|
Music, dance, comedy - it's all there this theatre season. New young things come in the form of Jesse Clegg, followed by the old master, Rod McKuen.
COMEDY shows, concerts, musicals and plays - Johannesburg theatres are offering their best and more this winter.
South African and international productions are the order of the day, starting with Glorious, a play based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins.
Old Mutual Theatre on the Square
The Sandton theatre consistently brings interesting productions to the stage, and this season promises to continue the trend.
Glorious
Based on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, Glorious is about a diva who built her career on unintentionally butchering beautiful music. Although hopelessly incompetent, she built a large fan base and even sold out Carnegie Hall, in New York.
Her fans even included great artists like Cole Porter.
The South African debut of this musical stars Annabel Linder as Jenkins, with Louise Saint-Claire and Johan Baird. Its run ends on 23 May.
Performances are on Tuesdays to Fridays at 8.15pm, on Saturdays at 5.30pm, and on Sundays at 3pm. Tickets cost R150 each, and are R100 for senior citizens and students.
Harry & Ed
Harry & Ed is about the bizarre friendship of two very different men, which significantly influenced the birth of the State of Israel. Anthony Fridjhon and David Butler star.
The play runs from 1 to 7 June, on Tuesday at 8.15pm, on Wednesday at 3pm and 8.15pm, on Thursday at 8.15pm, on Saturday at 6pm and 9pm, and on Sunday at 3pm.
Tickets are R100 each, and R80 for senior citizens and students.
Pterodactyls
From bizarre friendship to dysfunctional family - Pterodactyls is a comedy with a middle class family in denial at its heart. With an all South African cast, it is directed by Greg Homan.
The show is on from 4 August to 29 August. Performances are at 8.15pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, at 5.30pm on Saturdays, and at 3pm on Sundays. The tickets cost R120 and R80 for senior citizens and students.
Tickets for shows at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square can be booked online through Strictly Tickets or at the theatre on 011 883 8606.
For more information, visit the theatre's website.
Joburg Theatre Complex
Music is the mainstay at the Joburg Theatre Complex - previously the Civic Theatre - in Braamfontein, but there is a bit of dance and a whole lot of comedy thrown in to laugh away the winter chill.
Jesse Clegg: When I Wake Up
The talented son of a talented father, Jesse Clegg will be at the Nelson Mandela Theatre for three nights only, from 12 to 14 May.
Jesse Clegg performs for three nights at the Joburg Theatre Complex this week
Expect songs from Jesse's hit album, When I Wake Up, as well as some new material from his CD released in October 2008.
Clegg's first single, Today, was welcomed well by the public. Within a week of its release it topped the Highveld Homebrew charts. It also got loads of airplay on other radio stations across the country.
No stranger to the stage, Jesse has performed alongside his father, Johnny Clegg, at a number of festivals in France.
Tickets are R130 and R161, excluding the Computicket booking fee. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available at VIP Ticketing on 011 877 6853. Performances are at 8pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
An Intimate Evening with Rod McKuen
And then there's Rod McKuen, the renowned singer, songwriter and poet. He will have three concerts at the Nelson Mandela Theatre this month, marking his first appearance on a South African stage since his sold out tours in the mid-1970s.
McKuen is in the city of gold as part of a limited number of international shows in 2009.
He will perform on 15 and 16 May at 8pm, and at 3pm on Sunday, 17 May. Tickets cost R278 and R212.
David Newton: Politically Incorrect
David Newton, a SA Comedy Awards' Stand-up Comic of The Year 2007 nominee, has lined up two weeks at The Fringe.
The one-man comedy show will explore political correctness in South Africa and universally.
Politically Incorrect is on from 19 May to 30 May, with shows starting at 8pm. Tickets cost R109.
Aspects of Love
Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love has a month-long run at the Nelson Mandela Theatre. Lloyd Webber is, of course, known for his lavish - and ever-popular - productions. Think Cats, Phantom of the Opera and Evita for a start.
Based on the novel by David Garnett, Aspects of Love is the story of a handsome man, George Dillingham, in the later years of his life. He lives a bohemian life and has a taste for fine art, women and wine. His nephew, Alex, falls in love with an actress, and elopes with her to Uncle George's dilapidated villa.
