Difference between revisions of "Musical Theatre in South Africa"

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Currently being written
 
Currently being written
  
−
=Terminology: Musical Theatre, Rock Musical, Rock Opera and Township Musical=
+
=Terminology=
  
−
==Musical Theatre==
+
* '''Musical Theatre'''
  
 
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals.
 
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals.
  
−
==Rock Musical and Rock Opera==
+
* '''Rock Musical and Rock Opera'''
  
−
A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals. Notable examples of rock musicals include ''[[Next to Normal]]'', ''[[Spring Awakening]]'', ''[[Rent]]'', ''[[Grease]]'', and ''[[Hair]]''. ''[[The Who's Tommy]]'', ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'' and other rock operas are sung-through productions with rock music scores and, like operas, have no spoken dialogue; all lines are sung.
+
A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals. Rock operas are sung-through productions with rock music scores and, like operas, have no spoken dialogue; all lines are sung.
  
−
==Township Musical==
+
* '''Township Musical'''
  
−
"Township musical" is a term used to refer to a uniquely South African form of musical melodrama which evolved in the black urban townships of South Africa.  
+
"Township musical" is a term used to refer to a uniquely South African form of musical melodrama which evolved in the black urban townships of South Africa. In apartheid-era South Africa, the term "township" denoted a place that was anything but pastoral or idyllic. The townships were blacks-only suburbs, with shanties and cinder-block homes among the better-constructed residences, situated near large cities like Johannesburg. There were schools and churches, but very little in the way of organized entertainment. The form utilizes stock [[township]] characters and situations and melodramatic and moralizing plots in which good, sympathetic characters suffer as a result of the pressures of urban life and the machinations of evil urban characters, but ultimately triumph.  
  
 
'''For more information, see [[Township musical]].'''
 
'''For more information, see [[Township musical]].'''
 +
 +
* '''Jukebox Musical'''
 +
 +
A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs performed by one singer or band, or written by one songwriter.
  
 
=Introduction=
 
=Introduction=
Line 23: Line 27:
 
=Producers=
 
=Producers=
  
−
The [[Performing Arts Councils]]
+
Musicals have been a staple offering in the entertainment industry in South Africa and also a popular choice for schools, student productions and amateur dramatic societies. This discussion considers the production of musicals by professional theatre companies in South Africa.
 +
 
 +
== [[African Consolidated Theatres]]==
 +
 
 +
==State-funded productions by the [[Performing Arts Councils]] (1961-1990s)==
 +
 
 +
([[CAPAB]], [[NAPAC]], [[PACT]], [[PACOFS]])
 +
 
  
−
[[Brian Brooke Company]]
+
==Independent producers during the Apartheid era==
  
 
[[Brickhill-Burke]]
 
[[Brickhill-Burke]]
 +
 +
[[Bertha Egnos]]
  
 
[[Des and Dawn Lindberg]]/[[CAT Productions]]
 
[[Des and Dawn Lindberg]]/[[CAT Productions]]
 +
 +
[[Baxter Theatre]]
 +
 +
[[Blik Productions]]
 +
 +
[[Brian Brooke Company]]
 +
 +
[[Taubie Kushlick]]
  
 
[[Pieter Toerien]]
 
[[Pieter Toerien]]
  
−
=American Musicals in South Africa=
+
[[Union of South African Artists]]
 +
 
 +
==Dissolution of the Arts Councils==
 +
 
 +
[[Cape Town Opera]]
 +
 
 +
[[Playhouse Company]]
 +
 
 +
 
 +
==Post-Apartheid era==
 +
 
 +
[[KickstArt]]
 +
 
 +
[[Eric Abraham]]/[[Fugard Theatre]]
 +
 
 +
[[Packed House Productions]]
 +
 
 +
[[Johannesburg Civic Theatre]]
 +
 
 +
[[Richard Loring]]
 +
 
 +
[[Hazel Feldman]]/[[Showtime Management]]
 +
 
 +
=American musicals in South Africa=
  
 
While the key elements of musical theatre (spoken dialogue, song and dance) are rooted in the theatre of ancient Greece, the origins of the modern musical in the 20th century lie in operetta and music hall. From these emerged an evolved, increasingly-popular art form that was pioneered largely by American composer/lyricists like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, brothers George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborated for the first time with ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', producing a piece of theatre that was to shape the nature of musicals for decades to come. This work is widely considered to be the first modern musical, primarily because of the musical's focus on character, plot and drama over novelty acts, speciality acts and witty songs - the conventions of earlier musical entertainments.  
 
