Jay-Z, Smiths feel 'Fela!'
Famous names to produce Broadway tuner
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The endorsement of those celebs, long said to have been fans of the musical, looks poised to tap the nontraditional Broadway demos to which the show -- based on the life and songs of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Nigerian Afrobeat musician and political activist -- seems most likely to appeal: younger auds, African-Americans and music aficionados.
"Fela" will be the first Broadway producing credit for hip-hop mogul Jay-Z and thesp-producers Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, who for several weeks have been rumored to be considering formally attaching their names to the project.
Their involvement reps a hefty boost in the national profile of the show. Despite coming off a strong-selling and well-reviewed 2008 run Off Broadway, "Fela" kicked off Rialto previews Oct. 19 to modest B.O. (as many untried properties do). Last week the tuner posted a weekly sales tally of about $265,000 (for seven perfs), with an aud at 86% of capacity paying an average admission of about $42.50.
The addition of the new producing trio to "Fela" recalls Oprah Winfrey's 2005 decision to become a presenting producer of Main Stem tuner "The Color Purple." Winfrey's name directed a national spotlight on "Purple" in a way that most new musicals usually see only after longer runs and awards attention.
"Purple" reaped hefty sales benefits in part from Winfrey's willingness to highlight the tuner on her eponymous talkshow. It's not yet clear whether or how Jay-Z and the Smiths will promote "Fela," although some sort of public push seems likely.
The three new "Fela" producers may not have a daily gabfest on which to showcase a tuner, but, like Winfrey, they're major names whose influence extends across a broad range of demos. Meanwhile, the more traditional Rialto theatergoers look likely to have their heads turned by the strong reviews "Fela" seems nearly certain to earn given its reception Off Broadway.
Directed, choreographed and co-created by Bill T. Jones, the musical opens Nov. 23.
