Adesola Osakalumi as Fela Kuti (Photo by Cory Schwartz/Getty Images)

Over two years ago, I said “FELA! is the greatest stage production I have ever experienced.” Some things never change.

When the bio-musical on the life of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti closed on January 2, 2011, Broadway lost some soul. Thankfully, FELA! is back on the Great White Way for 32 performances at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (302 West 45th Street) in New York City.  If there is anything you do between now and August 4 (two days after the 15th anniversary of Fela Kuti’s death), go experience the three-time Tony Award-winning musical.

Spearheaded by the legendary Bill T. Jones, who is a Kennedy Centers honoree, FELA! takes us to the Shrine Auditorium in Lagos, Nigeria, for what might be Fela’s final performance. We see his incredible journey as a struggling musician to an artist who would eventually “set the world on fire.”  FELA! is not just a musical, it’s a celebration of life, passion and revolution.

For those who don’t know, Fela Kuti was to Nigeria what Bob Marley was to Jamaica. The singer-songwriter became famous for edgy, political songs like “Zombie,” “Everything Scatter” and “Black President.” Through art, he challenged a corrupt government and would suffer the consequences: Attacks on his compound and the murder of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. Fela Kuti passed away of complications from HIV/AIDS on August 2, 1997; he was 58.

In previous productions, Kevin Mambo and Sahr Ngaujah spit fire into one of the most socially relevant artists of the 20th century. For Thursday’s opening night performance, Ngaujah introduced FELA! back to Broadway, which included a special treat of a 60-year-old Bill T. Jones gracing the stage for an impromptu dance, bringing the crowd to a frenzy.

A newcomer to playing Fela Kuti on Broadway is Adesola Osakalumi, who was once part of the ensemble cast. While I didn’t think it was humanly possible, Osakalumi was just as impactful and riveting as the other two leads. Fela is a grueling character to play for 2 hours and 40 minutes: high-energy monologues, big notes and serious emotional depth. The actor must add his own special sauce and gusto, which is what Osakalumi accomplished with a reverberating stage presence and a consistently haunting look in his eyes.

I saw Osakalumi with a tough crowd on Saturday afternoon, but the Bronx native blessed every molecule of the stage, insisting the audience get to their feet — he earned a well-deserved standing ovation. Most important, there were no residuals of Mambo and Ngaujah’s performances, Osakalumi made FELA! his own. Other newcomers were Melanie Marshall as Fela’s revolutionary mother and Paulette Ivory as Fela’s educated and passionate Black American girlfriend, Sandra. Both were simply phenomenal.

Written by Jim Lewis and Bill T. Jones, FELA! shines at every angle: set design and costumes (Marina Draghici), music, and vibrant choreography. African dance is free-spirited and improvisational. When choreographed, the movements can easily look stiff and unnatural — but the superb Bill T. Jones gave cohesiveness and structure to African dance without losing its organic appeal. The gifted dancers gracefully manipulated their body into a praise-filled, sexy, Afro-beat frenzy, channeling the ancestors — I was waiting for it to thunder and lightening in the Al Hirschfeld Theatre!

A spectacular moment was “Originality/Yellow Fever,” which allowed the dancers to shine as Fela played the saxophone. Notables: Nicole Chantal de Weever, who gave new meaning to “I whip my hair back and forth!” and So You Think Can Dance’s Adé Chiké Torbert and Thierry Picaut, whose pelvic thrusts almost gave the first row a heart attack!

Side note: There must be a booty requirement to be part of the FELA! cast, while people of color are known to be blessed with extra backside, never have I seen so much booty-booty-booty.  The cast of FELA! made J.Lo and Beyoncé look like booty amateurs!