While the key elements of musical theatre (spoken dialogue, song and dance) are rooted in the theatre of ancient Greece, the origins of the modern musical in the 20th century lie in operetta and music hall. From these emerged an evolved, increasingly-popular art form that was pioneered largely by American composer/lyricists like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, brothers George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborated for the first time with ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', producing a piece of theatre that was to shape the nature of musicals for decades to come. This work is widely considered to be the first modern musical, primarily because of the musical's focus on character, plot and drama over novelty acts, speciality acts and witty songs - the conventions of earlier musical entertainments.  
Line 41: Line 85:
 
==Rodgers and Hammerstein==
 
==Rodgers and Hammerstein==
  
−
Richard Rodgers  (1902-1979) and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) are arguably the most significant creators of musical theatre in the 20th century. Their eleven collaborations over nearly two decades (alongside their work with other collaborators) produced some of the most successful and popular works in the musical theatre canon. Many of these have been staged in South Africa (and are still popular choices for amateur companies and schools). Works staged in South Africa include:  
+
Composer Richard Rodgers  (1902-1979) and lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) are arguably the most significant creators of musical theatre in the 20th century. Their eleven collaborations over nearly two decades (alongside their work with other collaborators) produced some of the most successful and popular works in the musical theatre canon. Many of these have been staged in South Africa (and are still popular choices for amateur companies and schools). Works staged in South Africa include:  
  
 
* ''[[Carousel]]''
 
* ''[[Carousel]]''
Line 65: Line 109:
 
==Lerner and Loewe==
 
==Lerner and Loewe==
  
−
The work of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe has also proved popular across South Africa. Productions staged in South Africa include:
+
The work of lyricist/librettist Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) and German-born composer Frederick Loewe (1901-1988) has also proved popular across South Africa. Of their nine collaborations (between 1942 and 1974), five productions have been staged in South Africa:
  
 
* ''[[Brigadoon]]''
 
* ''[[Brigadoon]]''
Line 79: Line 123:
 
==Kander and Ebb==
 
==Kander and Ebb==
  
−
''[[Cabaret]]''
+
Composer John Kander (1927-) and lyricist Fred Ebb (1928-2004) collaborated from 1962 until Ebb's death in 2004, and produced 15 musicals together. Their works staged in South Africa include:
  
−
''[[Chicago]]''
+
* ''[[Cabaret]]''
 +
 
 +
* ''[[Chicago]]''
  
 
==Jerry Herman==
 
==Jerry Herman==
Line 118: Line 164:
  
 
''[[A Chorus Line]]''
 
''[[A Chorus Line]]''
 +
 +
''[[Annie]]''
  
 
''[[Annie Get Your Gun]]''
 
''[[Annie Get Your Gun]]''
Line 134: Line 182:
  
 
''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]''
 
''[[The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas]]''
 +
 +
''[[Tomfoolery]]''
 +
 +
''[[Nunsense]]''
 +
 +
''[[Rent]]''
 +
 +
''[[Spring Awakening]]''
 +
 +
''[[March of the Falsettos]]''/''[[Falsettoland]]''
 +
 +
''[[You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown]]''/''[[Snoopy!!!]]''
 +
 +
''[[Singin' in the Rain]]''
  
 
=British Musicals in South Africa=
 
=British Musicals in South Africa=
 +
 +
==[[Noel Coward]]==
 +
 +
''[[Bitter Sweet]]''
 +
 +
''[[Oh Coward!]]''
 +
 +
''[[Cowardy Custard]]''
 +
 +
==[[Ivor Novello]]==
 +
 +
''[[Perchance to Dream]]''
 +
 +
''[[The Dancing Years]]''
 +
 +
''[[King's Rhapsody]]''
 +
 +
==Lionel Bart==
 +
 +
''[[Lock Up Your Daughters]]''
 +
 +
''[[Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be]]''
 +
 +
''[[Oliver!]]''
  
