Nelson Mandela: Musical Project Broadway Bound

By Karu F. Daniels, BlackVoices.com

Guess who's coming to Broadway?

Nelson Mandela.

And the South African civil rights icon wont be coming to sit in for the show – he will be the show.

A new musical about the South African struggle for freedom from apartheid and the leaders of that movement will be based in part on a forthcoming memoir by his daughter Zindzi Mandela, assisted by South African theater veteran Welcome Msomi.

According to theater press czar John Barlow, the production is projected to hit Broadway in May 2010.

"We're delighted to be part of this thrilling project. The South African story is not only inspiring but also deeply dramatic and lends itself perfectly to musical adaptation" said producer Steven Baruch on behalf of his partners, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel and Thomas Viertel.

"Great musicals always begin with the same element -- a great story," he continued. "We're extremely proud to be bringing this particular great story to the Broadway musical stage."
"I think it's the right time for the story to be told, and [the] idea to take the story to the musical stage is exciting," said Zindzi Mandela. "The freedom songs were so important to the morale of the people," she continued, "so it's natural for the story to be told with music as a cornerstone."

The book recounts touching anecdotes from Zindzi Mandela's youth, as she grew up during South African apartheid as the daughter of Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela.

Nelson Mandela is South Africa's most celebrated leader, becoming a world-wide symbol of freedom, equality and empowerment. After serving 27 years in prison for his activities against apartheid, he was released in 1990 and was inaugurated in 1994 as the first democratically elected State President of South Africa.

Broadway has had a longtime fascination with The Motherland.

In 1978, Eartha Kitt and Melba Moore fronted the glitzy musical, 'Timbuktu,' based on 'Kismet' but set in the ancient empire of Mali circa 1361.

In 1988, 'Sarafina,' a show depicting students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid, won raves on The Great White Way – even being made into a film in 1992, starring Whoopi Goldberg.

In 1997, Disney Theatrical brought a critically acclaimed version of the blockbuster animation film, 'The Lion King,' to Broadway with the timeless music of Elton John and Tim Rice. Directed by Julie Taymor and set in Africa, the story revolves around Simba, a young lion cub who struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role as king.

Now comes Mandela.

According to Barlow, a director and creative team are to be announced for the project in the near future.