It was my  fourth time being transported to the Shrine Auditorium and it was equally as magnificent. If you will be in the New York City area this summer, make sure you see FELA! on Broadway, which runs until August 4 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

(Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

Film or stage, stories about race are always risky. Look at the heat The Help and Viola Davis received for telling the story of domestic servants. Halle Berry is still criticized for her edgy role in Monster’s Ball, which won her an Oscar in 2002. In 2010, The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway was protested and closed shortly after opening.  There are some topics that American audiences are not interested in re-visiting, Black or white.  Therefore, the production that takes the plunge to delve into a horrific time in American history better make sure it’s near perfection.  Thankfully, the four-time Tony nominated Clybourne Park gets it right.

The play is a unique spin-off of Lorraine Hansberry’s legendary 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun.  The first half is set at the same Chicago house into which the family from Hansberry’s play would later move.  Conflicts arise when the neighborhood discovers the Black family is moving in. The white family who is moving out is encouraged to stop their neighborhood from being integrated — their Black maid and her husband witness the drama.  The second half is set in 2009 in the same neighborhood, which suffered an economic downfall and is now going through gentrification.

Superbly written by Bruce Norris, Clybourne Park humanly grapples with race and class.  These topics are nothing new, but the conflicts spark fresh, thought-provoking dialogue, once again showing we are not post-racism and there are still residuals of our past that may always remain. In addition, there is a delicate line of entertainment and offensiveness that Clybourne Park masters.  The play goes to the edge, but never falls.

Directed by Obie Award winner Pam Mackinnon, the play presents how racism functions for each person.  Not everyone is an N-word spitting racist.  Not all the white characters are demonized and the Black characters aren’t a woe-as-me tragedy.  The journey is layered and emotive.

The cast, which includes two Black characters (Crystal A. Dickinson and Damon Gupton — remember their names!) and five white characters, are wildly talented, easily making you feel as if you are sitting in someone’s living room versus the Walter Kerr Theatre.  Clybourne Park is a Broadway home-run.

For more information, please visit:  www.clybournepark.com.

(Photo: The Hartman Group via Getty Images)

Morphing hit films into musical theater is the latest rage on Broadway.  The most recent movie getting the Broadway remix is Ghost the Musical.  In case you don’t know, Ghost is the famous 1990 film staring the late Patrick Swayze as Sam, who is shot and killed but refuses to transition to the other-side in order to solve his murder.  His grief-stricken girlfriend, Molly, was played by Demi Moore.  The woman who connectz Molly and Sam, Oda Mae Brown, was portrayed by Whoopi Goldberg, a role which won her an Academy Award.

Ghost the Musical stays true to the original story even down to the film’s signature song, which was “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers.  Directed by Matthew Warchus with music and lyrics by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard (who famously co-produced Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad albums), the original songs aren’t standard musical theater.  There is a rock, pop or soul element in each number.  Richard Fleeshman, who plays Sam, has a voice made for rock radio, Caissie Levy as Molly delivers the pop vocals with a mix of musical theater and Da’Vine Joy Randolph is stone-cold soul.  Their three voices as the leads help make Ghost the Musical stand out from standard musical theater.

That said, Ghost does have its bumps in the reincarnation on the Great White Way.  Molly and Sam’s connection isn’t as impactful as it was on film, which is no fault of the leads, who clearly give their best.  Unfortunately, the legendary film haunts Ghost the Musical, a tearjerker of a movie that is nearly impossible to equate in musical theater — inevitably, the two will be compared. 

Ghost in 1990 was known for its fascinating yet subtle special effects.  The musical relies on lofty light projections and video montages (projections by Jon Driscoll and design by Rob Howell) that at times feel like Matrix the Musical, which might be a good sign if the production is appealing to a younger audience.  Visually, the show is eye-popping and is never a bore, but the elaborate sets weren’t matched with an emotionally satisfying storyline.

