Long before “FELA!” thrilled Broadway with its Afrobeat rhythms and choreography by Bill T. Jones, Adesola Osakalumi learned about Fela Kuti through his family’s ownership of the Nigerian musician’s record label. The story of the civil rights champion’s defiance of a corrupt military government walked away with three Tony Awards. Now the national tour debuts at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall starring Osakalumi and Sahr Ngaujah alternating the role they played on Broadway.

“Every time I go on stage, Fela’s struggle and continual push for justice in the face of odds and great personal danger resonate with me,” Osakalumi said. “I became involved in the show when it moved from off Broadway to Broadway. I’d been working in ‘Equus’ with Daniel Radcliffe; it closed just as auditions took place for the Broadway production.