Ain’t nobody loves Hackney better than Chaka Khan, it seems. The musical, I’m Every Woman is set to make its world premiere at the Hackney Empire for just five days.
Directed by Racky Plews, the new musical explores Chaka Khan’s rise to stardom, her passion for civil rights and resilience within a toxic music industry. The show, for the first time, brings to light her struggles with addiction and the pressures of being a working mother and features some of her award-winning hits such as I’m Every Woman and Ain‘t Nobody.
The musical, starring X factor winner Alexandra Burke, was expected to make its West End debut at the Peacock Theatre on 5 March but due to essential building works temporarily closing the theatre, scheduled performances will no longer proceed. The performances will instead take place in Hackney from 20 to 25 March.
Producer Adrian Grant said: “We were informed just several days before our sold-out engagement of, I’m Every Woman that the Peacock Theatre would not be available for our scheduled opening.
“While this is clearly very disappointing, it relates solely to the venue and it is entirely out of the production’s control,” he added.
Hackney Empire will now be the first stop on a three-leg national tour for the Chaka Khan musical which was supposed to open earlier this month. The tour will continue with performances at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry from 1 to 4 April and the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne 7 to 11 April.
Sir Alistair Spalding CBE, Artistic Director and Co-Chief of Sadler’s Wells, said “Regrettably, Sadler’s Wells has been notified by its landlord, the LSE, that the Peacock Theatre must close… and therefore the show cannot open as planned.”
This is the latest show in London’s West End which has been forced to reschedule because of the ongoing works. English National Ballet cancelled the return of My First Ballet: Cinderella moving the performance to Sadler’s Wells East, their new venue in Stratford.
The CEO of Hackney Empire, Chris Sudworth said “Hackney Empire has always championed bold, ambitious work forefronting global majority creatives and stories, and I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical is exactly that.”