But let’s be clear, similar to the movie: Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Oda Mae Brown steals the show.  She was the comic relief, the big notes and made the crowd jump to their feet at the curtain call.  Da’Vine Joy Randolph, a Philly soul girl, has a heavy task.  The brilliance of Whoopi Goldberg was so powerful that her dialogue is retained nearly verbatim.  Therefore, Randolph has to avoid the criticism that she is simply copying Whoopi.  Fearlessly, Randolph soars in the music, like the gospel-inspired “Are You a Believer?” and the disco-infused “I’m Outta Here,” allowing her to make Oda Mae Brown her own.  The crowd pleaser of the night?  “Molly… you in danger, girl!”  I am hoping Ghost the Musical will get a spin-off: Oda Mae Brown the Musical: Molly, You in Danger, Girl!

Ghost the Musical is currently playing at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.

(Photo: Fernando Leon/Getty Images)

A multiracial production of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire opened on Broadway at the legendary Broadhurst Theatre on Sunday night.  Starring Blair Underwood in the iconic role of Stanley, which was made famous by Marlon Brando, Streetcar is directed by Emily Mann, who was behind Cat on a Hit Tin Roof on Broadway. In an interview with BET.com, Mann, who knew Mr. Williams, explained it was a dream of the legendary playwright to see a multiracial version of his work. Williams would certainly be proud of the remix given to his Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Along with Underwood as Stanley, there is the consistently fabulous Daphne Rubin-Vega as Stella. Stella is devoted to her husband, Stanley, but struggling with the conflict he has with her sister, Blanche DuBois — passionately delivered by Nicole Ari Parker. Wood Harris of The Wire is DuBois’s love interest, who shows his range as an actor. The polished cast breathed fresh life into Williams’s characters, smoothly relying on the cultural bearings of the African-American experience, but never resorting to stereotypes.

The entire cast had their shining moments, but it was Nicole Ari Parker who gave the most intense performance of her career. Blanche DuBois is no easy task and Boris Kodjoe’s significant other ripped fire into DuBois. Furthermore, Parker, who has an acting degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, is making her Broadway debut with Streetcar — her portrayal of Blanche looks like the work of a Broadway veteran. As I was leaving the theater, the main commentary was: “Nicole Ari Parker deserves a Tony nomination!”

A Streetcar Named Desire is another example of the needed diversity on Broadway. It can be an arduous journey to get people of color on the Broadway stage, and even when we see ourselves on the Great White Way, the production is often scrutinized with a microscope. Thankfully, Streetcar can handle the scrutiny.  From the superb direction of Emily Mann to the beautiful music from Terence Blanchard, if you are a fan of sophisticated, intellectual theater — with a strong helping of comic relief — you will not be disappointed.

A Streetcar Named Desire is currently playing at the Broadhurst Theatre.

(Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Porgy and Bess debuted on Broadway in 1935. Some of the greatest songs to ever be recorded came from the once four-hour opera: “Summertime,” “I Loves You, Porgy” and “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York.” Based on the novel by DuBose Heyward, Porgy and Bess is considered one of the greats of American theater. 

The story: Bess is a wanton woman struggling with dope and a bad relationship; Porgy is a crippled, lonely man. The unlikely duo fall in love, but not without the drama that surrounds their home, the fictional Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, which includes Bess’ abusive ex-lover, a hurricane, drug addiction, gambling and judgment from the God-loving church folk.

The 2012 revival is less of an opera and more of a musical, starring the impeccable soprano Audra McDonald as Bess and the ferocious Norm Lewis as Porgy. The cast is rounded out with Broadway favs like Joshua Henry from the Scottsboro Boys. Plus, two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier as the comical Sportin’ Life.  In the ensemble, no one is miscast and with each note and movement, it’s clear the actors gave every molecule of their body for a musical that has already gotten the side-eye from African-American critics.

Shaved down from four hours to two and half hours, much of Porgy and Bess remains true to the original. Yes, there is updating, like dialogue, and it is not as operatic, but the heart of the story remains the same. That said, the storyline is what some critics are debating, which has been part of the Porgy and Bess dialogue from the beginning.

