Jaime Uranovsky - Page 2

Cape Town Opera presents a Puccini double-bill of operas: SUOR ANGELICA and GIANNI SCHICCHI. Each opera runs for just under an hour, with an interval in between. The two operas are vastly different – SUOR ANGELICA, despite containing comedic moments, is ultimately tragic.

It is always gratifying to witness performers staging highly technical artforms, like ballet, and giving them fresh, local twists. THE GOLD RHINO OF MAPUNGUBWE BALLET is such an example. The show tells the story of Van Graan, a white man in the 1930s who embarks on a journey to discover the treasures of the ancient civilisation of Mapangubwe.

LEGALLY BLONDE needs little introduction: based on the cult-classic movie of the early 2000s, the story follows blonde bombshell Elle Woods to Harvard Law School as she attempts to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner Huntington III.  However, Elle’s love story ends up being about so much more than ‘getting the boy’.

EAT THE STARS runs as part of the IN THE DARK season, which in turn takes place from 15 to 25 February at venues around Cape Town, and which is presented by Theatre Arts. This innovative piece of theatre is a “meditation in dance, poetry, and space on the metaphor of human stories in a cosmic context. The light we’re made of. The light inside.

At the outset, I beg potential patrons of this production not to avoid this play just because they cannot understand Afrikaans – this would be a grave error. The subtitles are comprehensive and, if you choose seats with a little height, you will have the perfect spot from which to observe the action while glancing at the English translations.

If you have read any of my LAMTA show reviews before, you’ll know that I’m an avid fangirl of their productions. And while I always rave because the raving is deserved, SPRING AWAKENING, as LAMTA’s first performance of a full-scale musical, is extra special and extra rave-worthy. As always, with LAMTA shows, the energy crackles.

KING GEORGE, a new play set in the heart of Cape Town, is a battle for domination between development mogul Shane Wyntock (played by Clyde Berning) and long-time, local strip club owner, George Megalos, ‘the Godfather of Lower Woodstock’ (played by Brent Palmer).

What did our critic think of CONSTELLATIONS: THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL at Spier Wine Farm?

On 1 November, some of the cast members from the new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC embarked on a journey to the top of majestic Table Mountain – via cable car of course; save the trekking for Act II of the show.

Is there anything more epitomic of the 1990s and early 2000s than the video store? In slightly more recent history, is there anything more epitomic of decay, decline, and dead dreams than the last of the DVD stores of the late 2010s? – dying prolonged, understated deaths: not with a bang but a whimper. BUCKET BOY is set in such a wasteland.

LA TRAVIATA needs little introduction. As one of Verdi’s most famous operas, it has moved audiences since the mid-1800s. This production, presented by Cape Town Opera and UCT Opera is no different. Indeed, the show is best described as a sensory overload (in the best way) from start to finish.

OF LOSS: HANDLE WITH CARE interrogates the ramifications of the continued exhibition of stolen African artefacts in museums around the globe. What consequences does this have on the collective and individual psyches of African people and communities? What would restitution look like? Is it even possible?

ORPHANS, while originally set in North Philadelphia, is seamlessly transplanted to Woodstock in Cape Town. This production tells the tale of brothers Treat and Phillip, two adult orphans who have lived alone in their house on Gympie Street, since their mother died in their early childhood.

When I slumped into the Theatre on the Bay on last week, I admit that I was not in the highest of spirits. The heaviness of the world just felt like a bit too much and, in all honesty, I wasn’t particularly in the mood to leave the comfort of home. But I’m so, so grateful that I did: This show feels like a warm, genuine, beautiful hug.

From the producers that brought audiences the unforgettable HERE’S TO YOU – THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL SONGBOOK, VR Theatrical proudly presents this year's highly anticipated musical tribute: UP ON THE ROOF – THE CAROLE KING SONGBOOK, a second instalment in the Staged Songbook genre.

All I knew when I stepped into the theatre to see WHEN THE DEAD ARRIVED was that it included a warning that the show contained blood – a lot of blood. As a rule, I’m a sensitive viewer and I stay away from anything even slightly horror related. Suffice to say, I went in knowing that this production was out of my comfort zone.

THE WAITING GAME, a new show set to music and dance, is currently showing at the Masque Theatre, after its debut at the Wave Theatre in Cape Town. The production, which has a large cast (18 people), tells a new story while using songs from existing musicals (and changing the lyrics where necessary).

There are few who can claim to know South African goings-on like veteran investigative journalist, columnist, author, satirist, stand-up comedian, and Associate Editor of the Daily Maverick, Marianne Thamm does. There are even fewer who can remain optimistic while knowing what they know.

She is back! The phenomenal Lana English, the unforgettable Christine in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, who has a considerable number of years graced the international waters, has decided to anchor in Cape Town. Her new show A MUSICAL DELIGHT hits the Wave Theater on 26 and 27 August.

“If music be the food of love, play on” –  and Bonny White does: her beautiful soiree of songs, involving nine knock-out performers and a fabulous accompanist, is a feast to experience. What makes ON THE TABLE so great is that most of the songs are not well known – they are not the ‘before-interval’ numbers of the biggest Broadway musicals.