 
==Andrew Lloyd Webber==
 
==Andrew Lloyd Webber==
Line 141: Line 227:
 
British-born Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is one of the most successful composers of musical theatre in the 20th century. His works have been popular in South Africa and have been regularly performed by professional companies and amateur theatre groups across South Africa. ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]'' was first presented in South Africa in 1974, just a short while after the production debuted in London. [[Tim Rice]], the librettist, played the role of 'Pharoah' during a short run in 1975. It has been produced many times since. His second major success,  ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'', premiered in 1971, but was banned in South Africa as it was considered blasphemous. The work was subsequently unbanned and first staged in South Africa in 1991. Performances during the run of the first production in Cape Town in 1993 were disrupted by protesters who objected to the show's portrayal of Jesus. ''[[Evita]]'' was first staged in South Africa in 1981, and has also been staged several times since. Although first staged in London in 1981, ''[[Cats]]'' was first presented in South Africa 20 years later. Several members of the South African cast subsequently toured the production internationally. Other works by Andrew Lloyd Webber staged in South Africa include ''[[Sunset Boulevard]]'', ''[[The Boys in the Photograph]]'', ''[[Aspects of Love]]'' and ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]''.
 
British-born Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is one of the most successful composers of musical theatre in the 20th century. His works have been popular in South Africa and have been regularly performed by professional companies and amateur theatre groups across South Africa. ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]'' was first presented in South Africa in 1974, just a short while after the production debuted in London. [[Tim Rice]], the librettist, played the role of 'Pharoah' during a short run in 1975. It has been produced many times since. His second major success,  ''[[Jesus Christ Superstar]]'', premiered in 1971, but was banned in South Africa as it was considered blasphemous. The work was subsequently unbanned and first staged in South Africa in 1991. Performances during the run of the first production in Cape Town in 1993 were disrupted by protesters who objected to the show's portrayal of Jesus. ''[[Evita]]'' was first staged in South Africa in 1981, and has also been staged several times since. Although first staged in London in 1981, ''[[Cats]]'' was first presented in South Africa 20 years later. Several members of the South African cast subsequently toured the production internationally. Other works by Andrew Lloyd Webber staged in South Africa include ''[[Sunset Boulevard]]'', ''[[The Boys in the Photograph]]'', ''[[Aspects of Love]]'' and ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]''.
  
−
==Other notable productions==
+
==Leslie Bricusse==
  
−
''[[Oliver!]]''
+
''[[Stop the World – I Want to Get Off]]''
 +
 
 +
''[[Pickwick]]''
 +
==Other productions==
 +
 
 +
''[[The Rocky Horror Show]]''
 +
 
 +
''[[Return to the Forbidden Planet]]''
 +
 
 +
''[[Honk!]]''
 +
 
 +
=Musicals from across the Globe=
 +
 
 +
 
 +
==Australian musicals==
 +
 
 +
''[[Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]]''
 +
 
 +
==European musicals==
 +
 
 +
''[[Les Miserables]]''
  
 
=South African Musicals=
 
=South African Musicals=
Line 150: Line 256:
  
 
==''[[Ipi Tombi]]''==
 
==''[[Ipi Tombi]]''==
 +
 +
==Gibson Kente==
  
 
==Mbongeni Ngema==
 
==Mbongeni Ngema==
Line 155: Line 263:
 
==David Kramer and Taliep Petersen==
 
==David Kramer and Taliep Petersen==
  
−
''[[Crooners]]''
+
''[[Crooners]]'' (1992)
 +
 
 +
''[[District Six - The Musical]]'' (1987)
 +
 
 +
''[[Fairyland]]'' (1990)
 +
 
 +
''[[Kat and the Kings]]'' (1995)
 +
 
 +
''[[Poison]]'' (1992, 1994, 2000)
 +
 
 +
''[[Klop Klop]]'' (1996)
 +
 
 +
''[[Ghoema]]'' (2005)
 +
 
 +
''[[Ghoema - Spice Drum Beat]]'' (2006)
  
