NPR: "In 2008, the off-Broadway musical Fela! became one of the most talked-about shows in New York. Telling the life story of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti, the show made the move to Broadway last month and opened to ecstatic reviews. But will this unconventional theater piece speak to a larger audience?
Ben Brantley, chief drama critic for The New York Times, says he was worried about the transition.
'When I heard Fela! was moving to Broadway, I thought, 'That's a mistake.' '"
1 comment:
Allright, what gets me about this is the fact that a show can be praised and astounding off-Broadway, but is said to be "a bad move" when moving onto Broadway. I might just not be aware of the politics in the On/Off Broadway scene, but isn't a phenomenal show going to thrive whether it is on or off Broadway? It could be an audience issue. There are definitely some shows that you wouldn't produce in the South because of the nature of the conservative audience. But would you not move a show onto Broadway because it is not "trendy" enough? Or because it is not "politically correct" enough? What are the lines that are drawn? For me, this article really raised more questions that it answered. Yes, it informed me about a show, but now I'm curious about the ins and outs of the Broadway scene.
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