A musical chronicling the attempted assassination of the legendary Bob Marley will debut in Maryland next May. The musical entitled "Marley," was written and directed by British-born playwright/actor/director Kwei-Armah.
The premiere will be collaboration between Center Stage theatre in Baltimore and New York's Public Theater where the musical will run from May 6 to June 15 2015.
Marley focuses particularly on the period of 1975 -1978, when there was an attempted assassination at the singer’s Hope Road residence in Jamaica and he later went into a self-imposed exile in London with his family due to fears over his safety.
Marley will also include music released during that period from his albums, Exodus, Kaya and Rastaman Vibrations
In a statement on Tuesday, Marley's daughter, Cedella Marley said that the family is thrilled to be working with Kwei-Armah on the musical.
“We are thrilled to be working both with Kwame and with Center Stage to bring part of our father’s story to life in a way that has never been done before. “When it comes to our father’s work and legacy, we have always been mindful in selecting the artists with whom we choose to collaborate. We couldn’t be more excited about the team that is assembled for this project.”
Workshops on "Marley" will be held in Baltimore and New York in the months ahead as the musical takes shape. Casting will begin soon.
Another musical “Nesta’s Rock” based on Bob Marley’s childhood will debut in Jamaica this coming January.