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THE JOURNEY OF "THE SONG OF JACOB ZULU"

The Song of Jacob Zulu began as an idea in the spring of 1991. Steppenwolf commissioned the author, Tug Yourgrau, to write the play as part of a New Plays Project the theatre initiated a few years prior. This play is a work of fiction inspired by an actual incident in South Africa where a young man, ground down by the forces of his society, blew up a shopping mall, killing and injuring many people. The Song of Jacob Zulu is a story of a boy for whom the good news of the end of apartheid comes too late. The author wanted a South African singing group to act as a chorus in the play that commented on the story and provided a framework of Zulu song within the production.

Through long negotiations and pure luck, Steppenwolf was able to acquire the services of Ladysmith black Mambazo (a Grammy-winning South African a capella singing group best known for performing with Paul Simon on the Graceland album and tour) to act as this chorus.

Miraculously, we discovered that the leader of this group was actually related to the young South African man whose story inspired the author to write this fictional play. We proceeded on the creation of The Song of Jacob Zulu with passion and great enthusiasm.

Several workshops were held in the fall of 1991 to begin the formation of the play. The merging of non-English-speaking South African singers with the author, director, actors and staff in a creative environment was a magnificent sight to behold.

Sadly, in December of 1991 tragedy struck. One of the members of the group, Headman Shabalala, brother to the leader, Joseph Shabalala, was murdered in cold blood along a deserted highway in Durban. The circumstances of his death remain sketchy and the prime suspect was released on a US $300 bond.

We at Steppenwolf, respectful of, and deeply saddened by this loss, felt for sure that the planned production would be over or at least significantly postponed.

To our wonderful surprise, we were informed that Black Mambazo would continue with the play, with more vigor and commitment than ever before. This was their story and their song, and they wanted the world to hear it.

The critically-acclaimed world premiere, which opened in Chicago in the spring of 1992, played to sold-out audiences who continually embraced the show. Following a successful remount in Chicago and a triumphant presentation at he Festiavl of Perth, Australia, Steppenwolf Theatre Company proudly brings The Song of Jacob Zulu to Broadway.

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