Obama Stage Musical Set For London Run

First Published: January 21, 2009 10:31 AM EST Credit: AP

LONDON, U.K. -- Caption President Barack Obama dances with his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama to ‘At Last’ at their first Inauguration ball on Inauguration dayBarack Obama’s presidential campaign inspired millions. Now, it has inspired a London musical.

“Obama on My Mind” will open at a small theater in the British capital in March, producers have announced. The play’s book, music and lyrics are by U.S.-born writer Teddy Hayes.

Hayes on Wednesday described the show as a humorous romp set in an Obama campaign office, with songs that mix pop, gospel, jazz, “some Motownish stuff” and even tango.

The musical will run at the Hen and Chickens theater in north London from March 3 to March 21. Casting has not been announced, but the producers have spared themselves the challenge of finding a presidential lookalike — the Obama character never appears onstage.

“Nobody can really impersonate Obama, can they?” said Hayes. “He’s a one-off.”

Hayes, who lives in London, is the author of a series of crime novels featuring Harlem detective Devil Barnett.

Another Obama musical ran in Kenya, homeland of the president’s late father, in November.

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