In 1935, Porgy and Bess caused controversy — Duke Ellington slammed the production and original cast members expressed concerns. In the 1960s, Harry Belafonte turned down playing the lead, feeling that it was offensive.  Actress Grace Bumbry, who appeared in the 1985 Metropolitan Opera production as Bess, said the role was beneath her and “we had come far too far to have to retrogress to 1935.” In 2012, does Bumbry’s statement ring true?  I would argue—no.

There is not a single flaw in the acting, set design (wonderfully executed by Riccardo Hernandez) or direction from Diane Paulus. On the content: 1935 was an atrocious time for African-Americans, especially for whites to tell the stories of Blacks—a known theme in African-American art then and, to some degree, now.  There is an undeniable gore of racism that is unconsciously and consciously woven into Porgy and Bess, which was recognized 77 years ago and it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge it today.  On the other hand, Black art cannot be judged on the scale of “representation.”  White Broadway productions are never chopped up for making whites look bad or good.  McDonald, Lewis, Grier—they are artists and should be allowed to create.  Porgy and Bess is a glowing tribute to a phenomenal stage production that transcends time and race: polished, respectful and packed with the creme de la creme of Broadway talent.

Similar to Viola Davis in The Help, Audra McDonald humanized a stereotypical character, fleshing out her wounds and elevating the production as high as it could go. No one else but Norm Lewis could have embodied the troubled-but-powerful Porgy. But, again, similar to The Help, many African-American performers carry the burden of representing Blackness.  Porgy and Bess cannot carry that burden, but it can handle the importance of telling an entertaining and thought-provoking story.

When Porgy and Bess debuted 77 years ago, I would’ve had to sit in the back of theater. I am sure the original company of Porgy and Bess would’ve never thought the production would be revived nearly eight decades later in a time of President Barack Obama, segregation being a thing of the past, and more than one Black show appearing on Broadway at a time.  I salute the hesitation the revival of Porgy and Bess.  As Nina Simone sang and Bob Dylan wrote, “The times they are a changin’…”

Porgy and Bess plays on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, 226 W. 46th St.

To tackle the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Broadway you need serious acting chops, a stellar script and a fresh angle to tell a tragic but inspiring story. Written by Katori Hall, The Mountaintop is a huge risk, but one that pays off during an exciting and diverse time on Broadway. The Great White Way has gotten some color in 2011.

The Mountaintop opens tonight on Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Directed by Kenny Leon (Fences, Raisin in the Sun) and starring Oscar nominees Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, Mountaintop is a fictionalized account of the night before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Birmingham, Alabama. Taking place in a room at the Lorraine Motel, King is forced to face his epic past and inevitable destiny.

Any show that focuses on Dr. King is a challenge — one would think every angle has been squeezed dry out of the civil rights icon. Is there a new way any of us can see Dr. King? Well, Hall and Leon proved there is. Instead of witnessing Saint King, the audience gets to know King as the man: cussing, smoking, drinking and having a sense of humor. Edgy without being disrespectful and as if it was humanly possible, the production offers a deeper appreciation for Dr. King.

A 62-year-old Samuel L. Jackson has the lofty task of embodying a 39-year-old Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. With smart theatrical choices, he gave Dr. King a vulnerable layer of humanity. In addition, gone is the loud and brassy Samuel L. Jackson that we’ve seen in films.  In The Mountaintop he is restrained, using subtlety as his strength.

The only other character is Angela Bassett as Camay, a maid at the Lorraine Motel. As we all know, this is a role Bassett took over after Halle Berry dropped out. Bassett attacked this role with fire. Gone is the poised, regal, upstanding roles we’ve all grown to love in her films. Here, she is sassy, country, hollering and with a shocking secret. In addition, Bassett’s final monologue is one to remember. She built the audience up to an emotional arc, garnering cheers from a clearly riveted crowd.

The second half takes a questionable turn and will leave many to debate hours after leaving the theater, which is what the live stage should do — spark dialogue. Moreover, the beauty of The Mountaintop is not limited to the stage.  It was an honor to be in the presence of two great figures in Hollywood who are uniquely continuing the legacy of the great Dr. King.

