What's Hot?
Seun Kuti Kickstarts Europe Tour Amid Assault Trial
Amid Opposition By Airline Operators, Nigeria Air Lands...
It’s official: France bans short-haul domestic flights in...
From The Mouth Of An Authoritative Bystander: Ayorinde’s...
‘Queen of rock ‘n’ roll’ Tina Turner dies...
Hubby Celebrates Arts Matriarch, Nike Okundaye, At 72
A Sculpture Depicting King Tut as a Black...
With a Record Number of African Films in...
Meet the Tunisian director whose film is making...
Seun Kuti vs Police: Of Mob Justice And...
The Culture Newspaper
  • Home
  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
    • Culture Africana
    • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Music, Movies & More
  • News
    • Travel News
  • Opinion
    • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality
Music, Movies & More

Beautiful, exciting season of musicals

by Araayo Akande January 10, 2020
by Araayo Akande January 10, 2020

Some six years after Uche Nwokedi and Bolanle Austen-Peters, re-introduced musicals to the Nigerian stage with ‘Kakadu’ and ‘Saro’ respectively, people are not tired.

Back in 2013, when the two producers premiered their lovely productions, they wouldn’t have imagined how hot musicals would become in Nigeria.

They have now become so popular that other producers have since 2014 joined the train with equally delightful musicals. Indeed, hardly does any Yuletide season pass without theatre lovers having the times of their lives with the productions that further affirm the ingenuity of Nigerian producers.

What’s more, the musicals had willing sponsors in corporate bodies, including telecoms companies and banks who were unstinting with their support and who helped in providing a variety for theatre buffs.

Like previous years, 2019 and the first week of the New Year was the season of musicals in Lagos. Theatre lovers, particularly those with insatiable appetites for musicals had their fill with about seven productions running in different venues.

They were the House of Oduduwa-backed’ Moremi Reloaded’; Doyenne Circle’s ‘Ada The Country’; Ajibayo Akinkugbe Foundation’s ‘Mamma Mia’ and Bolanle Austen-Peters’ ‘Fela’s Republic and the Kalakuta Queens’. Others were ‘Bintu’ which ran earlier in December; DeClassical Arts and Entertainment Company’s ‘OMG’ and Joseph Edgar’s ‘Emotan’.

While ‘Moremi’ celebrates the eponymous heroine of Ile-Ife, ‘Ada’ is about how the survival of an unfortunate woman drew the sympathy and support of other women.

‘Emotan’, which showed earlier at the 2019 National Festival for Arts and Culture in Benin City, Edo State was well received by theatre lovers in Lagos when it ran in December. Though not wholly a musical like the other productions, the story of the active market woman-turned deity in the ancient Benin Kingdom, had abundant music and spectacles.

Theatre buffs also raved about ‘Mamma Mia-The Musical’ (Lagos edition) featuring songs by the acclaimed group, ABBA. Producers Soji Akinkugbe and Ireti Bakare-Yusuf, and director Najite Dede, surely outdid themselves and can’t afford to lower the bar whenever the production returns. The sight of the veteran artist, Jide Kosoko (Father Alexandrias) doing the ‘Gbese’ dance step wowed many and was an online hit.

Ayo Ajayi’s ‘OMG’ which enjoyed the support of the MTN Foundation like ‘Fela’s Republic and the Kalakuta Queens’, also had a good outing. The fantasia based on the exploits of three eminent Nigerian women activists; Olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti, Margaret Expo and Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, might return around the 2020 Independence celebrations, according to Ajayi.

Austen-Peters also made it a delightful yuletide for many with her continuous exploration of the multi-dimensional story of Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Her ‘Fela’s Republic and Kalakuta Queens’, was commended by the public, Fela’s family members and fans of the maestro.

Little wonder then that sponsors, mindful that the musicals are the new attraction for the public and aware of the exposure they would get, generously supported the productions. However, their support was not entirely selfish. It further contributed to the sustenance of the creative eco-system as the whole value-chain benefitted in the long run. On the whole, it was a memorable yuletide for all concerned. The only issue that stakeholders have to work around now is having the productions consistently, not on a seasonal basis.

0
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinWhatsappEmail
Araayo Akande

previous post
Mercy Johnson Releases ‘Legend of Inikpi’ Trailer
next post
Implement measures to re-position broadcast industry, Minister tells NBC

You may also like

With a Record Number of African Films in...

May 24, 2023

2023 AMVCA: Afolayan’s ‘Anikulapo’ Wins Overall Best Movie...

May 22, 2023

Nigeria Box Office Revenue Increased By 22% In...

May 15, 2023

Drake Reveals Nigerian Roots By Showing Father’s Ancestry...

May 11, 2023

Court Orders Olamide To Pay Skit Maker ₦10m...

May 9, 2023

Ayo Shonaiya Announces New Docu-series on Famed Globetrotter,...

May 5, 2023

Diamond Platinumz Is Africa’s Most Streamed Artiste On...

May 2, 2023

There Is Strength, Victory In Being Vulnerable, Iyanya...

April 26, 2023

‘Gangs of Lagos’ Director Jáde Osiberu on Making...

April 26, 2023

South Africa got 71% of Netflix’s $175m investment...

April 18, 2023

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

  • Seun Kuti Kickstarts Europe Tour Amid Assault Trial
  • Amid Opposition By Airline Operators, Nigeria Air Lands At Abuja Airport
  • It’s official: France bans short-haul domestic flights in favour of train travel
  • From The Mouth Of An Authoritative Bystander: Ayorinde’s Commentary On 30 Years Of The New Nigerian Cinema
  • ‘Queen of rock ‘n’ roll’ Tina Turner dies at 83

Sponsored

Recent Posts

  • Seun Kuti Kickstarts Europe Tour Amid Assault Trial

    May 28, 2023
  • Amid Opposition By Airline Operators, Nigeria Air Lands At Abuja Airport

    May 26, 2023
  • It’s official: France bans short-haul domestic flights in favour of train travel

    May 25, 2023

Categories

  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
  • Culture Africana
  • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Music, Movies & More
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Photo News
  • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Interview
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality
  • Travel News
  • Travel Trends
  • Travelogue
  • What's Hot?
  • World Culture

Connect with us

Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

@2019 - The Culture Newspaper. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Zero-One

The Culture Newspaper
  • Home
  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
    • Culture Africana
    • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Music, Movies & More
  • News
    • Travel News
  • Opinion
    • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality