Tag Archives: Wessel Odendaal

Legendary Musical BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY to Rock SA Stages in 2023

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Pieter Toerien will present a brand-new stage production of the legendary rock musical, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, in South Africa in 2023. Promising to deliver all the thrills of a full-scale live rock ‘n’ roll experience, Buddy will run at the Artscape Opera House from 28 March to 16 April 2023, and at The Teatro at Montecasino from 21 April to 28 May 2023.

A poster for BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, showing a neon image of Buddy Holly as well as the production dates and venues.

Buddy follows the incredible journey of Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise to the top of the charts during the golden age of rock music. Following a start as a country and western singer, he formed a band, The Crickets, and shifted his style to rock music, shooting to stardom in 1957. Just two years later, Holly died tragically in a plane crash alongside Ritchie Valens and J. P. Richardson, also known as The Big Bopper. It was a tragedy that shook the world – to wit, “the day the music died”.

The all-South African cast of Buddy will be led by singer-songwriter Jethro Tait as Buddy Holly. Joining him on stage will be Bethany Dickson and Keaton Ditchfield, as well as Michael Stray, Chad Baai, Simone Neethling, Gianluca Gironi, Thoko Jiyane, Che-Jean Jupp, Gerard Van Rooyen, Koketso Mere, Gabriela Dos Santos, Virtuous Kandemiri, Sindiswa Ndlovu and Morgan Marshall.

Nick Winston, the internationally renowned English director and choreographer, will stage a newly conceived production of Buddy, unlike any previous incarnation of the show seen on South African stages. Wessel Odendaal will handle the musical direction, while Niall Griffin will create original set and costume designs for the show.

Bookings for Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story are open at Webtickets for both the Artscape season and its transfer to The Teatro at Montecasino. Tickets range in price from R150 – R500, with performances taking place on Tuesdays through Sundays. Group bookings for the Cape Town run can be made with Dean Roberts (dean@theatreonthebay.co.za) and with Geraldine Swanepoel (geraldine@montetheatre.co.za) for the Johannesburg run.

Classy Makeover for Simon and Garfunkel in HERE’S TO YOU

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Fall in love with Simon and Garfunkel all over again in Here’s to You, a dynamic and uplifting musical journey through more than twenty classic hits! Expect to hear all the hits, including “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Scarborough Fair,” “Mrs Robinson,” and “Graceland.”

Under the direction of Timothy le Roux, the show features thrillingly fresh yet faithful interpretations of Simon and Garfunkel’s evergreen songs, blending nostalgia and imagination, so that different generations, young and old, can discover the magic of the duo’s folk-rock music as if for the very first time.

Here’s to You is performed by a stellar all-South African cast of eight talented singers who all play musical instruments. Under the musical direction of Wessel Odendaal, the cast is lead by Josh Ansley on guitar with Ashleigh Butcher on banjo, guitar and ukelele, Daniel Geddes on keyboards, Hanna So on piano, violin and cello, Justin Swartz on guitar and vocal percussion, Phindile Dube on percussion and Sanli Jooste on cello.

The production runs at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre from 5 – 28 July 2019, with performances at 20:00 from Wednesdays to Saturdays, as well as at 16:00 on Saturdays and 15:00 on Sundays. Tickets are available from R100 through Computicket.

Only One Week Left to Discover the Simple Secret of THE LITTLE PRINCE

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The Little PrinceThe Johannesburg run of Van Rensburg Theatrical’s The Little Prince at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Studio Theatre finishes its season on 25 November, leaving audiences in the city of gold only one week to discover the simple secrets of this new adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic novella.

Aimed at teenagers from 13 years old and upward, this musical adaptation of the much-loved tale of a pilot and a young alien prince features a book by Elizma Badenhorst and music and lyrics by Wessel Odendaal.

Leaving the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, the little prince’s personal journey culminates in a voyage to Earth where he learns the oddities of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. Van Rensburg Theatrical hopes that the production will be a great conversation starter for parents and their children about the meaning of life.

The Little Prince is performed by Caitlin Salgado, Nieke Lombard and Christelle van Graan and is told with the help and wonderment of shadow and Japanese Bunraku puppetry. Tickets are available through Computicket.