Eric Wainaina’s musical opens at New York Festival

By Charles Otieno

Award-winning musician Eric Wainaina’s production, Mo Faya — formerly Lwanda, A Ghetto Story — opens next week at the Big Apple.

The musical will be showcased at TBG Theatre in New York City during the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The show runs for almost two weeks and opens on Tuesday until Sunday, October 11.

Eric Wainaina

Eric’s play revolves around DJ Lwanda, a disc jockey who hails from slum known as Kwa Maji. He is lured out of the slum by Anna Mali, an avaricious real estate developer who craves for the land occupied by the slum dwellers. Anna seduces the fiery young DJ away with a job at a top national station, and organises a violent campaign to terrorise the people of Kwa Maji. When the government and media turn a blind eye to the decapitated bodies in the streets, DJ Lwanda must return home.

The production stars singers Eric Wainaina, Valerie Kimani, Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda, Joshua Mwai, actress Mumbi Kaigwa and actor Peter King among others. The production also boasts of additional music by Joshua Mwai, Morris Otis Omollo and Helen Akoth Mtawali and is directed by renowned playwright John Sibi-Okumu. The star-studded cast also includes soulful singer Carol Atemi and producer Tim Rimbui who is in charge of sound design. There is also Ken Larson (set designer), Daniel Kiwasi (choreographer), Michael Joseph Ormond (production stage manager) and Bernita Robinson (stage manager).

It is sponsored by Safaricom and Virgin Atlantic.