Performances are scheduled to begin March 2 at St. Mary's School. The African production of the musical about the African slave trade will continue through March 6.
The new musical, which tells the story of the tumultuous life of the man who composed the hymn "Amazing Grace," played 24 previews and 114 regular performances at the Nederlander Theatre. The Nairobi production bills the musical as "The song the world knows. The story it doesn't." Visit stmarys.ac.ke.
Amazing Grace on Broadway after an out-of-town Chicago tryout last fall. The musical struggled at the box office since previews began June 25.
Read reviews for the musical here.
The musical was written by newcomer Christopher Smith, a self-taught musician who was a former police officer and a youth outreach and education director in Pennsylvania. "For Me, There's No Going Back" — Meet the Police Officer-Turned-Songwriter Who Wrote Amazing Grace
In addition to the title song, the show has music and lyrics by Smith, who co-wrote the book with Arthur Giron.
Directed by Gabriel Barre (Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party) and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies), the Broadway cast was headed by Tony nominee Josh Young, Tony nominee Tom Hewitt, Erin Mackey, Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper, Chris Hoch, Stanley Bahorek, Harriett D. Foy, Laiona Michelle, Rachael Ferrera and Elizabeth Ward Land.
The ensemble featured Leslie Becker, Sara Brophy, Rheaume Crenshaw, Miquel Edson, Mike Evariste, Sean Ewing, Savannah Frazier, Christopher Gurr, Allen Kendall, Michael Dean Morgan, Vince Oddo, Oneika Phillips, Clifton Samuels, Gavriel Savit, Dan Sharkey, Bret Shuford, Evan Alexander Smith, Uyoata Udi, Charles E. Wallace, Toni Elizabeth White and Hollie E. Wright.
Amazing Grace is described as a "new original musical based on the awe-inspiring true story behind the world’s most beloved song. A captivating tale of romance, rebellion and redemption, this radiant production follows one man whose incredible journey ignited a historic wave of change. John Newton (Tony Award nominee Josh Young), a willful and musically talented young Englishman, faces a future as uncertain as the turning tide. Coming of age as Britain sits atop an international empire of slavery, he finds himself torn between following in the footsteps of his father – a slave trader – or embracing the more compassionate views of his childhood sweetheart (Erin Mackey). Accompanied by his slave, Thomas (Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper), John embarks on a perilous voyage on the high seas. When that journey finds John in his darkest hour, a transformative moment of self-reckoning inspires a blazing anthem of hope that will finally guide him home."
The creative team also included Eugene Lee and Edward Pierce (scenic design), Toni-Leslie James (costume design), Ken Billington and Paul Miller (lighting design), Jon Weston (sound design), Robert–Charles Vallance (hair design), David Leong (fight and military movement), Gillian Lane-Plescia (dialect coach), Kenny Seymour (orchestrations), Michael Keller (music coordinator) and Joseph Church (music director, arranger, incidental music).
Amazing Grace was produced by Carolyn Rossi Copeland and Alexander Rankin.
