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STREETS OF GOLD - THE MUSICAL @ Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City from March 24 to April 3
Blazing onto the Johannesburg stage in March is the ground breaking original rock musical, Streets of Gold - The Musical, telling a rousing story of the fight for freedom and love in a world choked by corruption and greed.
Beautiful brooding Cassandra (Samantha Peo) has fled her downtown lair and is on the run from an enraged Prefect Flora von Higgins (Fiona Ramsay), a powerful leader of the Global Union of Nations (GUN). Perched on the GUNS's Most Wanted List, Cassandra swiped the precious gold bracelet-key from out under the Prefect's nose after her very public and botched attempt to claim the world's long lost gold. To make matters worse, even if the pesky rebel can be tracked down and the key recovered, Flora has triggered the vault self-destruct countdown. Jabulani Bond (Tumisho Masha) will have to fetch the key and retrieve some of her wounded pride. While holding out hope that her mischievous daughter Lily (Carmen Pretorius) will defect from the Gold Liberation Front (GLF), Flora plots her next move with Defense Minister, Moro (Mark Richardson), a man with a salacious appetite for gold and the treacherous temptress Sheba (Amor Vittone). Cassandra escapes capture and reaches The Gold Liberation Front (GLF) leader Viddy Civille (Shaun V). Whether their meeting is destined to change their lives or the world will be known when the skillful Ngudu 9's (Phumi MnCayi) rolls the dice.
In a first for a South African rock musical, eight of South Africa's most revered triple threat talents will bring these exciting characters to life. This all-star cast was achieved through the gravity of the music, script and depth of the characters. With its comic book and film noir inspiration, Streets of Gold is vibrant with design; from award winning gold jewellery and accessory design to haute couture costume, hair and make-up creations and fascinating animation. The show will include the AuDITIONS Urban Tribes gold jewellery collection and out-of-another-world costume design by fashion designer Suzaan Heyns.
Barbed satire written by Alan Swerdlow with music composed by Jon Savage and Jane Breetzke of Cassette, Streets of Gold has a completely unique local, multiverse identity.
The musical score is based in contemporary rock with varied influence from industrial, traditional and contemporary to kwaito, hip-hop and Latin. Arranged by musical director Brian Schimmel, the songs have each been developed with the characters or collective cast in mind and will be played live during the performances by a seven-piece band. Big rock guitar and Cassette's signature keyboard sound threads through the music from beginning to end.
Still reeling from the recent global recession, Streets of Gold - The Musical will have audiences pondering, chuckling and cheering. As befits good musical theatre, this satire pokes fun at politicians and plays on the ever-present tension between political institutions and agents of change. Set in a parallel universe, this Johannesburg may look strange but when it comes to jockeying and politicking, the city at the heart of Streets of Gold is not so different from the Johannesburg that exists in our world.
The musical runs from Thursday, 24 March until Sunday 3 April 2011 at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City Casino and bookings can be made through Computicket at 083 915 8000 or Computicket. Ticket prices range from R125 - R175. Visit the website: www.streetsofgoldmusical.co.za
JEREMEY TAYLOR @ Foxwood House on March 26, 27 and April 2 and 3
The beautiful, intimate little theatre at Foxwood House in Houghton is soon to host a legend; the man that South Africans took to their heart - despite the fact that his biggest hit song was rapidly banned by the government of the day. Or maybe because of it! We ask the man himself what his new show will be about: "About an hour and a half," Jeremy replies with the usual elfish twinkle in his eye. In many ways, it will be a nostalgia trip, affording audiences a live performance of Jeremy's greatest and most loved hit songs of the 60s and 70s - songs such as "Lift Girl's Lament", "Ballad of the Southern Suburbs", "Transplant Calypso", and "We're From the Northern Side of Town"… And, of course, the crowd-pleasing "Ag Pleez Deddy". Clearly, there's no way that the audience will allow the well-loved folk singer to leave the theatre without performing that celebrated ditty…We will also be hearing the beloved songster's newer work, and be regaled by anecdotes and stories of his life then and now, in his customary dry and witty style. Like a true folk singer, he will perform his songs 'unplugged' on his acoustic guitar.