Undoubtedly, some will be offended by a ballsy portrayal of King and the writer’s use of religion. If you are deeply conservative and seeking an all-American apple pie show, Mountaintop is not the production for you.  However, if you are a lover of creativity and don’t mind having some buttons pushed, you might just reach the theatrical mountaintop.

The Mountaintop opens tonight at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in New York City.

The legendary Chris Rock is making his Broadway debut in The Motherf**ker With the Hat, which opens Monday, April 11, at the Schoenfeld Theatre. The dark comedy is written by Stephen Adly Guirgis and tells a wild yet sophisticated story of addiction. Directed by Tony-winner Anna D. Shapiro, the play focuses on Jackie (Bobby Cannavale), an ex-con who is trying to stay drug-free. He’s been in a tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend (Elizabeth Rodriguez) since the eighth grade. Jackie insists she is cheating after he finds a hat in her apartment that doesn’t belong to him. He becomes obsessed with “the motherf**ker with the hat.”

Chris Rock has a supporting role as Jackie’s sponsor and sketchy friend. Annabella Sciorra, who is best known for playing opposite Wesley Snipes in Jungle Fever, makes her Broadway debut as Rock’s wife.

While Chris Rock is the headliner on the playbill, this isn’t a play about Rock. The witty and verbally raunchy production focuses on Jackie and his girlfriend, played well by Cannavale and Rodriguez. The smart dialogue is heavy at times, but these two add enough soul that their characters bounce off the stage. Flawless comedic timing mixes with emotional sensibility to bring out memorable performances. Cannavale and Rodriguez gave it all they got. Yes, Rock is the draw, but once you are in your seat, the overall jourmey is worth the ride.

Considering there is profanity in the title, the audience gets tons of it in each scene, but it’s never gratuitous—these are characters struggling with addiction, so they go with their first emotion.

It’s no secret that Chris Rock hasn’t received the most favorable of reviews when it comes to acting.  However, this is a man who knows the stage and grew up coaxing the toughest of crowds as a stand-up comedian in New York City. That said, Rock’s performance shines better than any film role.  He seems more at home, and the Brooklyn native shows he has some acting chops. As he recently said to David Letterman, Broadway is “real acting.”

The Motherf**ker With the Hat exceeds expectations. It’s a theatrical experience that is refreshing next to the typical, over-the-top glam of Broadway.

After being on the Broadway stage for just a little over a month, the  musical The Scottsboro Boys will be closing on December 12th. The Scottsboro Boys told the true, horrific story of nine Black teenagers who were wrongfully accused of raping two White women in 1930s Alabama.

Set as a minstrel show, the production caused controversy, mainly due to the cast appearing in blackface, which was only for a few moments. Some protested, picketing outside of the venue. However, many criticized the protesters by saying they had not seen the show.

Nonetheless, even with praise from Julian Bond and Whoopi Goldberg, the last  Scottsboro Boys performance will be December 12th. Bloomberg.com reports the show will close at a $5 million loss. Regardless of protesters, the show is closing mainly because of low ticket sales.  Rumor has it, Lee Daniels might be interested in making The Scottsboro Boys into a film.

I reviewed the production earlier last month. It was jarring to see blackface and I was unsure if minstrelsy was an appropriate way to tell one of the most grisly moments in American history.  Nonetheless, this was a good show with excellent performers. It is still worth it to check out.

Click here to purchase tickets for the final week.

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People of color are making a much needed resurgence on Broadway. In The Heights, Fela! and August Wilson’s Fences are all critically acclaimed, Tony Award-winning productions. Now, The Scottsboro Boys, which opened last night at the Lyceum Theater in New York City, further proves that the stage is meant for diverse stories.

