Producers Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay announced that The Color Purple would be extending its run on The Mandela Stage at Joburg Theatre for Women’s Month in August 2018.

Popular actress and vocalist Lelo Ramasimong, who achieved a great personal success playing the role of Darlene in The Color Purple in February, will now step into the lead role of the troubled blues singer Shug Avery.

Lelo Ramasimong became a house-hold name in SA when she made it into the top 10 on Idols SA. Since then she has performed as a vocalist in major venues all over the country and was voted by Seventeen Magazine as the Top Young South African Artist. She also became a finalist in the Cosmopolitan Most Awesome Women of the Year.

Lelo’s theatre career has included award winning performances in Little Shop of Horrors, Dreamgirls, African Footprint, Under African Skies and Burn the Floor.  She was the lead female vocalist in the popular television show Strictly Come Dancing and was one of the artists in the new television series Coke Studio, collaborating with well known producer 37MPH to create the hit single Shine.

Seventeen of the original twenty cast members signed to reprise their roles, including acclaimed Didintle Khunou as Celie and Aubrey Poo as Mister.  Janice Honeyman, Bernard Jay and musical director Rowan Bakker then embarked on another round of auditions to find the three necessary replacement cast members.

Well known actress and vocalist Lelo Ramasimong, who initially played the role of Darlene in The Color Purple, will now be stepping into the leading role of Shug Avery.  Lelo created her own fan base during The Color Purple’s first season with her spine-chilling vocalisation of the role of Darlene.  Now her fans can’t wait to experience the gutsy, blues singing she will feature as Shug Avery.

After several audition sessions, the creative team identified the three highly talented people to join the cast: Masego Mothibakgomo, Terrence Ngwila and Lebo Borole.

Masego Mothibakgomo takes over the role of Darlene from Lelo Ramasimong. Masego obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Drama from the University of Pretoria.  Her theatre work includes roles in Disney’s The Lion King, Romeo and Juliet, Alchemy of Desire/Dead man’s Blues directed by Ball State University’s Wendy Saver-Mortimer and Seussical. Masego is also embarking on a career as a singer/songwriter in the commercial music industry.

Terrence Ngwila will be playing the role of Grady. He is trained in American Latin, basic Tango, and Jazz-Ed but he describes himself mostly as a hip-hop and dub-step dancer. Terrence was also trained and awarded an introductory teaching certificate in Jazz-Ed by one of South Africa’s dancers on Broadway, Pinto Ferreira.  He was part of the award winning South African ‘soapie’ Generations: the Legacy and worked with Paul Grootboom on The President’s Man.  Terrence played the lead in the production 1606, which received an Ovation Award at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival in 2015. Other theatre roles include Marikana The Musical, Freedom and Sophiatown – all at The State Theatre in Pretoria.

Lebo Borole also joins the company. Lebo studied drama and performance at the National School of the Arts and continued her studies at the University of Witwatersrand, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree. She has worked as a radio personality at Trans World Radio and performed in an acapella music group called Blacklace. She toured Hong Kong in Disney’s The Lion King as Nala. Lebo was also cast as the lead in the musical Milked Voice and is currently featured in the new musical Tsotsi in Cape Town.

The Color Purple will re-open at The Mandela at Joburg Theatre on August 7th 2018 and will run until September 2nd.  To book you can call 0861 670 670, go online at www.joburgtheatre.com or book in person at the Joburg Theatre box office.  Theatre patrons can also book online and pay at selected Pick N Pay stores.

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By David Simmons

If there was ever a greater time for women to feel empowered in the world and most importantly in South Africa, that time is now! The Color Purple, currently showing at the Joburg Theatre, couldn’t have come at a more auspicious time. Women all over the world, empowered by the Times Up movement are uniting as one and marching with a clear and powerful voice, echoing the struggles of their ancestors and all the many hardships they had to endure. The Color Purple is one such story, a celebration and at times a strained battle of the struggles of women, their determination to survive and overcome their darkest adversities.

Stories of hope, love, friendship and ultimately redemption always ring true to one’s heart and through music, song and dance we tend to hear and understand the message with a more vivid and clear ring. It is not often one gets to witness on stage something so remarkable and poignant that it leaves you feeling numb and speechless, yet at the same time empowered and overjoyed. The Color Purple with its rich cocktail of emotions will leave a completely different imprint on each and every theatre goer, making the experience all the more worthwhile.

The production which officially opened on Sunday the 4^th of February to rapturous applause, is its first major international staging since the Broadway revival and this musical, with its smart and clever direction, is bound to take Johannesburg by storm. The Color Purple is by no means a glamourous showcase. It’s raw, its gutsy but has a temperament that is bound to have you leaping out of your seats and rejoicing in unison with the characters on stage!

