Someday, perhaps, rap will rule Broadway. There's already a hip-hop theater festival headlined by performance artist Sarah Jones kicking off in New York City this week. In Hollywood rapper Q-Tip is set to star in a forthcoming hip-hop movie musical titled Prison Song. Just as the rock-infused shows Hair (1967) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1971) helped revitalize the musical in the past, hip-hop holds the power to bring new life to the form today. If Dr. Dre ever wins a Tony, you'll know something's up.
Echo Park, now playing at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, is an early attempt to...