LAGOS, Nigeria – The Broadway cast of “Fela” introduced Afrobeat superstar Fela Anikulapo-Kuti to hundreds of thousands of new American fans. Now the show’s stars are facing their toughest critics yet: Nigerians in this megacity who know his lyrics by heart and consider him a national icon.
On Thursday night, the ensemble cast from the Tony award-winning “Fela!” performed at the concert space here run by his son Femi and daughter Yeni. The New Afrika Shrine is a relocated version of the place where their father once played, which later burned down.
Hundreds of devoted fans gathered on white plastic lawn chairs under the breeze of spinning ceiling fans in this steamy warehouse-like club, excitedly filming the production on their camera phones as the smell of marijuana wafted through the air.
“It means more to us than you can possibly imagine to be here and share this moment with you,” Sahr Ngaujah, who earned a Tony nomination in the title role on Broadway, told the crowd. He also wished the Nigerians luck with the presidential election set for Saturday.
The performance earned rave reviews from Kuti’s children, and Femi Kuti joined the cast onstage on his saxophone for an encore. “Now that you have
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