Fela: Boundless Energy

A fusion of musical, concert, biography, and dance, Fela represents a thoroughly original approach to musical theater and displays the possibilities for the future of the genre. Set in The Shrine, Fela's beloved nightclub in Nigeria, Fela and his supporting cast of women dancers, looked over by the imposing figure of his mother, present a story of their final concert there. Fela's innovative Afrobeat, politically-driven music is the primary focus of the show, and is interspersed by verbal accounts of the oppression and violence imposed upon them by British colonialists in the 1970s.

From the moment the show begins with introductory, live dance music, the energy of the production is immediately apparent and permeates through the audience. Colorful posters and projections of newspaper clippings from the period cover the walls, and rotating lights and disco balls complete the night-club vibe. Sahr Ngaujah, the sole carry-over from tbe Broadway production, is so convincing in his portrayal of Fela that it is easy to forget he is acting. He captivates the audience with his astounding singing and dancing (pulling off a persuasive fake-saxophone playing act as well), and enthusiastically invites the audience to get up, sing and dance with him. Rather than a static presentation that remains the same each time, this show is truly a collaborative experience between the performers and audience that changes with each new group of people, and the result is refreshing and invigorating.

However, for all of its celebration of this charismatic figure of Fela, the show shys away from showing his less appealing attributes, and tailors our perception to only what it wants us to see. Fela was an active polygamist, marrying 27 wives and living with all of them in his house. While there is certainly an argument to be made that by marrying them he saved them from being prostitues alone on the street, it is hard to believe that this was his only motive. Without undermining the undeniable suffering that was wrongly inflicted on Fela, I believe the play could have looked at the man from different angles to give us a more complete picture.

Overall, I thought the play was a resounding success in that it was bursting with energy, filled with dazzling but not overwhelming spectacle, and drew me into a culture that I was previously unfamiliar with.