The Scottsboro Boys musical tackles a horrific time in American history. In short, the Scottsboro Boys were nine Black teenagers who were wrongfully accused of raping two White women in 1930s Scottsboro, Alabama. In the end, through several trials, only a few of the Scottsboro Boys were released and most of their lives ended in tragedy.

As an African-American Studies major in college, I am extremely familiar with the Scottsboro Boys and was curious to see how the show would function as a musical. Written by a White theater team, the production is set as a minstrel show, another subject with which I am all too familiar. Sadly, minstrel shows were some of the earliest forms of American theater, featuring Whites and Blacks performing in blackface with storylines that were based on outlandish stereotypes.

The Scottsboro Boys story told through a minstrel show? Some will be uncomfortable with the adaptation of such a painful chapter in history performed via a medium as racist as minstrelsy, especially considering the creators of the production are all White. The musical is written by David Thompson, music and lyrics are by Kander & Ebb (the forces behind Cabaret and Chicago), and directed by Susan Stroman. The question –  is it appropriate for Whites to make a Broadway musical set in a racist old-school theater tradition? In one of the last scenes, several of the cast members appear in blackface, something I have never seen in person. The Latina next to me gasped, “Oh, my God,” as the men danced in the creppy horror of archaic blackface, white lips and top hats. I have yet to decide if the blackface was necessary; yes, The Scottsboro Boys is in vaudeville style, but it’s also 2010.

Hearing the word “darkies;” dialogue in which White characters say they are a “pale, prim, rose,” dancing around electric chairs; and musical numbers that playfully sing of lynchings (complete with a silhouette of a lynching) was jarring. Is the terrorism of Jim Crow a source of comedy? Sure, this is satire and the intention is to make the audience uncomfortable, but all too often, the tone of the musical depicted Jim Crow too jovial. Could The Scottsboro Boys have been more effective as a dramatic play similar to Fences?

The audience will have to decide if minstrelsy is an appropriate way to tell one of the most grisly moments in American history. As a person of color whose grandfather was raised in the Jim Crow South, my emotions were mixed with the evocations of Amos ‘n’ Andy. At times, I felt like I was in a scene from Spike Lee’s Bamboozled.

Outside of the theater, I met Julian Bond, the former chair of the NAACP. I asked what he thought and he explained that his Black friends who saw it disliked it and his White friends loved it. But, Bond stressed he loved it and was not offended. Well, if Mr. Julian Bond gave the stamp of approval, then something was done right.

Politics aside, The Scottsboro Boys is a polished, soulful, unique and powerful stage show. This is a production that is solely about the performances.  While it’s a challenge for nine performers to get a moment to shine, Joshua Henry, who bears a striking resemblance to Derek Luke, was the lead as the rebellious Haywood Patterson, angry at the system for wrongfully jailing him. His solos were commanding, channeling the likes of Paul Robeson with his robust voice and commanding presence.

Many of the actors played multiple roles. Christian Dante White (who was also in The Wiz) was one of the Scottsboro Boys and also delivered a hilarious characterization of Victoria Price, the woman who accused the boys of rape. White easily bounced between characters, belting out songs with a massive range. His performance alone was Tony Award-worthy. Two-time Tony Award winner John Cullom effectively plays the interlocutor.

But, if you want to talk about performing, Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon morphed into more characters than I can count. They were both magnificent in voice, dance and jaw-dropping acting. Their performances eased the uncomfortable racial horrors of the Scottsboro Boys story. They possessed the sensitivity required to properly show the journey of the characters. One of the creators, David Thompson, recently told The Wall Street Journal, “I can’t tell an African-American actor what it means to experience racism. But what I can do is dignify that reality by creating a story, a narrative, that’s honest.” He added, “My responsibility is to write characters or situations that are dramatic and compelling, and during the rehearsal process bring the actors into that collaboration to make sure what we’re creating is as authentic as possible.”

This inclusion of the actors is what redeems the heavy racial material. McClendon and Domingo were unmistakably brilliant. If they are not acknowledged in some way for their performances, then that’s a stage travesty. I was Googling their names as I was walking out of the theater.

