Fela! at Arie Crown Theater

Chicago Tribune - Recommended

"...Clearly, the passionate producers of "Fela!" are trying to reach an African-American audience, as this show could and should. This is a singularly experiential piece of theater with a deep spiritual core, a rich awareness of the perils and potency of political action, and a message condemning violence and promoting love, an emotion (not to mention an act) that Fela most certainly embraced with a fervor and regularity that few of us could match."

Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended

"...Michelle Williams (of Destiy’s Child fame), tall and bean-pole thin, and with the ideal R&B voice, moves with sinewy grace and snap as she plays Sandra, Fela’s feisty American girlfriend who introduces him to the Black Power movement but, like his many African “wives,” is less successful at indoctrinating him in feminism. Melanie Marshall is formidable as the operatic Funmilayo, with Gelan Lambert a knockout lead male dancer along with Rasaan-Eluah “Talu” Green."

Around The Town Chicago - Somewhat Recommended

"...The set is simple- we are at The Shrine for its last evening of music and festivities before the military comes in and cleans up.The costumes are colorful and tonight is a memorial to Fela’s mother Funmilayo who died seven months earlier. Just remember, these are the 70′s, forty plus years ago There is some interesting video footage and wonderful lighting effects, but once again, the size of the theater doesn’t allow for the power that it did at The Oriental ( and I am sure on Broadway). Oh, if only the producers could find a way to bring this powerful story to the people ( as Kuti himself wanted) in a smaller, more intimate space. When Kuti tried to play with the audience, it also gets lost due to the size of the venue and I was very surprised that there was no mention prior to the start about cell phones and photos. The theater was ablaze with phones and texting and a few flashes here and there as well."