International R&B recording super star is currently in the national touring production of the Broadway smash “Fela” that will be stopping a PlayhouseSquare on April 2-4 for three performances only
Winner of three Tony Awards in 2010 including best Choreography
It has been announced by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and Ruth and Stephen Hendel that Grammy Award winning recording artist Michelle Williams will be playing the role of Sandra Isadore (activist and love interest of Fela Kuti) in the National tour of the award winning Broadway musical “Fela”.
The production will be coming to Cleveland for three performances at PlayhouseSquare’s Palace Theatre on April 2-4, 2013. Tickets are on sale now.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the cast of Fela!,” said Michelle Williams. “This musical journey is one that I’ve wanted to be a part of since first seeing it on stage in 2008. The sounds, the passion and the overall message of Fela Kuti have long intrigued me and speak to my heart. I am simply honored.”
The musical is an exciting fusion of dance, theatre and music that explores the extravagant world of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti (played by Broadway veteran Adesola Osakalumi) with Melanie Marshall as his pioneering mother and Michelle Williams as his love interest. Duain Richmond will play the title role at certain performances.
This inspirational tale of courage, love and passion comes right from the headlines as Kuti went to create Afrobeat (a electic blend of jazz, funk and African rhythms) as a protest against the corrupt and oppressive military dictatorships that ruled much of Africa and in particular, his home country of Nigeria. The show features many of Fela Kuti’s songs combined with Bill T. Jones’s staging reveals Kuti’s controversial life as an artist/political activist while celebrating the steps me made in creating a new brand of world music dedicated to the renewal of human dignity.
"More than a musical, an ecstatic phenomenon" (David Cote, Time Out New York), Fela! "Is a spectacularly inspiring hybrid: theater, music, dance, biography, history lesson, political rally and religious experience. Sublime!" (Joyce Kulhawik, JoycesChoices-Boston , MA ).
Fela! is directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones, with a book by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones, it was conceived by Bill T. Jones, Jim Lewis and Stephen Hendel.
Fela! will have three performances only, April 2-4, 2013 in PlayhouseSquare’s Palace Theatre. Tickets for Fela! range in price from $10-$70 each and can be purchased in person at the PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office, or by calling (216) 241-6000, or online at PlayhouseSquare.org. Special discounts are offered for groups of 15 or more. Please call the Group Sales Department at (216) 664-6050 x1 for more information.
Performance Schedule
Tuesday, April 2
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 3
7:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 4
7:30 p.m.
This performance engagement is a part of the Smart Seats program at PlayhouseSquare that offers smart entertainment at a smart price. For more information on Smart Seats, visit playhousesquare.org/smartseats.
PlayhouseSquare encourages all guests to “Plan Your Visit” ahead of time by visiting playhousesquare.org and clicking the “Plan Your Visit” tab where directions, parking information, dining options, lodging, ticketing policies and other helpful information designed to enhance guest experiences at PlayhouseSquare exist. Whether their visit is the first or one hundred and first, PlayhouseSquare is committed to making guest experiences both as memorable and hassle free as possible.
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