Directed in South Africa by Nikolai Foster and designed by Robert Jones, it stars Samantha Peo, Angela Kilian, Robert Finlayson and Keith Smith.
Aspects of Love is at the Nelson Mandela Theatre from 22 May to 28 June; performances are at 8pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, at 3pm on Saturdays, and at 2pm and 6pm on Sundays.
Tickets are R325, R252 and R191.
POW!
SA Comedy Awards Winner John Vlismas brings an usual show to the Joburg Theatre Complex. POW! is 70 minutes of laughter, without a single profanity.
This show comes after "Vlismas was challenged by the management to do a show with no swear words", said Taffia Keight, from Whacked Management, Vlismas's artist management company.
The comedian is well-known for his colourful language. POW! is on from 2 to 14 June. Performances are at 8pm, and tickets cost R130 each.
Dance Evolution
Take a journey through the decades in song and dance. Dance Evolution features diverse groups of dancers, ranging from four-year-olds to 44-year-olds. It is presented by Jenny Rahme's Dance Academy.
Dance Evolution is on at The Fringe on 20 and 21 June, at 11pm and 4pm on both days. Tickets are R90 each.
The Signs
"God - give me a sign!" many people have uttered these words in search of a sign to stop and a sign to start, a sign to stay or to go.
This show asks what we would do "if He gave us a sign, a real sign, something that wasn't just our imagination - something so simple we might despise it, or so ordinary, we may not recognise it ... If God gave us a sign - would we know the sign?"
This long awaited and not-to-be missed musical production of The Signs, with a star-studded cast, is coming to Joburg in June. It is on The Fringe from 21 to 28 June. Performances are on Tuesday to Friday at 8pm, and on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm and 8pm. Tickets are R191 and R161.
Riaad Moosa: For the Baracka
Getting inspiration from the birth of his son, comedian Riaad Moosa explores the experience of raising a child in a world that seems to be on heading for disaster.
In this new show, For the BARACKa, Riaad talks about war, corruption and the fear of having a weapon pointed at him every time he changes his son's nappy. After investigating a life subject to the whim of a tiny dictator, sleep deprivation, psychological torture and marital strife; the doctor can only come to the conclusion that - it's such a blessing.
Moosa is at The Fringe from 30 June to 12 July. Performances are on Tuesdays to Fridays at 9pm and on Saturdays at 7pm and 9pm. The tickets cost R161.
Imperial Russian Ballet
The Imperial Russian Ballet Company is one of the most successful and well-known ballet companies in the world, coming out of Moscow, a city famous for producing some of the finest ballerinas.
The company's repertoire consists of a number of outstanding full-length classical masterpieces, as well as modern works. The programme at the Nelson Mandela Theatre
includes Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, as well as scenes and extracts from other classical masterpieces.
The Imperial Russian Ballet is on at the Nelson Mandela Theatre for a short run from 1 to 5 July, on Wednesday to Friday at 8pm, on Saturday at 3pm and 8pm, and on Sunday at 3pm.
Footloose - The Musical
From classical ballet to dancing of a very different kind, Footloose hits the stage running with 1980s pop anthems like Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Somebody's Eyes, Let's Hear it for the Boy and, of course, the title song, Footloose.
Based on the 1984 hit movie of the same name, which kicked off the careers of Kevin Bacon and Sarah Jessica Parker, the musical has become a global stage musical phenomenon.
It centres on life in a small town called Bomont, where music and dancing are banned. All is peaceful until Ren McCormack - the city boy with the over-active sneakers - arrives. Breaking every taboo, Ren brings dance back to the heart of a town held back by the memory of a tragedy.
Footloose is presented by the Joburg Theatre in association with its British producers, Mark Goucher Limited, Tristan Baker, Jason Haigh-Ellery and Wimpole Theatre, and local broadcast partner M-Net.
It is on at the Nelson Mandela Theatre from 10 July to 23 August. Performances are at 8pm on Tuesdays to Fridays, at 3pm and 8pm on Saturdays, and at 2pm and 6pm on Sundays. Tickets cost R335 and R263.
Tickets for performances at the Joburg Theatre Complex are available at Computicket, on 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or through the Computicket website.
The theatre is at the top of Loveday Street, in Braamfontein. For more information, visit its website.
