Center Theatre Group Revises Dates for Fela! After Funny Girl Postponement

By Adam Hetrick
18 Nov 2011

Sahr Ngaujah
Sahr Ngaujah
Photo by Tristram Kenton

The Center Theatre Group has announced new dates of production for the national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical Fela!, which will now arrive in December, replacing a scuttled revival of the Broadway classic Funny Girl.

Fela!, which centers on the life of Nigerian musician and political figure Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, was initially scheduled to play Los Angeles April 25-June 3, 2012. The Center Theatre Group has now announced that the production will begin performances Dec. 13 for a run through Jan. 22, 2012, at the Ahmanson Theatre.

A Broadway-aimed revival of Funny Girl was originally scheduled to run Jan. 15-Feb. 26, 2012, with Tony-winning director Bartlett Sher attached as director. Producer Bob Boyett announced Nov. 3 that the production, which was to star Lauren Ambrose and Bobby Cannavale, was postponed due to lack of financial commitments.

CTG is currently aiming to secure another production to fill the April-June slot. The company will also present the national tour of American Idiot (March 13-April 22, 2012) and War Horse (June 13-July 22, 2012) at the Ahmanson.

Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening) directed and choreographed Fela!, which features a book by Jones and Jim Lewis and utilizes Anikulapo-Kuti's own music. Lewis, a Tony nominee for Chronicle of a Death Foretold, also penned additional lyrics. The musical was conceived by Jones, Lewis and Stephen Hendel.

Sahr Ngaujah, who earned a Tony Award nomination for creating the titular role on Broadway, repeats his work on the tour. He alternates with Adesola Osakalumi.

 

Visit CenterTheatreGroup.org.