Theater: “Dreaming Zenzile” at NYTW

Miriam Makeba was a woman of many hats, all of which were as distinctive as she was. Born in the Black township of Prospect near Johannesburg, she spent the first six months of her life in jail because her mother, a sangoma (a traditional healer), was arrested for illegally making beer and couldn’t afford the fine. It was this sense of injustice that informed her next 76 years.

Known mainly as a singer, MM was also an advocate for civil rights in our own country and a foe of apartheid in hers. She counted Lauren Bacall and Harry Belafonte (a mentor whom she called “Big Brother”) among her friends. MM was married three times—once to musician Hugh Masakela, later to Black Panther leader Stokely Carmichael, the latter marriage basically tanking her reputation in America.

In “Dreaming Zenzile,” (Zenzile was MM’s first name), playwright/composer Somi Kakoma concentrates on Makeba’s musical abilities—a wise choice, as Somi is as charismatic in her own right as MM was. Attired in a series of hats and traditional African gowns, this indomitable woman commands the stage, alternately belting out Makeba’s best numbers and then switching to Duke Ellington’s and Richard Rodgers’ songs in quieter moments. Somi is ably supported by a quartet of performers who double as Makeba’s ex-husband, mother, daughter, and Belafonte, among others. It is a singing/dancing party from the get-go.

Be advised that “Dreaming” is structured as a musical revue, so while it flashes back to certain moments in MM’s life and career, it lacks the typical dramatic arch of a play. No matter. For those of us who may remember MM chiefly for her “click” song and her appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” this show, an obvious labor of love for Somi, fills in the blanks quite nicely. Grab whatever your favorite hat is and go.