The character of Nettie is the sister of the story’s protagonist, Celie, and shows her sister unconditional love and support. Although Nettie doesn’t bare her own children in the story, she is noted as acting as Celie’s protector and cares for Celie’s children. This caring, maternal nature is true of Sebe Leotlela herself, who recently gave birth to a little girl.

The role of Nettie is a significant one for Leotlela and she was acknowledged for her powerful performance by being nominated for a 2019 Naledi Theatre Award as best supporting actor in a musical.

Leotlela is excited to be returning to her role in the April 2020 season of The Color Purple. Since becoming a mother, she is set to instill many of the lessons from the novel and musical in her daughter.

The musical’s director in South Africa, Janice Honeyman, is also excited to know that Leotlela will be reprising her role as Nettie.

Sebe also played the role of the Disco Diva Candy in Bernard Jay’s production of Saturday Night Fever at The South African State Theatre. She has performed in two of Janice Honeyman’s pantomimes, Pinocchio and Snow White. She is currently serving as assistant choreographer in this year’s pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk.

Joining Sebe Leotlela on stage in The Color Purple next year are acclaimed South African actors Didintle Khunou as Celie, Lelo Ramasimong as Shug Avery, Neo Motaung as Sofia, Thokozani Nzima as Mister and Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri as Harpo.

The Color Purple

Joburg Theatre

2 April to 12 April 2020

Tickets are available at www.joburgtheatre.com

Theatre patrons can also book online and pay at selected Pick N Pay stores.

The post The Color Purple appeared first on Stage and Screen.

In 2017, RADA sought out to record an album of cover songs sung by South Africa’s top musicians. What came out of it was more than just an album. RADA created a movement. RADA Inspire. Using music as a vehicle for change, RADA released, to critical acclaim, a power anthem featuring 31 of South Africa’s top artists titled We Stand Together.  This new Album is available on all digital platforms.

RADA Inspire was launched in March 2018, by the non-profit organization to create a shift in perspective. The aim was to show people that change doesn’t necessarily require physical or monetary effort, but can be brought about by a shift in mind-set and a move towards positive and meaningful living, using the slogan: Be the Way. Be the Change. One day at a time.

Taking the message to the streets in a new and dynamic way, RADA undertook an unprecedented ten month campaign, creating awareness and on-the-ground engagement through various activations and initiatives. These included highlighting issues around taxi and road user awareness, bullying in schools and the workplace, negativity in the service industry, recognizing the need for extra humanitarian care and more.

Throughout 2018, RADA Inspire was featured in numerous publications including Country Life, Essentials Magazine, Living and Loving, Your Family, Food and Home, as well as in-depth monthly coverage on Stage and Screen.  Their Campaigns also featured on television with inserts on Expresso Morning Show on SABC 3 and the Afrikaans music programme Kliphard on SABC 2.

With such a successful movement in 2018, RADA has decided to turn RADA Inspire into an annual campaign, because we realise that change is a lifelong endeavor that comes about through consistent renewing of the mind daily. RADA Inspire will continue in March 2019 with the same ten month campaign, only bigger and better.

RADA will continue to use music to bring the message of positive change to the world with the eventual release of the RADA Inspire album, additional music videos and singles featuring South African talent. RADA will also continue to seek out new artists through the RADA Unearthed project, assisting musicians in their career and using the arts as a medium to communicate the RADA Inspire message.

RADA Inspire Forecast for 2019:

March – Taxi and Road Rage Awareness Month

April – Service Industry Month

May – Bullying Awareness Month

June – Family Support and Elderly Awareness Month

July – Comfort Month

August – Women’s Month

September – Heritage Month

October – Drug and Alcohol Awareness Month

November – Orphans, homeless and community awareness month

December – Celebratory Wrap Up and Year in Review

The post RADA Inspire: 2019 appeared first on Stage and Screen.

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.

The post The Color Purple Ruturns appeared first on Stage and Screen.

In March 2018, RADA launched the RADA Inspire campaign with the aim of shifting perspective across various social issues and creating a level of self-awareness among people. It has been an eye-opening and challenging task, one that couldn’t have been achieved without the coming together and unity of the RADA family, which is why for the month of June, we want to honour and encourage people to celebrate and reach out to their family.

Over the course of the campaign, RADA has created awareness around taxi and driver behaviour on the roads, people’s attitudes towards those in the service industry as well as the very serious and prominent concern of bullying in schools, the workplace and even online.

At the heart of all these themes and the RADA Inspire campaign is the value for oneself and others. The campaign itself is based on the premise that one person can make a difference. All it takes is to do one small thing differently daily and by improving, you raise your resonance, creating a ripple effect of positive change.

Growing up the first lessons in relationships we share, are those with family. It teaches us respect and responsibility for each other. In a strict sense, when people use the term family, they refer to biological relations, but at RADA, we consider family to be those closest to you.

We recognise that people cannot live solitary lives and that the love and support of family vastly adds to our quality of life. Respect, tolerance and understanding of others is critical in creating a safe and peaceful environment for all.

This June, RADA wants to encourage people to recognise the value of family and reach out to loved ones, despite past grievances. To understand that the only way to create empathy among people in the world, is to start with those closest to you and empower others to do the same.

Over the course of family month, RADA will engage in the planning, conceptualisation and building of a new home for Disebo and her family. Disebo runs the Thato KeMatla Orphanage in Orange Farm and is an integral part of the RADA family.

