FELA! at Ahmanson Theatre

FELA!

Ahmanson Theatre
135 North Grand Ave Los Angeles

A star-studded, talented team brings the hit bio musical FELA! to the Ahmanson Theatre. Directed and choreographed by Tony winner Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening) and produced by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, FELA! brings a high-energy mix of dance, theatre and music to tell the true-life story of the legendary Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. Using Kuti's pioneering music -- a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies -- FELA! explores Kuti's controversial life as an artist, political activist and revolutionary musician.

Thru - Jan 22, 2012

Price: $65-$100

Show Type: Musical

Box Office: 213-628-2772

www.centertheatregroup.org

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FELA! Reviews

Average Rating based on 12 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Los Angeles Times - Recommended

"...But "Fela!" offers something that only the theater can provide - an immersion in Fela's music, an encounter with his charismatically frenetic concert presence and a confrontation with his political style. The trade-off, trust me, is worth it."

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- Charles McNulty

Variety - Recommended

"...Deftly employing a carnival atmosphere to convey the Nigerian people's centuries-long struggles, "Fela!" becomes both a gem of stagecraft and a poignant human rights statement."

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- Bob Verini

Backstage - Recommended

"...It's part biography, part spiritual revival, and part defiant political diatribe, but, more than anything, "Fela!" is probably the most unusual cabaret entertainment you'll ever encounter."

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- Les Spindle

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

"...Registering ten on the theatrical Richter Scale, Fela!is an earthquake of a musical about the life and wild times of the Nigerian singer/showman, Fela Kuti."

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- Willard Manus

LA Splash - Recommended

"...Opening nights are special, but this is a show that will capture the heart of every audience, at every performance."

- Chelsea Bernier

StageHappenings.com - Recommended

"...Now onstage at the AhmansonTheatre at the Music Center, the musical Fela! accomplishes something that many a road show cannot: fill the space with energy and excitement."

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- Leigh Kennicott

Examiner - Somewhat Recommended

"...It was like watching The Lion King on steroids."

- Cynthia Citron

Opening the Curtain - Recommended

"...Capturing the life of any icon is tough but Fela presents particular challenges. Just think of your typical theater subscriber confronting a dope smoking advocate of black power. But it's this juxtaposition of form and context that makes Fela! thrilling."

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- Anthony Byrnes

VC Star - Recommended

"...The entire cast beats with a pulse so vibrant that acting, dancing and song merge into an exuberant statement of conviction."

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- Rita Moran

Culture Vulture - Not Recommended

"...In the end "Fela!" is disappointing as a theater piece."

- Karen Weinstein

Total Theater - Recommended

"...Registering ten on the theatrical Richter Scale, Fela!is an earthquake of a musical about the life and wild times of the Nigerian singer/showman, Fela Kuti."

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- Willard Manus

Culture Spot LA - Recommended

"...What makes "Fela!" even more genius is that the creative team - which includes co-conceiver Stephen Hendel and Aaron Johnson and Jordan McLean who wrote additional music (Carlos Moore wrote the authorized biography Fela: This Bitch of a Life on which the musical is based.) - surrounds this larger narrative with entrancing African dance sequences and concert performances that keep the audience spellbound."

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- Jessica Koslow

FELA! at Ahmanson Theatre

FELA!

FELA! Reviews

Los Angeles Times - Recommended

Variety - Recommended

Backstage - Recommended

Stage and Cinema - Recommended

LA Splash - Recommended

StageHappenings.com - Recommended

Examiner - Somewhat Recommended

Opening the Curtain - Recommended

VC Star - Recommended

Culture Vulture - Not Recommended

Total Theater - Recommended

Culture Spot LA - Recommended

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