'Kanye: The Musical' will come alive in Australia
It’s not outrageous to speculate on the possibility of a Kanye West biopic by the time the controversial hip-hop superstar is ready to get out of the rap game, but for now, we’ll settle for the play. A duo of thespians at Australia’s University of Sydney is putting on a production aptly titled "Kanye: The Musical." The hourlong work, first spotted by music blog Consequence of Sound, tells the story of West’s ascendance from “humble beginnings writing beats for Jay-Z to the top of the pops remixing Daft Punk.”
The two-man work is the brainchild of university student Phillip Roser and friend Damien Higginbotham.
"I'm a big Kanye fan," Roser told Pop & Hiss via email. "I thought that a musical in his honour would be a lot of fun to put on. I really just meant the show to be something fun for my friends to see and I'm pretty excited by all the attention it's been getting."
Roser, a senior majoring in education, says he'll be playing the role of Kanye. Higginbotham, an alum of the univeristy with a degree in music, will portray West's mom, the late Donda West; designer Marc Jacobs; and, oddly enough, a "Spooky Dracula."
Roser said he and Higginbotham also co-wrote all-original songs for the piece that will be delivered in "the style of Kanye."
The play is set to run Sept. 5 through 7 at the university’s Cellar Theatre during its annual Verge festival. Admission ranges from 3 to 6 Australian dollars, considerably less than a ticket to watch Yeezy and Hova perform as “The Throne” at Staples Center in December.
According to the production’s Facebook page, “This is a story of a struggle against the man to become the man. It’s about a guy who took a shot at the throne and didn’t miss. This is the tale of Kanye.” But there's also a caveat: "It won't let the truth get in the way and will be a lot of fun."
Though our entertainment travel budget doesn’t have much room to visit college productions in far-off continents, we’re hoping this is going to show up on YouTube somewhere courtesy of an altruistic young student. Really, we’d be forever grateful.
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-- Nate Jackson
Photo: Kanye West in New York City in June. Credit: Andrew Kelly /Reuters
