JAY Z' Carter, Will & JadaPinkett Smith, Ruth & Stephen Hendel, Ahmir 'Questlove'Thompson and The National Theatre of Great Britain todayannounced the return of the critically acclaimed, award-winning productionof Fela!, currently on a multi-city world tour, for a limited runof 32 performances ONLY at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302West 45th Street) from July 9 - August 4. Get tickets here. Theworld renowned Antibalas and other members of the NYC Afrobeat community,under the direction of Aaron Johnson, again perform Kuti's rousing musiclive onstage. Recipient of three 2010 Tony Awards (Best Choreography, BestCostumes, Best Sound Design), Fela!, features the music and lyrics of FelaKuti as conceived by director and choreographer Bill T. Jones.
As Michelle Obama, Kanye West, Kofi Annan, Madonna, Prince, and many morecelebrities take to the theatre to profess their love of Fela Kuti's Afrobeatmessage, Knitting Factory Records continues to release rare recordings andspecial editions of Kuti's work, in addition to new albums by his sons SeunKuti, Femi Kuti, and his cousins the marvelous Lijadu Sisters. Over the past 2years, Knitting Factory Records has reissued the entire Fela Kuti cataloguedigitally and on CD, and has released one vinyl boxset, curated by ?uestlove ofThe Roots. This year, a second vinyl boxset will be released in addition to anumber of rare and live recordings. Knitting Factory Records is also in theprocess of reissuing monumental recordings by Kuti's cousins, The Lijadu Sisters,which have been unavailable for almost three decades. Fans can purchase thesereleases and more the Knitting Factory Records website.
FELA! is proud to announce a partnership with the Tupac Amaru ShakurFoundation. Founded in 1997, originally as the Shakur Family Foundation byAfeni Shakur, mother of Tupac. Since its inception TASF has offered performingarts camps, essay competitions, youth book clubs, visual arts workshops,community development projects, and scholarships to students pursuing undergraduatedegrees. Recently Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls compared Fela to Tupac,saying "For my generation, there hasn't been anyone since Tupac who spokeup with a real powerful, impactful message. And to me, Fela is the real pioneerof that." Upon attending a birthday party for President Obama, Joakimbrought him a group of Fela Kuti CD's to which Obama responded, "Now I'm45 years old, do you think I don't know who Fela is?"
Critics around the world have been effusive in their praisefor Fela!. Upon the show's original opening on Broadway in 2009, the kineticenergy pulsing from the music and dancing of Fela! prompted BenBrantley of The New York Times to say "There should be dancing in thestreets." The London critics were no less enthusiastic, with the EveningStandard honoring the production with four stars and proclaiming it "abold new direction for musical theater!" Back in the U.S., Peter Marks ofThe Washington Post described it as "electroshock therapy for the soul,"and Charles McNulty added in The Los Angeles Times that Fela! was"the most exuberant musical I've seen. The fusion of Fela's sound israpturously celebrated with a pinwheel parade of pelvises." Boston'sinfluential entertainment reporter, Joyce Kulhawik, demanded that her readerssee the show calling it "one of the most exhilarating and enlighteningevenings I've ever spent in a theater!" And, as the Don Aucoin exclaimedin the Boston Globe, "Don't miss the electrifying, explosive andsensational Fela!," making its triumphant return to Broadway for alimited 32-performances, as part of its current world tour, from July 9 -August 4.
Fela! returns to Broadway for 32 performances ONLY beginning Monday, July9 at 7pm and playing through August 4 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 West45h Street at 8th Avenue. Tickets can be purchased online at www.Telecharge.com,by phone (212) 239-6200 or in-person at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre,302 West 45th Street at 8th Avenue (beginning June 18).
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