Isherwood on Fela

Now this is the kind of writing that need to be done about the theater. Then again, Broadway needs to bring us one hell of a lot more shows that actually spark conversation.

As much as I enjoyed the show, directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, it left me with lingering questions about the depiction of the African milieu it evoked. In short, the emphasis in “Fela!” on the spectacle of African culture tilted the show a little too closely toward minstrelsy. It evoked an unsettling feeling I can’t say I ever had before at the theater.

Ironically, this line pretty much sums up part of my discomfort with that little music awards show I'm watching as I type this:

The presentation of African culture as a feast of exotic pageantry has the potential, at least, to reinforce stereotypes of African people as primitive and unsophisticated, albeit endowed with astounding aptitudes for song and dance.

Full article.