Obama: The Musical

[AUChizad]

http://www.voice-online.co.uk/content.php?show=16939

A musical about Barack Obama’s electoral campaign premiered in Germany over the weekend.

The production titled, ‘Hope – The Obama Musical Story’ focuses on the US President’s popular ‘Yes We Can’ campaign using quotes from his speeches and turning them into song.

Thirty performers took to the stage at the Jahrhunderthalle concert hall in Frankfurt for the musical’s premiere, a fitting venue as hope in Obama, the first black President of the United States, remains intact in Germany.

Its been a year since Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States and the musical aims to mark the occasion with singers and dancers from across Germany taking part.

The organisers of the musical said that they plan to tour Germany with the production, which also includes the characters of the losing Republican candidates, John McCain and Sarah Palin.

American writer, Randall Hitchins said: “I had the idea [for the musical] during the presidential campaign…It was fascinating and the mood at the time fired my imagination…all the people were hoping for a change for a better life and there was such a great collective emotion.”

Hitchins, who initially wanted only to compose a song entitled ‘Yes We Can’ soon realised that Obama’s popular slogan had the potential for more. He teamed up with producer Roberto Emmanuele, a German-Italian, and together they created the musical, which is a bilingual mix of English and German.

The musical is set in Obama’s hometown of Chicago and is told through the eyes of people who share an apartment. It aims to show how Obama’s campaign gave people at the time hope for change and belief in a better future.

“The story starts 20 years ago when Obama worked as a community organiser in Chicago and leads all the way to the 2008 campaign.” Said performer Jimmie Wilson who plays Obama.

“After the opening we have to see what the feedback is like and then we’ll go on tour” He continued.

‘Hope – The Obama Musical Story’ is the third musical about the 44th President performed outside America. Last year ‘Obama on My Mind’ was staged in London and ‘Obama The Musical’ was performed in Nairobi, Kenya.

[Tarheel]

The new "Jesus Christ Superstar".

What rubbish.   

[GarMan]

Idea for a title... 
Obama-nation: The Rise of a Modern Day Marxist and His War Against Free-Market Capitalism