Rouel Beukes
Rouel Beukes (1955- ) is a South African opera singer and actor.
Contents
Biography
Born and raised in Randfontein, studied singing at the University of the Orange Free State and began his opera career with the PACOFS opera company. He also trained as a singer and actor at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Germany and at the Franco Ferarris Institutde in Milan, Italy. In addition, he trained as a teacher at the Goudstad Onderwyskollege in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1980 he became a member of PACT Opera, remaining there until it was closed in 1995. He then became a part time singer and actor, as well as a nature guide and hunter for a while, till Pieter Toerien invited him to join the cast of The Phantom of the Opera, for in which he undertook two unbroken seasons and was later invited to become a member of an international touring company of Phantom, which he finally left in 2020 to return yo South Africa.
He is married to Eureke and the the actress Nadia Beukes is their daughter.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
He has been regarded as one of South Africa's best bass singers. In 1980 he won the Mimi Coertse Study Bursary which allowed him to study in Munich. He has sung a variety of roles in works by Verdi, Donizetti, Strauss, Wagner and Puccini. He has traveled the length and breadth of South Africa to perform in opera and oratoria. He has sung the parts of Colline in La Bohème, Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow and Samuele in Un Ballo in Maschera. Also in Fiddler on the Roof in 2007.
He appeared as Angelotti in Tosca for PACT Opera (1996).
He appeared in Faust for Opera Africa (1998).
He played "Capellio" in I Capuleti e i Montecchi for Opera Africa (2006).
Sources
Personal website [1]
PACT Opera programme for Les Contes d'Hoffmann, October/November 1995
Rapport Gauteng, 15 July 2007.
Phantom of the Opera website https://worldtour.thephantomoftheopera.com/people/rouel-beukes/
https://iol.co.za/entertainment/whats-on/2006-09-26-a-little-chutzpah-goes-a-long-long-way/
Hanlie Retief. 2020. "'n Leeftyd van applous" In Rapport, 27 December, 2020: p. 8
Awards, etc
In addition to two Nederburg prizes for opera he has also been honoured with the Friends of the Opera Study Bursary, the State Theatre / SAA Opera Foundation Award and a VITA Award.
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