Madonna, Afeni Shakur attend preview of Tupac musical, 'Holler If Ya Hear Me'

Madonna yesterday attended in NY a preview of "Holler If Ya Hear Me" inspired by Tupac Shakur music. It would have been the rapper's 43rd birthday, died in 1996. 
Madonna was with Timor Steffens and Guy Oseary. (June 16)

 

Melissa Ruggieri

"Holler If Ya Hear Me" has prime real estate in Times Square. Read what Kenny Leon has to say about the show in Sunday's AJC.

Tupac Shakur would have turned 43 yesterday, and his pal Madonna and mother Afeni celebrated by attending a preview performance of “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” the new Broadway musical that uses the late rapper’s music as its anchor.By Melissa Ruggieri

The show, which officially opens on Thursday, is directed by Atlanta’s Kenny Leon, who scored his first Tony Award -- for best direction of a play – at last week’s Tony Awards for his revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.”

But Leon’s full attention is lasered on “Holler,” which he hopes will attract a new audience to Broadway. At a recent preview of the show, the charismatic director hopped onstage prior to its start to tell the audience that they were about to witness a “revolution” in theater.

We spent the weekend of the Tony Awards in New York with Leon and some of the cast of “Holler” – five of them have Atlanta roots – and checked out the electrifying show as well.

You can read what Leon has to say about bringing hip-hop to Broadway in Sunday’s Atlanta Journal-