−
''[[District Six - The Musical]]''
 
  
−
''[[District Six - Kanala]]''
+
David Kramer:
  
−
''[[Fairyland]]''
+
''[[The Eyes of their Whites]]'' (1990) (a review with Paul Slabolepszy)
  
−
''[[Kat and the Kings]]''
+
''[[Die Ballade van Koos Sas]]'' (2001)
  
−
''[[Poison]]''
+
''[[The Kramer Petersen Songbook]]'' (2007)
  
−
==Other notable productions==
+
''[[Some Like It Vrot]]'' (2011)
 +
 
 +
''[[Blood Brothers]]'' (2013) (adaptation of Willy Russell's musical)
 +
 
 +
''[[Orpheus in Africa]]'' (2015)
 +
 +
''[[District Six - Kanala]]'' (2016)
 +
 
 +
''[[Langarm]]'' (2018)
 +
 
 +
==[[Deon Opperman]]==
 +
 
 +
==Other productions==
  
 
''[[African Footprint]]''
 
''[[African Footprint]]''
Line 178: Line 311:
  
 
''[[Fame '92]]''
 
''[[Fame '92]]''
 +
 +
''[[The Lion King]]''
  
 
= Sources =
 
= Sources =
Line 184: Line 319:
  
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_musical
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_musical
 +
 +
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jukebox_musical#:~:text=A%20jukebox%20musical%20is%20a,songs%2C%20rather%20than%20original%20music.
  
 
https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/about/
 
https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/about/

Latest revision as of 17:47, 1 September 2024

Musical Theatre in South Africa

Currently being written

Terminology

  • Musical Theatre

Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals.

  • Rock Musical and Rock Opera

A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals. Rock operas are sung-through productions with rock music scores and, like operas, have no spoken dialogue; all lines are sung.

  • Township Musical

"Township musical" is a term used to refer to a uniquely South African form of musical melodrama which evolved in the black urban townships of South Africa. In apartheid-era South Africa, the term "township" denoted a place that was anything but pastoral or idyllic. The townships were blacks-only suburbs, with shanties and cinder-block homes among the better-constructed residences, situated near large cities like Johannesburg. There were schools and churches, but very little in the way of organized entertainment. The form utilizes stock township characters and situations and melodramatic and moralizing plots in which good, sympathetic characters suffer as a result of the pressures of urban life and the machinations of evil urban characters, but ultimately triumph.

For more information, see Township musical.

  • Jukebox Musical

A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known popular music songs, rather than original music. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while others confine themselves to songs performed by one singer or band, or written by one songwriter.

Introduction

Producers

Musicals have been a staple offering in the entertainment industry in South Africa and also a popular choice for schools, student productions and amateur dramatic societies. This discussion considers the production of musicals by professional theatre companies in South Africa.

African Consolidated Theatres

State-funded productions by the Performing Arts Councils (1961-1990s)

(CAPAB, NAPAC, PACT, PACOFS)


Independent producers during the Apartheid era

Brickhill-Burke

Bertha Egnos

Des and Dawn Lindberg/CAT Productions

Baxter Theatre

Blik Productions

Brian Brooke Company

Taubie Kushlick

Pieter Toerien

Union of South African Artists

Dissolution of the Arts Councils

Cape Town Opera

Playhouse Company


Post-Apartheid era

KickstArt

Eric Abraham/Fugard Theatre

Packed House Productions

Johannesburg Civic Theatre

Richard Loring

Hazel Feldman/Showtime Management

American musicals in South Africa

While the key elements of musical theatre (spoken dialogue, song and dance) are rooted in the theatre of ancient Greece, the origins of the modern musical in the 20th century lie in operetta and music hall. From these emerged an evolved, increasingly-popular art form that was pioneered largely by American composer/lyricists like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, brothers George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1943, Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborated for the first time with Oklahoma!, producing a piece of theatre that was to shape the nature of musicals for decades to come. This work is widely considered to be the first modern musical, primarily because of the musical's focus on character, plot and drama over novelty acts, speciality acts and witty songs - the conventions of earlier musical entertainments.

Details of known productions of American musicals in South Africa are included below.