"Yes, it will be a matter of something old something new," Jeremy continues. "As usual, my appearances are a personal exploration, and since it is now exactly 50 years since the release of "Ag Pleez, Deddy", there will inevitably be some reflection on how and why these songs of mine bubbled up to the surface, and what relevance they have, if any, to the South Africa that has emerged from those madcap days of tears and laughter. This may turn out to be more of a 'Jeremy Taylor at home' rather than 'back in town'."
And how does he feel about returning to South Africa? "I am both excited and nervous!" he laughs. "The years spent living and working there - 20 in all - were so intense. Nowhere else have I experienced such a sense of physicality; such a lust for life. To share that feeling, I wrote songs, and whenever I sing them, the feeling comes back. I guess that means I'll have to keep singing!" he concludes with a roguish grin. Bookings at Foxwood House, 13 5th Street, Houghton, at 011 486 0935. March 26 and April 2 @ 8pm. March 27 and April 3 @ 12noon.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR @ Teatro at Montecasino from June 3 to 26
The original production team of Paul Warwick Griffin as Director and Charl-Johan Lingenfelder as Musical Director return to work their magic again, as does Wonderboom frontman Cito in the role of Jesus. He will be joined on stage by Jonathan Roxmouth (Grease, Cats, Beauty and the Beast, A Handful of Keys) as Judas, Anton Luitingh (Cats, Beauty and the Beast, Evita) as Pilate, TV soap star Terence Bridgett as King Herod and the singer Nadine as Mary. It tells the story of the last seven days of Jesus of Nazareth, highlighting the political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus. Jesus Christ Superstar was the first Tim Rice/ Andrew Lloyd Webber work to be professionally staged. Tim had been fascinated by the short shrift given to the stories of Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate in the Bible since his school days, and so the duo chose to examine the last seven days of the life of Christ for their third collaboration. Just like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the story is told entirely through song. With Lyrics by Tim Rice and Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical features the chart-topping hit songs "Superstar" and "I Don't Know How to Love Him". Following the huge success of the original concept album in 1970, Superstar opened on Broadway in 1971 and in the UK the following year. By the time it closed, after eight years and 3,358 performances, it had become the longest-running musical in West End history. The recording of the score of the show topped the American album charts three times. Jesus Christ Superstar has since played all over the world and been filmed twice.
The 2006 production of Jesus Christ Superstar broke all box office records at the Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town and at his Montecasino Theatre in Johannesburg. It was then expanded and with a bigger set, redesigned costumes and a larger ensemble, it toured to Athens in Greece and to Korea where it played spectacular stadiums and created an international sensation. This bigger version will now be staged at the Artscape Opera House and at the Teatro for the very first time, giving South African audiences an opportunity to see the production larger than life. Book now at Computicket For discounts, special offers and group bookings via Geraldine on (011)5111988.
THE SCRIPT @ Coca Cola Dome on June 24
The phenomenal Irish band The Script will be performing for the first time ever in South Africa on 24th June at the Coca-Cola Dome Johannesburg and 26th June at Grand Arena, GrandWest Cape Town. It's been a rags to riches glory ride, an emotional rollercoaster, an all action, all star blockbuster. Three young Dubliners took on the world with music fashioned from the emotional detritus of their own lives raised up by love of pop, rock, hip hop and soul. In two years they notched up a handful of hit singles including 'We Cry', 'Breakeven' and 'The Man Who Can't Be Moved'. Their 2008 debut album 'The Script' went to number one in the UK and Ireland and has sold over 2 million sales world-wide.Highly passionate, sincere and poetically articulate The Script have fielded numerous requests to write for other artists preferring instead to focus on each other. Having caught the eye of Paul McCartney who personally asked The Script to support him on a series of his American stadium shows. They recently won Best Live Performance at the Meteor Awards (beating their mentors U2) who they have also supported on their stadium shows.Tickets available from computicket, www.computicket.com/ 0839158000
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