Top tips:

• Spend time with loved ones
• Say ‘thank you’ to family when they do something for you and encourage a culture of gratitude
• Start your day with a ‘Good Morning’ message or funny text, reminding loved ones that you are there
• Say ‘I love you’
• Listen to loved ones when they talk
• Give hugs
• When in conversation, talk positive about your family, building them up instead of breaking them down
• Be tolerant and forgiving
• Be respectful to others and their feelings
• Spread positivity

The post RADA Inspire for June: Keep Calm and Celebrate Family appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Two months into the RADA Inspire campaign and the team at RADA are already spreading their web of influence, initiating positive change across the South African community.

The RADA Inspire campaign was launched at the beginning of March to inspire the nation through a simple shift in perspective. The aim: to encourage the citizens of South Africa to inspire both themselves and others by marrying action with awareness, and making a difference in people’s lives one day at a time.

The non-profit has already tackled various controversial issues, beginning with taxi road rage and driver awareness in March, and then changing people’s attitudes to those that work in the service industry in April. Both highlighted the various daily struggles and concerns of the ‘other person’, striving to create a better understanding and empathy for those that share our communal spaces.

The campaign itself is based on the premise that one person can make a difference, and that when you change yourself, your energy resonates, creating a ripple effect of positive change. You don’t have to be exceptional. You don’t have to exert yourself beyond your means. In the end, all it takes is to do one small thing differently, empowering others with the belief that they may do the same.

In May 2018, RADA will shift their focus to another familiar yet promiment societal issue: BULLYING.

Bullying can be defined as any intention to hurt another person, whether physically, emotionally or psychologically. Research shows that at least 66% of children will be involved in bullying at some point in their life, which can lead to depression, low self-esteem and even suicide.

But there is no doubt that bullying is a worldwide problem that affects more than just the youth. Bullying is all around us, in schools, colleges, universities, the workplace and even online. At RADA, we believe in taking a holistic approach to healing, looking at the problem from both sides.

So without passing the blame or judgement, RADA acknowledges that those who hurt could very well be in pain themselves. Most bullies try to make themselves feel important because they are trying to fulfil needs that are not being met. Bullies are seeking attention – a need that all too often goes ignored – so they make themselves feel better by making someone else feel worse.

At RADA, we promote self-responsibility and self-awareness, an important attribute that can redefine the way we treat others. Respect, tolerance and understanding of others is critical in creating a safe and peaceful environment for all.

Over the course of bullying month, RADA will initiate various public activations, highlighting concerns around violent and aggressive behaviour towards others in whichever environment you may find yourself in, stimulating conversation among peers and colleagues and encouraging people to seek out the root of the problem.

Top tips:

• Unexplainable injuries, feelings of helplessness, not wanting to go to school, change in eating patterns and trouble sleeping could be signs that someone is being bullied
• Recognise that violence is never the answer
• If you know of someone that is being bullied, tell someone
• Acknowledge and address aggressive behaviours
• Talk to your children about bullying
• Practice wisdom and understanding for others
• Be tolerant and forgiving
• Be respectful to others and their feelings
• Spread positivity
• Emphasise teaching, not punishment
• Avoid labelling people as ‘bullies’ or ‘victims’

The post RADA Inspire for May: Keep Calm and say No to Bullying appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Early last year, the highly inspirational ballad Believe by Howie Combrink maintained its #1 spot on the 5FM SA Top 10 @ 10 for 8 weeks, as well as being nominated for the OFM song of the year award. Released through RADA Unearthed – the music division of the non-profit company RADA, an acronym for Rape, Alcohol, Drug and Abuse. Believe was just one of seven successful radio singles released by the change agents in 2017.

Come 2018, RADA Unearthed continues to spread their influence with another new and exciting initiative – RADA Inspire – and promises to take the message to the streets in an entirely new and dynamic way. RADA Inspire was launched to encourage the citizens of South Africa to inspire both themselves and others through a rigorous campaign over ten consecutive months. Drawing on the strengths and services of the aforementioned projects, RADA Inspire aims to create a whole new level of awareness and on-the-ground engagement greater than the sum of their parts.

Artists on this new album, include: Ashlinn Gray, Janine Price, Ross Learmouth, Timothy Moloi, Kirsten-Claire, Loyiso Bala, Claire Johnston, Lloyd Cele, Tima Reece, Howie Combrink, Riana Nel, Graeme Watkins, Brenden Praise, Gloria Bosman, Caroline Borole, Molebatsi Lekgetha, Neo Motaung, Didintle Khunou, Richard Stirton, Mark Beling, Kurt Darren, Sonds of Jozi, Sevven and Clint Brink.

At the heart of it, RADA Inspire is about marrying action with awareness, moving inch by inch, and making a difference in people’s lives one day at a time. It is based on the premise that one person can make a difference, and that when you change yourself, your energy resonates, creating a ripple effect of positive change. You don’t have to be exceptional. You don’t have to exert yourself beyond your means. In the end, all it takes is to do one small thing differently, empowering others with the belief that they may do the same.

With the launch of RADA Inspire arrives RADA’s second album, featuring top SA artists who have contributed awe-inspiring covers of powerful, well-known classics, including John Lennon’s Imagine, Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer, and Joy’s Paradise Road. Each artist has been tasked with delivering the RADA message through their songs, as well as serving as ongoing ambassadors for the brand. While RADA’s first album was developed as a personal message from RADA to the masses, the second album (featuring brand-new collaborations from some of SA’s biggest artists) is focused on the launch of a whole new movement.

Every Month, Stage and Screen will support the Change per Day campaign.  We believe we can make the world a better place, step by step, day by day, each of us, next to the other.

The post RADA Inspired appeared first on Stage and Screen.

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.

The post The Color Purple appeared first on Stage and Screen.

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.

The post Win Tickets to The Color Purple appeared first on Stage and Screen.

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.

The post The Color Purple appeared first on Stage and Screen.