Festive Season Retrospective REMEMBERING THE LUX for the Baxter Theatre

This summer the Mother City is going to rock as the Baxter Theatre Centre pays tribute to the iconic Luxurama Theatre, one of Cape Town's grand old dames of cinema and entertainment with a brand new production, REMEMBERING THE LUX. Written and directed by Alistair Izobell and Baxter CEO and artistic director Lara Foot, REMEMBERING THE LUX is set to be the undisputed highlight of the festive season. They have teamed up to bring to life and celebrate its history through stories and classic hit songs in this first-ever homage to the legendary Luxurama.

Izobell has assembled a stellar ensemble featuring himself, Terry Fortune, Terry Hector, Loukmaan Adams, Niesha Abrahams, Leslie Kleinsmith, Giempie Vardien, Nur Abrahams and Felicity Keran, accompanied by a six-piece live band, led by Donveno Prins. Most of them have, at some point in their own careers, performed at The Lux, as it was - and is still today - fondly called.

The cast will share anecdotes as they sing familiar and perennially popular songs such as "Where the Boys Are", "Il Mondo", "Spanish Eyes", "Stay Beside Me", "Puppy Love", "My Life" and "Delilah", to mention just a few, guaranteed to get audiences singing along and dancing in their seats.

When it was built by Ronnie Quibell in 1963, The Luxurama Theatre in Wynberg became a vital cultural hub for many integrated audiences and it preceded the Three Arts Complex in Diep River, which was also established by the Quibell Brothers. It was the first theatre complex to host mixed audiences during apartheid. Top international artists like Connie Francis, Dusty Springfield, Engelbert Humperdink, Tom Jones, Percy Sledge, Peaches and Herb, Petula Clark, Jose Feliciano, Dobie Gray, Joe Dolan, Lovelace Watkins and many others performed at the Luxurama. Local stars Taliep Petersen, Zayn Adam, Jonathan Butler, Richard Jon Smith, Ricardo, Ronnie Joyce and Lionel Petersen are just a few of the music sensations who appeared on the boards. Well-known South African bands like The Rockets, The Bats, Rabbit and Ballyhoo were among the groups who battled it out on its stage.

This is a first-time collaboration between Izobel and Foot, both accomplished and respected artists in their respective genres.

Izobell is one of South Africa's foremost artists, producer and musical directors, having started his career at age seven, and later went on to perform in David Kramer and Taliep Petersen's KAT AND THE KINGS, which earned him and the cast of the show the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. He has become one of the leading music figures in the Western Cape, and in recent years he has wowed audiences with productions such as KAAPSE JOL, KAAPSE MUSIEK IN COLOUR 2, KAAPSE STOEP STORIES and JUST ME - NET SO.

Foot is a respected writer and director whose focus is on the development of South African work. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her work which include TSHEPANG, KAROO MOOSE, SOLOMON AND MARION, SCROOGE and FISHERS OF HOPE (TAWARET).

The Baxter Theatre Centre has launched a special Facebook page called "The Lux"and members of the public are encouraged to join and share their own memories, pictures and stories about this once statuesque and vibrant entertainment centre. Izobell comments:

I am personally so excited to be honouring The Luxurama Theatre, which was home to so many of this city's audiences during its heyday. Almost the entire cast in this production have performed on that stage and for all of us, to be able to bring back those memories, I regard as a blessing. Teaming up with Lara, who had tremendous success with her production of SCROOGE at the Baxter two years ago, is another highlight of my career so far. We would like to invite local audiences to join us in this festive season celebration as we pay tribute to the Lux and urge them to share their memories and stories with us on this specially-created Facebook page.

REMEMBERING THE LUX runs from 3 December to 9 January and booking is now open online at Computicket, on 0861 915 8000 or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted corporate or group block bookings, fundraisers or charities contact Sharon Ward on 021 680 3962 or Carmen Kearns on 021 680 3993.

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