10 Days Left to Snap Up The Fugard’s KINKY BOOTS Early Birds Special

Posted on 21 Oct 2018 by David Fick

Eric Abraham and the Fugard Theatre will present a brand new, original production of Kinky Boots, the smash-hit musical by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper. With performances set to run from 11 June 2019, The Fugard is offering musical theatre lovers the chance to snap up a fabulous early bird ticket special until 31 October 2018.

This early bird special, which is exclusively available by contacting The Fugard Theatre’s box office by phone on 021 461 4554 or by email, enables audiences to purchase four premium priced tickets, regularly priced at R470 per ticket, at only R300 per ticket for performances after 27 June 2019.

Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price, who has reluctantly inherited his father’s shoe factory, Price & Son, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. As they work to turn the factory around, this unlikely pair find that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible, and discover that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

The Fugard Theatre’s Kinky Boots is brought to Cape Town audiences by the same creative team behind the Fugard Theatre productions of The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret, Funny Girl and West Side Story. Direction is by Matthew Wild, with musical direction by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder and choreography by Louisa Talbot.

Joanna Weinberg to Unpack PANDORA’S BAG at the Baxter’s Golden Arrow This Week

Posted on 21 Oct 2018 by David Fick

Actress, songwriter and cabaret artist Joanna Weinberg will return to South Africa after many years to perform her entertaining hit solo cabaret, Pandora’s Bag, at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio for a limited season, starting this week.

A graduate of the University of Cape Town’s drama department, Weinberg was born in London and raised in South Africa before moving to Sydney in Australia. Coming from a family of classical musicians, she has many years of experience in creating and performing theatre, music, cabaret and musical theatre and has created five albums of original songs, two of which are original cast albums of her musicals.

Pandora’s Bag is comic solo cabaret show with keyboard, accordion and handbags. The show is inspired by bags and the women who wear them, covering subject matter like old bags, laundry bags and bag porn. The audience is encouraged to show and tell their own bag stories for a chance to win a prize, while a volunteer bag model will also be selected from the audience, giving theatrical extroverts a chance to shine. Of the production’s run in the Mother City, she says:

I’m so thrilled to be performing in Cape Town again, which is where I began my career. With October being breast cancer awareness month, I felt that this would be a timely show which celebrates both women and the handbag as metaphor for and extension of the female body. I would like to point out that men also love this show, as they have their own baggage.

Weinberg has written thirteen original one-woman shows, including the critically acclaimed Piano Diaries, which is available on iTunes. Much of her theatre training and background is evident in many of the songs with a masterful way of crafting lyrics. Her award winning musical, Lifeforce: the Mother of all Journeys, played the Sydney Fringe in 2013 and her soccer-parent musical, Every Single Saturday, toured New South Wales in 2011. Some of her other original shows include Baroness Bianka’s Bloodsongs, 12 Shoes and Sinksongs, which was the inspiration for a feature film, Goddess, which had a worldwide release in 2012. Her work has been performed in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa.

Pandora’s Bag runs at the Baxter Golden Arrow Studio from 23 October to 3 November at 20:15 nightly with Saturday matinees at 17:00. Ticket prices ranges from R160 to R180, with a rate of R130 for block-bookings of ten or more people. Booking is through Webtickets.

Sarafina Sunday is CALLING US HOME at the Alexander Upstairs

Posted on 7 Oct 2018 by David Fick

A brand new edition of Sarafina Magazine: Live! will take the stage at The Alexander Upstairs tonight. Known for bringing womxn’s stories to the forefront, the live editions of the popular online platform are hosted by its founder, Candice Bernstein, and feature discussions with South Africa’s leading womxn artists and arts industry professionals. Audience members are encouraged to engage in the discussion through a Q&A session at the end of the talkback.

Tonight’s Sarafina Magazine: Live! – the fifth and final event of its kind for 2018 – shines a spotlight on Calling Us Home, an original South African musical that impressively features an almost entirely female creative team. The panel features the show’s composer, Alice Gilham alongside its director, Magdalene Minnaar, and set designer, Nadine Minnaar. Leading lady Danielle Bitton also appears in the production.

All funds raised from ticket sales will go towards ensuring the longevity and expansion of the vital womxn narrative-driven platform. Tickets cost R90 if booked and prepaid online via the Alexander Bar’s website or R100 if paid on collection at the bar. The Alexander Bar, Café and Theatre is situated at 76 Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre.