The musical inspired by the lyrics of the late Tupac Shakur, Holler If Ya Hear Me, opened on yesterday on Broadway's Palace Theatre to mixed reviews from critics.
Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon was behind the project, which doesn't tell the tale of Shakur's life but is rather a non-biographical story with themes of revenge and friendship.
Slam poet Saul Williams plays the lead character John, who is released from prison and tries to avoid trouble but gets involved with a sketchy drug deal because of his friend Vertus (Christopher Jackson).
Deadline described Williams' performance as "rivetingly charismatic" but called the show "slow to get going" and compared it to "a 45 RPM musical playing at 33 1/3, to use an analog analogy."
The AP had a similar review, claiming that the production had "some inspired moments" but "that full-throttle energy can't sustain itself through the 2 1/2 hour show."
Variety also praised Williams' performance calling it "as combustible as a stick of dynamite;" however, they described the musical as a "generic gangland saga" that was "predictable" with "clumsy characterizations," which would only appeal to true fans of the late rapper, who might not have the money to fork over for Broadway ticket prices.
The New York Times proclaimed that "the beats are sweet, and the words often have an electric charge. Unfortunately, much else about this ambitious show feels heartfelt but heavy-handed, as it punches home its message with a relentlessness that may soon leave you numb to the tragic story it's trying to tell."
The Hollywood Reporter's "Bottom Line" review called the project "a misconceived show destined to fall on deaf ears."
TIME Magazine gave an overall positive critique of the show, stating, "One could imagine a better Tupac Shakur musical — one, say, that would tell the story of Tupac's own fascinating, contradictory life. And some may quarrel with the feel-good message of a show based on the work of a musician who styled himself as an angry voice of the underclass. But Holler If Ya Hear Me is a bold effort to open up Broadway to a new musical idiom, without diluting it or reducing it to a cartoon. The show hollers, and you simply have to listen."
The Daily Beast also an overall positive review, calling Holler If Ya Hear Me, "crazy, silly fun."
Among the tracks features in the musical are Shakur's "California Love," "Me Against the World," and "Keep Ya Head Up."
Have you seen the show? What did you think? Let us know in the comments section below!
