Is Tupac Musical Better Than Its Reviews?
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. tries to make the case for hip-hop and the struggling new Tupac musical on Broadway: ‘For hip-hop, the door was kicked in—in a major way—by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s brilliantly funny and touching immigrants’ tale, “In the Heights,” which took home four Tony Awards in 2008. Never before had Times Square seemed so close to the barrio of Washington Heights, even though they’d long shared the same subway line. Now, “Holler If Ya Hear Me” expands on that legacy by exploring and interpreting the lyrics of the late poet, rapper, and actor Tupac Shakur, aka 2Pac/Makaveli, born in East Harlem in 1971, the year Ben Vereen rocked Broadway in “Jesus Christ Superstar” and Charles Rangel won his first term.’