It takes a massive team to bring a production of this scale to life and huge credit needs to be given to Production Designer, Sarah Roberts, and Mannie Manim as the Lightening Designer, who both transported audience members to a bygone era where the atmosphere was bleak, yet the characters vivid and commanding in their respective roles. The music, under the baton of Rowan Bakker, brilliantly brought the sumptuous and evocative score to life, filling the theatre with sounds of jazz, gospel and ragtime numbers. Executive Producer Bernard Jay and Director Janice Honeyman, both who need very little introduction, have given this rousing musical wings and gifted us with an incredible and moving story.

The plot is simple, but the characters are complicated, allowing the audience to witness their troubled lives of anguish and determination up close and personal. We are introduced to sisters Celie and Nettie both intrinsically connected not only by birth but with a bond that will stand the test of time. They are separated through circumstance and both have to venture into the unknown hardships of life and the difficulties of being a woman. Celie, under the abusive and watchful eye of Mister finds her voice through two exceptional characters, Sofia and Shug Avery whose friendship and morals allow her to find her true path in the world.

I revisited Alice Walker’s novel for a light recap a few weeks before the Musical opened. I whisked through the book savouring every page and understanding the complexities of the characters and the women who are central in making this story so real and relatable. Stand out performances from Didintle Khunou who brought Celie’s character to life and Sebe Leotlela who played Nettie with dignity and affection both expressing buckets loads of rich and notable talent.

Neo Motaung’s Sofia, who as played by Oprah Winfrey in Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film, blew me away. I loved her character from beginning to end, her strength, spirit and gutsy laugh was a joy to watch. Lerato Mvelase who played Shug Avery gave a memorable and determined role capturing equal amounts of strength and vulnerability.

Other noteworthy performances were Aubrey Poo whose character resembled the antagonist of the story, was stoic and memorable. The all South African cast were exceptional with clockwork performances showcasing some of the best talents we have in the country. Once couldn’t fault their deep southern drawl’s which made this stirring musical all the more authentic. Oscar Buthelezi, The Color Puple’s Choreographer, expertly created dance numbers of substance, bringing the past to life. With musical numbers such as Hell No and I’m Here, you’ll soon discover that this musical means business.

Oprah Winfrey’s Cecil B Demille Life time achievement speech at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards echoed everything that The Color Purple stands for. It was profound, real and captured the hearts of women and audience members alike:

‘What I know for sure, is speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I am especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories”.

This hugely ambitious offering has an almost spiritual voice, one that I haven’t experienced on a South African stage in a very long time. I laughed, I cried but most importantly I felt a wonderful togetherness with my fellow theatre goers who collectively experienced and witnessed something quite remarkable on stage. If there is one musical you see this year- let it be this one!

The Color Purple will be running at the Joburg Theatre until 4 March 2018. Tickets are available at Webtickets or at the theatre.

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The Color Purple, as a musical, was originally produced on Broadway in 2005, by a team of producers, including Oprah Winfrey and received eleven Tony nominations.  Now, this musical is to be seen on a South African Stage, as directed by Janice Honeyman, and Rowan Bakker as Musical director with an all South African cast.

Enter our competition here, and hope the luck of the purple draw is on your side…

The Color Purple Competition Form

[contact-form-7 id=”7224″ title=”The Color Purple”]

Please Note:

1. Competition Closes on Monday, 5 February 2018.
2. Tickets are only valid for the specified dates and performance times, and my not be upgraded, or exchanged for cash, or for alternate performances.
3. The prize comprises of two tickets per Price Winner.
4. No-Shows will not receive replacement tickets.
5. By entering this competition, the participant agrees to the terms and conditions.
6. Excess entries may cause your email to be seen as spam.

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In August 2016, director Janice Honeyman, executive producer Bernard Jay and musical director Rowan Bakker embarked on a search for the two women who would be chosen to play the lead roles of Celie and Shug Avery in the Tony Award winning musical The Color Purple, to be staged for the first time in South Africa in 2018 and with an all-South African cast.

After gruelling auditions in Cape Town, Pretoria and Joburg of over 250 performers, the team finally found South Africa’s answers for the two currently most coveted female roles in musical theatre. Today, we are excited to reveal the two South African actresses who will be playing these roles in the first major international production of The Color Purple since the Broadway revival.

At a media junket, held at Joburg Theatre, it was revealed that Didintle Khunou will be playing the role of Celie – a caring and gentle girl whose resilience is truly miraculous and ultimately a tribute to humankind – and Molebatsi Lekgetha will be playing the role of Shug Avery – the archetypal blues woman, with her earthy wisdom and singer lifestyle.

Didintle Khunou, 25, is a Wits School of Arts graduate, having obtained a BA Honours Degree in Dramatic Arts. She has made many television appearances, the most recent being the second season of SABC2’s popular Sotho drama series Mamello, directed by SAFTA award-winning director Zuko Nodada.

Born and raised in Pretoria, Molebatsi Lekgetha, 33, began exploring her talent as a performer in primary school. Her love and passion for the arts directed her to study and complete a BA (Drama) Degree at the University of Pretoria. She immediately landed a lead role in Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Market Theatre, for which she received a Naledi Award Nomination for Best Performance By A Newcomer. .

