LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Broadway-bound musical will make its worldwide debut in Louisville next year. It's a one-of-a-kind production on the life and legacy of our very own Muhammad Ali.
"Ali" is expected to debut at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in October of 2024, before hitting the Broadway stage in New York, in 2025.
Last week, the musical's creative team visited Louisville to learn more about Ali's legacy at the Muhammad Ali Center. They also explored places like his boyhood home and St. Stephen Baptist Church, where the group was able to experience a gospel choir.
The musical's being directed and written by Clint Dyer and composed by the Louisville Orchestra's Musical Director Teddy Abrams.
Dyer said it was a no brainer when he was asked about taking on the project.
"In terms of desire, the answer was yes, yes, double and triple yes, please," Dyer said. "I remember watching as a teenager and just being mesmerized by his wit and charm. It was amazing to see someone who had that kind of pride and self-belief."
Abrams was the brainchild behind the musical. His passion for it started eight years ago.
"This was even before Muhammad passed away. I had an idea to compose a piece of music; it was going to be called, The Ali Portrait, a 12-minute piece of music with someone reciting words that either Ali had written or said in his lifetime, and music would back it up," Abrams said. "Then he passed away and that’s when I became much more serious about his life and his story, realizing there’s no 12-minute piece of music that can encompass Muhammad Ali’s life."
Abrams says the music in 'Ali' is brand new, something on a much bigger scale.
Here's a little bit about "ALI" from its website:
"Deemed 'The Greatest of All Time,' Muhammad Ali was born in 1942 and raised during the early years of television and the American dream. His childhood in Louisville, Kentucky, along with love and unconditional support from his mother (and later from his wife Lonnie), set the stage for him to become the greatest boxer of all time."
Marilyn Jackson, president of the Ali Center, said it's fitting the musical is starting here.
"Because of what Muhammad meant to Louisville and what Louisville meant to Muhammad," Jackson said. "We know Muhammad could've had a center anywhere in the world, he was beloved around the world but he really wanted a center here in Louisville, and I think it's perfectly fitting the musical is being built here and is going to open here."
The musical is scheduled to launch in October 2024.
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