A new musical featuring the songs of the late Tupac Shakur is preparing to make its debut on Broadway. According to Entertainment Weekly, Holler If Ya Hear Me is expected to open on June 19, with a preview at the Palace on May 6.
The stageplay isn’t a biographical look at the rapper’s life; it’s the story of two inner-city friends living in the Midwest. The musical was written by Todd Kreidler, and 2Pac’s mother, Afeni Shakur, is one of the musical’s producers. The show looks to use 2pac’s music and lyrics to provide “a window into the realities of the streets still relevant today.”
Wayne Cilento (Wicked) will be choreographer on the show, with music supervision by Daryl Waters, who also served as musical supervisor for After Midnight, a tribute to Duke Ellington and the Harlem Renaissance; and who also worked on the acclaimed 1995 hip-hop musical Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk.
Casting dates for Holler If Ya Hear Me have yet to be announced.
“Holler If Ya Hear Me” was a single from Shakur’s second album, Strictly 4 My N.—A.Z., which was released in 1993. Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas in September of 1996.
