Ken Greiner News

Michael Riedel reports in the New York Post this morning that songbird Patti LaBelle will be joining the Broadway cast of FELA! in September as Fela's mother. She will be filling in for Lillias White, who has concert obligations in Australia that month.

The New York Times reports that Femi Kuti, son of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, saw FELA! while in New York on Sunday. Previously, Kuti would not see the production unless it was brought to Lagos, where his father originally built the nightclub. On Saturday, over a World Cup viewing with FELA! co-conceiver and producer Stephen Hendel, Kuti was promised the show will see a production in Lagos. Said Hendel: 'We're going to keep our word.'

Casting for the London production of FELA! has been announced, Grace Notes reports. As previously reported on BroadwayWorld, the production will star Sahr Ngaujah, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in the Broadway production, as Nigerian composer and activist Fela Kuti. The production will also star Paulette Ivory and Melanie Marshall.

Fela!, recipient of three 2010 Tony Awards including Best Choreography, will celebrate its 250th performance on Wednesday, June 30 @ 8pm. Produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, this critically acclaimed show based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Kuti, began performances at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre (230 West 49th Street) on October 19 and opened to rave reviews on November 23.

The American Theatre Wing's 64th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were held at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 13, 2010 and broadcast on the CBS Television Network. For more information visit tonyawards.com.

Audiences around the world will be able to experience FELA!, the new hit Broadway musical about the life and music of legendary Nigerian performer and political activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, when it is broadcast in January 2011 on movie screens around the globe as part of NT Live, the initiative by London's National Theatre to broadcast live performances of plays to a world audience.

Olivier Award nominee Tony Sheldon and Tony Award® nominee Will Swenson (Hair) will lead the cast of the pre-Broadway North American company of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL, written by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott and directed by Simon Phillips.

The Village Voice announced today that the hit Broadway musical FELA! will perform at the 55th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards on Monday, May 17, 2010, at Webster Hall. FELA!-which is produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, among others-is a musical based on the life and music of the iconic African composer and performer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

With 11 Tony ® Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Director of a Musical & Best Choreography for Bill T. Jones, the producers of Fela! have announced plans for a groundbreaking domestic and international tour of the critically acclaimed production launching in the fall of 2011. Lead producer Stephen Hendel has enlisted CAMI Spectrum's Margaret Selby in association with CAMI Theatricals' Gary McAvay to book the tour in the following US cities: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Tempe, and Washington. International engagements in Amsterdam, Melbourne, Paris, Rotterdam, Sydney and Toronto will also be scheduled.

Nominations for the American Theatre Wing's 64th Annual Antoinette Perry 'Tony' Awards were announced May 4, 2010 by Broadway Star Lea Michele and Tony Award Nominee Jeff Daniels.

The Village Voice announced today that the hit Broadway musical FELA! will perform at the 55th Annual Village Voice OBIE Awards on Monday, May 17, 2010, at Webster Hall. FELA!-which is produced by Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, among others-is a musical based on the life and music of the iconic African composer and performer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.

Fela!, the critically acclaimed new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, 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.

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.

John Kander, the renowned, Tony Award-winning composer of such beloved musicals as CHICAGO, CABARET, KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN and many others, will be honored by Vineyard Theatre at the company's annual Gala on Monday, March 8th beginning at 6 PM at the Hudson Theater in Manhattan, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre. David Hyde Pierce - Tony Award-winner for his appearance in the musical CURTAINS by John Kander and his collaborator, the late Fred Ebb - will host.

Fela!, the critically acclaimed new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will celebrate its 100th performance on Friday, February 19 @ 8pm.

Chita Rivera, Debra Monk and Karen Ziemba - three beloved actresses well-known for their work in Kander and Ebb musicals - will be joined by other stars, including Heidi Blickenstaff ([title of show], LITTLE MERMAID) and host David Hyde Pierce (Tony Award-winner star of Kander and Ebb's CURTAINS) to pay tribute to John Kander and the works of Mr. Kander and his late collaborator Fred Ebb when the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Vineyard Theatre honors John Kander at its annual Vineyard Theatre Gala on Monday, March 8 at the Hudson Theater (145 West 44 Street) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre.

Fela!, the new musical based on the life and music of groundbreaking African composer, performer and activist Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, will perform on NBC's 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' on Tonight at 12:35am EST.

Sting and Alicia Keys were amongst other well-known music and entertainment personalities to visit the Broadway sensation Fela! during its first week run, and the praise for this dazzling production was unanimous.

Producers Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith announced today that beginning January 6, the new critically acclaimed Broadway musical Fela! will add Wednesday matinee performances to its weekly schedule and push back Sunday matinee times to 3pm. The new schedule, beginning Tuesday, January 5 will be as follows: Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday at 2pm & 8pm, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm and Sunday at 3pm (except Sunday, January 10 when curtain is 2pm).

John Kander -- the renowned, Tony Award-winning composer of such beloved musicals as CHICAGO, CABARET, KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN and many others -- will be honored by Vineyard Theatre at the company's annual Gala on Monday, March 8th beginning at 6 PM at the Hudson Theater (145 West 44th Street) in Manhattan, it has been announced by Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director of Vineyard Theatre.