Author Files $5 Million Lawsuit Against Fela! Producers

The author of a biography on the life of legendary African musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti has filed a lawsuit against the producers of Tony Award-winning Broadway musical 'Fela!' According to the $5 million copyright suit filed by author Carlos Moore, playwrites Jim Lewis and director Bill T. Jones used his 1982 book, 'Fela, Fela: This Bitch of a Life,' as source material for their universally lauded musical without Moore's "knowledge, authorization or consent." The suit further claims that "entire portions were simply copied from Moore's book and inserted into the script of the musical."

Moore contends that he was offered $4,000 in 2007 for the rights to his book, but rejected the sum, which he considered "grossly insufficient," requesting instead "an advance and participation in the royalty pool," which he never received. In addition to the $5 million in damages, the suit calls for an injunction against the show, whose producers include Jay-Z, Will & Jada Pinkett Smith and ?uestlove of The Roots.

Moore's lawsuit apparently came as a surprise to the 'Fela!' producers, who had previously counted Moore as a supporter. "Carlos has been incredibly supportive of the show," 'Fela!' co-creator Stephen Hendel told the New York Times. "Several years ago, he saw the off-Broadway show. He was willing to sit and be interviewed by our people, to talk about Fela and Fela's legacy, and that interview has been on YouTube for a long time, and at his request we have been selling his book in the theater since we opened and at our Web site. We're disappointed and somewhat perplexed, and hope at some point we can get this resolved."

'Fela!' is scheduled to conclude its current run at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on January 2, 2011. It won three 2010 Tony Awards for Best Costume Design, Sound Design and Choreography. The cast currently includes Grammy award winner Patti LaBelle and the orchestra features members of Afrobeat group Antibalas.