Pain to Power: A Kanye West Musical Protest sends out some important messaging
Kanye West is indeed a controversial figure. The American recording artist has been at the center of several controversies, including his antisemitic remarks and the promotion of propaganda merchandise. These actions have led to significant backlash, with West being sued and dropped by his talent agency, and the reported end of his marriage. In addition, his fashion brand, Yeezy, was taken offline by Shopify after he sold T-shirts with swastika designs and praised Hitler. He is an equal opportunity offender, saying things that music by black artists was responsible for jailing and killing people.Enter actor Zeth Zosky and Dan Petrenko, director of the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre. One day not too long ago the two friends were having drinks. “I brought the subject up of producing a musical around how much Kanye West has offended people and those like us who actually grew up as fans,” Petrenko says. “It actually emerged as a joke and dare. However, the more we talked about it, this felt like a good idea and we made it happen.”
Dan Petrenko
Pain to Power: A Kanye West Musical Protest premiered in Winnipeg a year ago. Zosky has been exceptionally busy since last fall, starring in the musical comedy Titanique. Now he and his friend from Sheridan College in Toronto, CJ Capital, are set to co-star in The Segal Centre for Performing Art presentation of the musical. It is being presented in association with Black Theatre Workshop, from March 19 to 23 in the Studio. Zosky says that the production, which goes for 75 minutes uninterrupted, challenges audiences to examine their relationships with their idols and confront the difficult questions: can you truly separate the art from the artist? What do you do when your hero breaks your heart? How do you fight back against so much hate?“It is important to recognize that Kanye West suffers from a mental health condition,” Petrenko says. “But that is not an excuse for his antisemitic behavior.”Zosky puts it this way: “Pain To Power is a protest and a critical re-examination of the impact of a celebrity figure, whose art we both loved and bonded over but who eventually betrayed our values. The show confronts this reality through theatre as we share real-life moments of celebration and heartache, love and loss while weaving together our own narratives of creative influence and evolution with a backdrop of some of Kayne’s most popular music. We go deep by telling personal stories including adolescent memories, the genesis of our own friendship, and the birth of our creative partnership.”
Seth Zosky on stage.
Zosky goes on to say that ultimately the show explores some complex, painful, and challenging themes like racism and antisemitism. “The show is about love, friendship, and is a celebration of life,” he says. “It showcases that we can find strength in community during difficult times. It uses theatre to heal, foster dialogue, and turn pain into something meaningful.”There are talkbacks after each show and Zosky said that is important to justify how people can still like Kanye’s music yet despise his behaviour. Petrenko notes that this story, musical and all, appeals to people of all ages.For more information on tickets and showtimes go to www.segalcentre.org n
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