Promusica
Joburg Promusica Theatre, in the west, also has ballet this season, with the much-loved Coppelia.
Coppélia
The ballet is about a dollmaker, Dr Coppelius, who dreams of creating a doll with a soul, and the romance between villagers Swanhilda and Franz.
This year marks 139 years since Coppelia premiered in Paris on 25 May 1870. It is the Promusica Theatre from 12 to 28 June.
Tickets range in price from R50 to R150. There are discounts available for South African Ballet Theatre Friends, pensioners and students, as well as block booking discounts for bookings of 10 tickets or more.
Bookings can be made at Computicket, on 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or through the Computicket website.
For further information, visit the SA Ballet Theatre website or phone the company on 011 877 6898.
Joburg Promusica Theatre is at 100 Christiaan de Wet Road Florida Park, Roodepoort. For more information, visit its website.
National Children's Theatre
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the National Children's Theatre presents a brand-new musical, based on the classic children's tale of Pippi Longstocking. The musical runs from 8 June to 1 August.
Pippi is an incarnation of every child's dream of freedom and power. She doesn't go to school, nobody tells her when to go to bed, she carries a suitcase full of gold, and she lives all by herself with a horse and a pet monkey.
The charming play is a magical show for the entire family. Join Pippi, her monkey, Mr Nilsson, and her pet horse as they bounce from adventure to adventure in the town of Villa Villekula.
The play teaches children the importance of self-belief, courage and imagination in overcoming feelings of loneliness and rejection.
During the government school term, performances are on weekdays at 9am and 10.30am. During school holidays, performances are on Mondays to Saturdays at 10.30am and 2.30pm.
Ticket are R60 for children and R70 for adults. Bookings can be made through Computicket, on 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or through the Computicket website, or at the theatre on 011 484 1584. Block bookings and specials are available for schools, groups and birthday parties.
For more information, phone Sue on 011 484 1584 or visit the theatre's website. The National Children's Theatre is at 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown.
Lyric Theatre
The Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City is also buzzing this winter, offering comedians and concerts.
Last Laugh
Four of South Africa's leading comedians are at the Lyric Theatre on 29 and 30 May. Martin Jonas, Darren Maule, Trevor Noah and David Kibuuka together host Last Laugh.
Jonas uses about five of South African languages inn his comedy, including English, Afrikaans, Tswana, Sotho and a smattering of Zulu.
After only two years in the industry Noah has already made his mark. Not only is he one of the most requested comedians in South Africa at the moment, but he is also the only comedian in South Africa to have made the cut for the international audition of NBC's Last Comic Standing. He was also chosen to represent South Africa at the Jozi International Comedy Festival.
Known to South African audience as Grant Fletcher in Hard Copy, Maule has been around while. After 10 years doing physical comedy, he decided to explore other avenues and shifted to stand-up comedy.
Kibuuka is one of the most well-known figures in the industry. Having performed on the same stage as Barry Hilton and John Vlismas on their national tours, he has gathered a great deal of experience. Kibuuka has a unique brand of humour that combines wit and intellect but is still simple enough for his audiences to understand.
In 2008, Kibuuka opened the show for one of Australia's top comedians, Carl Barron, on his South Africa tour.
No under-16s are allowed at this show. Tickets are R75 and R85; Royal Box Seats, including food and beverages are R240, excluding food and beverages are R85. The show starts at 8.30pm.
Lianie May
Popular Afrikaans singer Lianie May is at the Lyric Theatre for a one-off performance on 6 June. Performing some of her popular songs, including Jy Soen My Nie Meer Nie, she promises a diverse musical evening, with songs from rock to pop.
Munro du Toit, who came third in Idols in 2007, opens the show with songs from his upcoming debut album. Tickets cost R85 and R95, and the show starts at 8.30pm.
Clint & Co
After 22 year in the music industry Clint has become a household name for many families. The rocker and his band are at the Lyric Theatre for a once-off performance on 13 June.
Tickets cost R75 and the show starts at 8.30pm.
Tickets for shows at the Lyric Theatre are available through Computicket, on 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or through the Computicket website, or through the Lyric Theatre call centre on 083 915 8000.
The Lyric Theatre is at Gold Reef City, on the corner of Northern Parkway and Data Crescent, Ormonde. For more information, visit the website.
Related stories:
|