Didintle and Molebatsi join a talented all South African cast, which features Zane Gillion, Sebe Leotlela (as Nettie), Dolly Louw, Andile Magxaki, Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri (as Harpo), Venolia Manale, Namisa Mdlalose, Phumi Mncayi, Neo Motaung (as Sofia), Tshepo Ncokoane, Thokozani Nzima, Funeka Peppeta, Aubrey Poo (as Mister), Senzesihle Radebe, Lelo Ramasimong, Zolani Shangase, Ayanda Sibisi and Lebo Toko.

The director is Janice Honeyman, musical director Rowan Bakker, production designer Sarah Roberts, lighting designer Mannie Manim and The Color Purple is produced by Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay in association with MNet and 702.

The Color Purple is based upon the 1982 novel written by Alice Walker and the 1985 Warner Bros/Amblin Entertainment Motion Picture, directed by Steven Spielberg. The musical’s book is by Marsha Norman and the music and lyrics are by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The musical The Color Purple was originally produced on Broadway in 2005 by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Roy Furman and Quincy Jones, receiving eleven 2006 Tony Award nominations. The recent Broadway revival enjoyed tremendous success, boosted by its major Tony Award wins in 2016 and Grammy Award in 2017.

The musical will have preview performances in The Mandela at Joburg Theatre from January 31st 2018, with its official opening night on Sunday February 4th and running until Sunday March 4th 2018. Tickets from R240 are already on sale: telephone 0861 670 670, go online at www.joburgtheatre.com or book in person at the Joburg Theatre box office. Theatre patrons can also book online and pay at selected Pick N Pay stores.

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Save the date! Showtime Management’s 10^th Anniversary Production of Rent  in Concert takes place at Montecasino’s Teatro on Monday, 15 May 2017 at 8pm. Tickets are now on sale at Computicket.  Presented by Showtime Management, this celebratory one night fund-raising concert features the much loved iconic and popular numbers from the stage production of Rent including Seasons of Love, Out Tonight, Without You, Will I and Take Me Or Leave Me performed by the original South African cast who reunite especially for this concert. They last performed together to rave reviews in the Tony and Pulitzer Award winning musical production of Rent, produced by Showtime Management ten years ago at the Alexander Theatre in Braamfontein and then Artscape, Cape Town.

“One is tempted to return just to relive the glorious music,” raved the Tonight on 20 July 2007 and now “Rentheads”, fans of the musical and theatre-goers are invited to take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy Rent in Concert.  Based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme, the musical production of Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished friends struggling to make it in New York’s East City Village as they struggle with relationships, drugs, loss, love, creativity, HIV/AIDS and paying their “rent”.

This concert version presents the entire score sung and performed with minimal staging. It’s all about the music, the songs and the strength of the beautiful voices that will have audiences singing along or sitting mesmerized, longing for more.  All proceeds go to HospiceWits whose “no end to caring” motto resonates with Rent’s themes of love, losing a loved one to a terminal illness, friendship and support. The music and lyrics written by Jonathan Larson performed by the South African cast tell the touching story though song.

The cast is passionate about the concert and eager to give of their time to support HospiceWits. All the 2007 leads – including Shaun V who is flying in from Dubai – and some from around the country, sees Duane Alexander, Aubrey Poo, Zane Gillion, Thokozani “Zano” Nzima, Talia Kodesh, Sivan Raphaely and Ilse Klink together with fellow cast members Chantal Herman, Jaco Van Rensburg, Anton Luitingh, Megan Victor-Carelse and Lorri Strauss on stage on 15 May. New to this staging will be Phillip Schnetler and Nicholas “Nicksoul” Nkuna, who are looking forward to joining the original performers.

What started as a light-hearted Facebook chat about getting together for the 10^th Anniversary of RENT is now becoming a reality.  Hazel Feldman and Tony Feldman of Showtime Management, the original producers of Rent are lending their full support to Rent in Concert and Montecasino, the concert host is providing the Teatro as the concert venue. Technical companies Gearhouse Splitbeam, ProSound and Computicket have donated their services while Music Theatre International New York and the Jonathan Larson Estate has waivered performance royalties, therefore greatly assisting in raising funds for Hospice Wits.

The concert also reunites the 2007 creative team of choreographer Jill Somers with Anton Luitingh and Duane Alexander who will recreate their performances in RENT as well as co-direct the concert version. Music Supervisor, Bryan Schimmel will once again, lead the band.

“Rent radically changed the Broadway musical in the 1990’s, so in keeping with our vision to continually provide world class entertainment that is unique to our venue, the Teatro at Montecasino is thrilled to be hosting this once off event to raise money for a very hardworking organisation such as Hospice Wits” Bryan Hill, General Manager, Teatro

Tickets for this one night only concert are limited and patrons are encouraged to book at Computicket as soon as possible. #RentConcertSA

SHOW INFORMATION

Monday, 15 May 2017 at 20:00

TICKET PRICES:

R150, R250, R350, R450

BOOKINGS:

Computicket by calling 0861 915 8000, visit www.computicket.com or visit your nearest Computicket service centre.

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