Brian Hill: Mr Teatro

Teatro’s year of extraordinary success – 2013

by Louw Mulder

Setting its standards ever higher, year after year, the Teatro at Montecasino has had an extraordinary 2013 and is looking forward to an even better year in 2014. The venue recently won the Leisure Options Best of Jozi Readers Choice Award for Best Theatre for the third year running.

Bryan Hill, General Manager of the Teatro since prior to its opening in 2007, is immensely proud of the Teatro, of what it is contributing to Montecasino as a whole, and of the strong and positive influence it is having on the theatrical production scene in South Africa.

“Over the years we have achieved an average 85 percent occupancy at the Teatro – which is extremely good and a figure we were pleased with – however, this year it has increased by at least five percent, which is immensely encouraging and suggests our choice of shows and their production is more than meeting audiences’ expectations,” says Hill.

“Six or seven years ago it didn’t seem feasible to many people that we could build an audience for a theatre in the suburbs of the city of Johannesburg – but Tsogo Sun saw a gap in the market, and after they invested over R100 million in building the Teatro at Montecasino, it has turned out to be an extremely wise move on their part, adding a whole new dimension to the vibrancy and experience of the complex as a whole.”

Shows in 2013 started with the dynamic and highly successful Jersey Boys, the true life story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. Astute about what South Africans know and respond to, the Montecasino marketing team promoted the show by the popular and well-known songs that predominate in the show; songs such as Sherry, Walk like a Man, Rag Doll, Oh What a Night, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and many more. This paid off, with the public filling the theatre, night after night.

From the Jersey Boys through to October this year, over 200 000 people have attended performances at the Teatro.

Also attracting people in droves was the magnificent internationally-acclaimed St Petersburg ballet, which presented a full-length four act classic production of the world’s most famous ballet, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which ran for three weeks in July. It had been several years since a St Petersburg ballet had been presented in Gauteng, with 2013 marking their first appearance at the Teatro, and audiences were delighted.

In the comedy genre on stage this year was the hilarious John Cleese with his show John Cleese Live. He returned to South Africa after the sold out success of his 2011 tour, Alimony.  South Africa’s own comedic genius Trevor Noah’s show, It’s My Culture, was an absolute hit for three weeks – he was seen by over 38 000 patrons – to the extent that he has been booked for another season with the same show early in 2014.

Hill points out that every production must be a hit as “you’re only as good as your last show” and word of mouth is one of the most powerful mediums attracting audiences to the Teatro.

“One of the strengths of the Teatro is that we try and present a wide range of productions that appeal to different audiences – but that all fit in with the Teatro brand. We’re contributing to the creation of a whole new theatre-going public, which is very exciting,” says Hill. The range of productions hosted by the Teatro since it opened includes Broadway musicals, ballet, ice shows, international jazz, comedy shows, opera, gospel, rock, electronic pop, and more, attracting an extremely diverse mix of people, many of whom have never visited a theatre before.

Hill says the Teatro team works hard to build relationships with producers and international companies to ensure that the Teatro is considered a viable venue when tours and productions are planned. “We are extremely proud of our strong partnerships with producers Pieter Toerien and Hazel Feldman, who are integral when it comes to the sourcing, planning and production of some of our best shows.”

The team at Tsogo Sun and Montecasino has a formidable understanding of the local market – of what will work for local audiences and what won’t – as well as insight into the changing trends and preferences within the market.

Hill himself has rich and varied experience in the entertainment industry prior to joining Montecasino to run the Teatro, which has added strongly to the theatre’s recipe for success.

Hill is passionate about bringing the finest entertainment available to local audiences and about upholding the world-class reputation that the Teatro has established as South Africa’s premier theatre.

His commitment to the entertainment industry as a whole in South Africa sees Hill involving himself in various activities at tertiary institutions. This year he has been a speaker and guest advisor for Oakfields College Faculty of Dance & Musical Theatre; he has been instrumental in establishing a partnership with Oakfields for students to assist with Tsogo Sun’s Suncares  Arts Academy; advising  musical theatre students from Wits University; and he has been a guest judge for the second annual Just Dance Competition held at the Joburg Theatre.

Next year is already promising to be another extraordinary year for the Teatro at Montecasino and one of the top shows for the year will be the fast paced, dramatic and brilliant Cirque Éloize iD, which Hazel Feldman describes as “ a kind of Tap Dogs on steroids”. Hill firmly believes the show will be packed out throughout its run.

Earlier in the year is the evergreen Broadway musical, The Sound of Music, which appeals to everyone – from the youngest to the oldest members of the family.

“We have to constantly raise the bar higher to maintain the standards we have set for ourselves,” says Hill. “We love to bring events to South African audiences that they may have never seen before – but that also has a tremendous appeal. And so far, our recipe has been successful,” he says.

For full details on the Teatro at Montecasino, the upcoming shows and all the other entertainment options just waiting for you to enjoy at Montecasino, visit www.montecasino.co.za, join us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/montecasino, or follow us on Twitter at @MontecasinoZA.