Though it helps to know about the background of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
it certainly won’t take away from the enjoyment of the show. Adesola
Osakalumi, playing the title role, is a dynamo of a performer who sings,
dances, acts and plays the saxaphone, doing all with such verve and
energy that everyone else on stage disappears though this is not a cast
that is lacking in any aspect of talent. This ensemble of 30 seems
almost inexhaustible and just when you think they can’t do another step,
beat another drum, sing another song, they are there flying around on
the stage as if it was the first number.
Originally directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, and overseen
by the tour director and choreographer Maija Garcia, the cast are put
through their steps and those steps embrace Fela’s introduction of
Afrobeat to the music world which included music from many countries
with the basic African drums. The music and lyrics are raw starting with
his defining the movements of clocks and time to sex. Fela showed the
world how to shake their booty and this cast certainly knows how to do
that along with a lot more.
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti used his music to express his rage against the
Nigerian government and, consequently, was jailed and beaten over 200
times and saw his mother thrown to her death from a window when their
house was raided. The story by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones is ‘inspired’
by the authorized biography “Fela: This Bitch of a Life” by Carlos
Moore. The story, though told in basic form, is a little difficult to
follow due to white on white captions projected on a screen on the back
wall and in some cases in type too small to read or accents distorting
the lyrics. This taste of Fela makes you want to know all about a man
you may not know or may think you know.
As already mentioned Adesola Osakalumi commands the stage from the
opening number to the last curtain call except for one number when he
rests his head on his mother’s lap. The mother, played by Melanie
Marshall, sings a song that evokes Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba and all
those that fought with their voices for the Rights of others. Marshall
takes charge of the stage, and the song, mesmerizing the audience to a
point that it seemed at one point not a person in the auditorium was
breathing until she let the last note out of her throat.
Everyone in the cast works hard to win you over and they do, from
their first ensemble number which takes you the The Shrine, operated by
Fela, where they will be giving their last performance. Don’t miss this
‘last’ performance.
Act 1: an hour and 5 minutes Intermission: 20 minutes Second Act: one hour
Strobe lights aimed directly at audience many times
Tour Dates: Cleveland, Ohio April 2-4, Buffalo, NY April 5-6 Los Angeles, Ca April 25-May 5
Coming next to the Arsht Center: “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” April 2-7, 2013