Tony-Nominated Afrobeat Musical Fela! Returns to Broadway

Broadway performances for Fela!, the return engagment of the Tony-nominated musical, begin July 9 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. Based on the life and music of iconic Nigerian composer and musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the production will play a four-week engagement through August 4.





Sahr Ngaujah, who garnered a Tony nomination for playing the title character during the show's original Broadway run, will again lead the cast. He is joined by Melanie Marshall and Paulette Ivory, the two female leads of the show's Olivier-nominated National Theatre of Great Britain production. Fela! tells the story of Kuti's life as an artist, political activist and revolutionary musician in Nigeria. In addition to forming a political party and running for president several times, Kuti created the enormously influential style of music known as “Afrobeat,” which blended jazz, funk and African rhythms and harmonies.







Fela! is conceived, choreographed and directed by Tony Award-winning Spring Awakening choreographer Bill T. Jones. The musical originally opened at Broadway's Eugene O’Neill Theatre on November 23, 2009. The musical was nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 2010. The original run ended on January 2, 2011.