Watch Chadwick Boseman In Tupac Shakur Musical Workshop Performance
In 2014, Holler If Ya Hear Me, the musical inspired by the words and music of the late Tupac Shakur, made a brief run on Broadway. The show originally starred an up and coming Chadwick Boseman but he eventually left the production to star in the James Brown biopic Get On Up.
The entire musical, directed by Kenny Leon, was filmed with Boseman before the show hit Broadway and now there are questions on what to do with the footage since the actor’s death on August 28 at 43 years old.
According to Deadline, “There is suddenly renewed interest in seeing what can be done for fans to see the previously unseen filmed numbers Boseman performed in the workshop.”
Former celebrity manager Eric Gold, who helped to finance the musical,said he will do whatever Leon would like to do with the footage.
Leon told Deadline about Boseman, “In many ways, to me, he had a bit of Dr. King, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson in him. In many ways, he was our superhero. We’re going to miss him, but we’ve got to do the work and that is what he would wish.”
See the footage below of Boseman in the workshop for Holler If Ya Hear Me.
Leon told Deadline about the reaction to the footage, “There’s no one quite like him. When I posted the video, I was surprised at how surprised people were that he could do that. He was equally great in everything he touched.”
He also added, “If you notice in that rehearsal and those videos, the ensemble is sitting around. You usually see people if they have to move a prop, but these actors were sitting there, focused on Chadwick. Who demands attention from fellow artists even in rehearsal? He brought himself 100% to every rehearsal. He was in performance mode, every rehearsal.”
No word on what exactly will be done with the footage but there is certainly interest, the video currently has over 160,000 views.
Boseman tragically passed away after a four-year battle with colon cancer.
The South Carolina native left his mark by playing some of the most iconic Black figures in history, including Jackie Robinson in 42 and Thurgood Marshall in Marshall. He cemented his legacy playing the title role in the Ryan Coogler-directed Black Panther and the Marvel Cinematic Universe Avengers franchise.
