St. Louis Protesters Interrupt Aida at the Muny Theatre, Ken Page Speaks Out

St. Louis protesters interrupt Aida at the Muny Theatre to recognize the second year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death. Mike Brown, victim of police brutality, was murdered in the northern suburbs of Missouri (Furgeson) on August 9th, 2014.

I think it’s safe to assume that the protesters considered their nonviolent acts effective and timely in recognition of the anniversary, location, and relevance to thematic structures found in Aida.

For instance, Aida, set in Egypt, deals with some ideas of enslavement and oppression, which may or may not seem synonymous to the core issues of the BLM movement. At any rate, the outdoor production in Forest Park, Missouri was stopped for nearly 30 minutes in the beginning of Act two. 40 protesters chanted between audience members exposing the importance of social justice to a venue that supposedly seats 11,000 people.

In this production at the Muny Theatre, Grammy-winner Michelle Williams plays the title role for a limited run (Aug 8-14) of Elton John and Tim Rice’s, Aida. Once she and the other actors were brought back onstage, she delivered a speech about the unplanned protest! Here’s what her co-star Broadway veteran Ken Page (CATS, Ain’t Misbehavin’) said immediately following the protest:
The speech was earnest at the very least. And as a Broadway veteran (The Color Purple, Chicago, Fela) I’m sure she’ll find some new and fresh way to channel her feelings about the BLM movement in a role–originated by Heather Headley–she once played back in 2003.