The Scottsboro Boys is a show I would recommend. You might be offended, you might not, but you will surely be moved. You won’t walk out of the theater complaining about the memorable music, the passionate actors, the sharp set design or the riveting performances. You might debate the politics — but isn’t theatre supposed to provoke thought? Not all performances can be escapism. Most importantly, The Scottsboro Boys digs up a neglected portion of history that every American should know.

The Scottsboro Boys is playing at the Lyceum Theatre in New York City. Click here to purchase tickets.

In my original review of Fela! on Broadway, I commented on how the woman next to me reacted to Lillias White’s Tony nominated performance.  White played Fela Kuti’s mother and in one of her vocally outstanding moments Miss Lady to the left shouted, “That’s the African Patti LaBelle!” A couple months later it was announced that the legendary Patti LaBelle will play the mother of the late, great Fela Kuti, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. As expected, there is no other mainstream singer who could tackle this vocal powerhouse of a role like the unstoppable Patti LaBelle. The Philly native not only brought the voice, but delivered the acting chops to play the Nigerian-born activist and mother.

On Tuesday night, I had a chance to see Fela! a second time, but with Patti LaBelle and Tony Award nominee Sahr Ngaujah.  In June, I saw the enormously gifted Kevin Mambo as Fela Kuti.  Equally as talented, it was clear after Ngaujah’s first note why he has been universally praised for his performance. In the way of Mambo, the spirit of Fela entered right in his blood, bringing to life one of the most important international figures of the 20th century.

Commanding the stage on this particular night was no easy task. The audience was particularly stiff, as if they all had a dose of Valium. But, Ngaujah was not having it. Twenty minutes in, he woke the crowd up, roaring in the name of Fela for them to respond. By the end of the night, the audience was a whole new group of folks, transported to the Shrine night club in the seventies, which is where the show takes place.

Ngaujah’s performance was much different than Mambo’s. Not that he was better; there is no way to compare. Ngaujah had a different interpretation of Fela Kuti, which felt as authentic Mambo’s. All praises should go to Bill T. Jones, who is being honored this year at the Kennedy Center Honors, and the creators of Fela! for managing to find two brilliant actors who could simultaneously capture the fever of Fela Kuti.

Being that Patti LaBelle is a stone-cold soul singer, one might wonder how she can handle the tight structure of Broadway.  Having seen the original “Lady Marmalade” in concert several times; she never performs a song the same way twice. The audience always gets something new. That said, at 64 years old, Patti has managed to reinvent herself again, delivering some of the best vocals in her over 50-year career.  Only in Fela! will you see an awesome mix of a soul icon with the story of a provocative and passionate activist.

After seeing Fela! with Miss Patti, I wondered what other popular names could guest star in the show. There is the role of Sandra Isadore, Fela’s witty Black American girlfriend, brought to life by the strikingly beautiful Saycon Sengbloh. The Atlanta native fills the role with her sex appeal, voice and amazing chemistry with both Fela leads.  A few R&B divas who would do well in the role of Sandra — some who are overdue for a stint on Broadway — Erykah Badu, a slim and trim Jennifer Hudson, and, my number one choice, Lauryn Hill.  I know, I know – we all want an album first, but Miss Hill would be an effortless fit as Sandra Isadore.

Fela! was just as exciting, inspiring and liberating as the first time around. This is the type of show you could see many times over, proving that Fela! is truly the most original production on Broadway. If you are a lover of art, dance, music and soul, and have not seen Fela!, you are missing out on one of the most divine productions in the history of stage.

Fela! is playing until early 2011, Patti LaBelle runs through January 2nd. Click here to purchase tickets: http://www.felaonbroadway.com/

Fela! is presented at the Eugene O’Neill Theater, 230 West 49th Street, Manhattan; (212) 239-6200. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Follow Fela! on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/felamusical