FELA! Revived For First Time in a Decade By Round Hound and Olney Theatres

Fela!, Olney Theatre Center and Round House Theatre's first co-production since their Helen Hayes Award-winning collaboration on In The Heights, begins previews on Olney Theatre's Roberts Mainstage July 7. Running through August 13, the Tony Award-winning musical uses the songs of Fela Kuti and a book created by Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis to tell the story of the Pan-African superstar's final concert at the legendary Afrika Shrine. The revival, the first full production since the National Tour closed in 2013, is directed by Lili-Anne Brown, who recently received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Director of a Play for her work on Woolly Mammoth's Ain't No Mo'. Duain Richmond tackles the titular role, which he played both on Broadway and in subsequent “Fela: The Concert” presentations.

  

On returning to the role of Fela, Duain Richmond says, “The story of Fela Kuti is one of resilience, strength, perseverance, and power. It's a perfect demonstration of what it looks like when we live a life without fear, and that's why those who are familiar with his life and music will always be friends forever. I am honored and excited to step into this role again to tell his story because it's my story, it's all of our stories as a human race. In an interview Fela once did, he said, 'I am Anikulapo... which means he who carries death in his pouch, they can't kill me because I will live forever.' He's doing just that.” 

 

Joining Richmond in the cast are Nova Y. Payton (who herself just received a Helen Hayes Award for her performance in Signature Theatre's production of The Color Purple), who plays Fela's martyred mother Funmilayo; and Shantel Cribbs as Fela's girlfriend Sandra. Cribbs makes her DC-area premiere following leading roles at The Muny, Paramount Theatre, and Drury Lane.

 

The ensemble includes Bryan Archibald, Terrence J. Bennett, Simone Brown, Patrick Leonardo Casimir, Jyreika Guest, Bryan Jeffrey, Raquel Jennings, Emmanuel Kikoni, Raven Lorraine, Vaughn Ryan Midder, Ywande Odetoyinbo (also Funmilayo Understudy), Jantanies Thomas, Galen J. Williams (also Fela Understudy), Jalisa Williams and Kanysha Williams (also Sandra Understudy). Included in the ensemble as a djembe player is Amadou Kouyate, a multi-instrumental artist and an alum of the  Artist-in-Residence program at Strathmore Music Center. Swings for the production are Malachi Alexander and Shawna Williams.

 

Joining Brown's creative team are Music Director S. Renee Clark, Choreographer Breon Arzell, Scenic Designer Arnel Sancianco, Costume Designer Rueben Echoles, Lighting Designer Sherrice Mogjani, Projections Designer Kelly Colburn, Sound Designer Matt Rowe, Intimacy Consultant Jyreika Guest, Dialect Coach Kim James Bey, Cultural Consultant Abi Jinadu, Out of Town Casting Director Sarah Cooney, and Production Stage Manager Jamie Berry.

 

Fela! is the first of back-to-back co-productions between Olney Theatre Center and Round House Theatre bridging the 22-23 and 23-24 seasons. While Fela! closes the season on the Olney campus, Ink by James Graham will open the 23-24 season in Round House's Bethesda home, beginning August 30 in a production directed by Olney's Artistic Director Jason Loewith. Said Loewith of the co-productions, “I really believe that the collaboration between our two institutions is a model of how two regional theatres from the same county can work together to make art that is more ambitious, more open, and more sustainable.”

 

“Round House is thrilled to continue our partnership with Olney Theatre Center with this extraordinary production of FELA before welcoming audiences to Round House at the start of next season for Ink,” says Round House Theatre Artistic Director Ryan Rilette. “Fela! is an extraordinarily compelling, high-spirited show, and we are thrilled to have such a dynamic team in place for it. This is sure to be the hottest show this Summer!”

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