By Harry Haun
24 Nov 2009

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Of course, a major source of Ngaujah's force-of-nature performing comes from the man he is playing. "What I love about Fela, actually, is that his suffering took place because he was squeezing the core of his humanity. Because he was doing that, he felt compelled to speak for the rights of other humans. Ultimately, that's why he was beaten so many times. That's why his mother was killed. That's why his house was burned. At the time, Nigeria was just coming out of colonization. It was at a very serious crossroad. America's at a very serious crossroad, too. We came from a very, very difficult regime for a lot of people to sustain themselves and find courage. We're coming out of that now. What Fela has to offer us is a new archetype for a new mythology. …That would be 'Take courage, face your fears and, hopefully, you'll find your own self on the other side of it.'" Lillias White, who came aboard after the Off-Broadway run, is the mostly ghostly figure of Fela's mom, existing only in song, with no dialogue of her own, but the audience response to her is immense, and she's aware of it. "I always try to give all I've got, and people respond to that," she said (it's a rule she lives, and acts, by).

The character particularly appealed to her: "I've done a lot of research — as much research as I could get my hands on. She was an activist. She worked for women's rights. She educated the poorer uneducated women in her community. And she taught her son — and all her children — to be conscientious of the plight of others."

The other role of consequence in the show is that of Sandra Isadore, who introduced Fela to the black movement in America, and she was in the opening-night audience, making it a little frantic for her portrayer. "I tried not to look at her because I didn't want to get nervous," admitted Saycon Sengbloh. "But it was a thrill to meet her at the end of the show. She said, 'You do me justice.'"

Lewis, who co-wrote the book (and generally collaborates with choreographers), has been on this project for seven years. "I have an eight-year-old boy, and I can remember he was one year old when Bill first called me and said, 'Would you be interesting in working on this?' I have about 20 versions of the script. Someday we'll put it together, and, if someone wants to do a 20-hour version Fela!, I'm there.

"What this show has always been about for me is — not so much about Fela as it is about the importance of taking a stand and being willing to pay a price for what you believe in. It doesn't really matter what that is.

"I love to work with choreographers. I've done that for a long time. Graciela Daniele is an old partner of mine. My first shows were with her. I just love the way choreographers are trying to tell stories, but they don't necessarily want to tell it in the same way that you assume a theatre story has to be told, so they're trying to find new ways to tell stories, and I find that very exciting."

There was a steady drizzle of stars all evening. Chester Gregory dropped by after Dreamgirls and James Stovall after Finian's Rainbow.

Jimmy Fallon, in a rare night out on the town, arrived as a show of support for Questlove. "He's the drummer on our show and he's a producer with 'Jay-Z,'" explained the late-night show host. "I missed the show, though. I had to rehearse for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I'm on the Gibson Guitar Float this year, and I'm singing holiday songs. Should be on between 11 and 11:20."

Also in attendance: Harry Belafonte out at a theatre opening his second night in a row, Ben Stiller, filmmaker Spike Lee, "Precious" director Lee Daniels, Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records exec Kurt Deutsch and wife Sherie Rene Scott, Matt Cavenaugh, who put down his West Side Story switchblade and took up a bride (Jenny Powers), Circle in the Square founder Ted Mann, producer David Binder, Lou Reed ("a seat-kicker," carped the woman in front of him), Jeffrey Wright, Gayle King, singer Angelique Kidjo, dance legend Judith Jamison, Laurie Anderson, actress-writer Danai Gurira, Billy Porter, The Public's Oskar Eustis, Bobby Cannavale, and David Byrne.