Rodgers and Hammerstein

Composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyrics Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) are arguably the most significant creators of musical theatre in the 20th century. Their eleven collaborations over nearly two decades (alongside their work with other collaborators) produced some of the most successful and popular works in the musical theatre canon. Many of these have been staged in South Africa (and are still popular choices for amateur companies and schools). Works staged in South Africa include:

Productions of work from their other collaborations:

Lerner and Loewe

The work of lyricist/librettist Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) and German-born composer Frederick Loewe (1901-1988) has also proved popular across South Africa. Of their nine collaborations (between 1942 and 1974), five productions have been staged in South Africa:

Kander and Ebb

Composer John Kander (1927-) and lyricist Fred Ebb (1928-2004) collaborated from 1962 until Ebb's death in 2004, and produced 15 musicals together. Their works staged in South Africa include:

Jerry Herman

Hello, Dolly!

Jerry's Girls

La Cage aux Folles

Mame

Stephen Sondheim

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

A Little Night Music

Into the Woods

Side by Side by Sondheim

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

West Side Story

Alan Menken

Little Shop of Horrors

Sister Act

The Little Mermaid

Other productions

A Chorus Line

Annie

Annie Get Your Gun

Crazy for You

Fiddler on the Roof

Grease

Kiss Me, Kate

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

Sweet Charity

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

Tomfoolery

Nunsense

Rent

Spring Awakening

March of the Falsettos/Falsettoland

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown/Snoopy!!!

Singin' in the Rain

British Musicals in South Africa

Noel Coward

Bitter Sweet

Oh Coward!

Cowardy Custard

Ivor Novello

Perchance to Dream

The Dancing Years

King's Rhapsody

Lionel Bart

Lock Up Your Daughters

Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be

Oliver!

Andrew Lloyd Webber

British-born Andrew Lloyd Webber (1948-) is one of the most successful composers of musical theatre in the 20th century. His works have been popular in South Africa and have been regularly performed by professional companies and amateur theatre groups across South Africa. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was first presented in South Africa in 1974, just a short while after the production debuted in London. Tim Rice, the librettist, played the role of 'Pharoah' during a short run in 1975. It has been produced many times since. His second major success, Jesus Christ Superstar, premiered in 1971, but was banned in South Africa as it was considered blasphemous. The work was subsequently unbanned and first staged in South Africa in 1991. Performances during the run of the first production in Cape Town in 1993 were disrupted by protesters who objected to the show's portrayal of Jesus. Evita was first staged in South Africa in 1981, and has also been staged several times since. Although first staged in London in 1981, Cats was first presented in South Africa 20 years later. Several members of the South African cast subsequently toured the production internationally. Other works by Andrew Lloyd Webber staged in South Africa include Sunset Boulevard, The Boys in the Photograph, Aspects of Love and The Phantom of the Opera.

Leslie Bricusse

Stop the World – I Want to Get Off

Pickwick

Other productions

The Rocky Horror Show

Return to the Forbidden Planet

Honk!

Musicals from across the Globe

Australian musicals

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

European musicals

Les Miserables

South African Musicals

King Kong

Ipi Tombi

Gibson Kente

Mbongeni Ngema

David Kramer and Taliep Petersen

Crooners (1992)

District Six - The Musical (1987)

Fairyland (1990)

Kat and the Kings (1995)

Poison (1992, 1994, 2000)

Klop Klop (1996)

Ghoema (2005)

Ghoema - Spice Drum Beat (2006)


David Kramer:

The Eyes of their Whites (1990) (a review with Paul Slabolepszy)

Die Ballade van Koos Sas (2001)

The Kramer Petersen Songbook (2007)

Some Like It Vrot (2011)

Blood Brothers (2013) (adaptation of Willy Russell's musical)

Orpheus in Africa (2015)

District Six - Kanala (2016)

Langarm (2018)

Deon Opperman

Other productions

African Footprint

Christian!

Fiela's Child - The Musical

Sing a Song of South End

Fame '92

The Lion King

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theatre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_musical

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jukebox_musical#:~:text=A%20jukebox%20musical%20is%20a,songs%2C%20rather%20than%20original%20music.

https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/about/

Go to South African Theatre/Bibliography

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