Difference between revisions of "Michael Williams"

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[[Michael Williams]] is an arts adminisrator, and a writer of plays, musicals, operas, and novels  
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[[Michael Williams]] (1962-) is an arts administrator, and the authors of plays, musicals, operas and novels.
  
 
=Biography=
 
=Biography=
 
Michael started his opera career working as an Assistant Director for New Sadler’s Wells Opera in London, touring productions throughout the UK. He returned to South Africa and worked for [[Cape Town Opera]] for the next twenty years as head of Outreach, opera director, General Manager and finally as Managing Director. He moved to Buxton, England in 2018 and, asof 2024, is Chief Executive Officer of the Buxton International Festival.
 
  
 
=Training=
 
=Training=
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=Career=
 
=Career=
  
 
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Michael started his opera career working as an Assistant Director for New Sadler’s Wells Opera in London, touring productions throughout the UK. He returned to South Africa and worked for [[Cape Town Opera]] for the next twenty years as head of Outreach, opera director, General Manager and finally as Managing Director. He moved to Buxton, England in 2018 and, asof 2024, is Chief Executive Officer of the Buxton International Festival.
  
 
=Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance=
 
=Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance=
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===Opera and Musicals===
 
===Opera and Musicals===
  
He wrote book and lyrics for the Stephenson musicals ''[[Who Killed Jimmy Valentine?]]'', ''[[Animals]]'', ''[[Wonderfully Wicked]]'' which have toured theatres throughout South Africa. In 2017, his musical ''[[Tiger Bay – The Musical]]'' (James), commissioned by the Wales Millennium Centre, opened at [[Artscape]] in Cape Town and transferred to the Donald Gordon Theatre in Cardiff.
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He has written the book and lyrics or libretti for the following musicals and operas:
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* ''[[Who Killed Jimmy Valentine?]]'' (music by [[Alan Stephenson]])
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* ''[[Animals]]'' (music by [[Alan Stephenson]])
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* ''[[Wonderfully Wicked]]'' (music by [[Alan Stephenson]])
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* ''[[The Orphans of Qumbu]]'' (music by [[Alan Stephenson]]) (1993)
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* ''[[Enoch, Prophet of God]]'' (music by [[Roelof Temmingh]], 1995)
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* ''[[Sacred Bones]]'' (music by [[Roelof Temmingh]], 1997)
  
He has written operas for young people based on African mythology (published by Heinemann Press in the anthology ''South African Operas for Young People''), as well as the libretti for symphonic operas that have premiered around the world.
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* ''[[Buchuland]]'' (music by [[Roelof Temmingh]], 1998)
  
He has written the libretti for several symphonic operas with [[Roelof Temmingh]] which premiered in opera houses in Pretoria, Windhoek, and Cape Town.:
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* ''[[Love and Green Onions]]'' (music by [[Denzil Weale]], 2001)  
* ''[[Enoch, Prophet of God]]'' (1995)
 
* ''[[Sacred Bones]]''
 
* ''[[Buchuland]]'' (1998)
 
  
He wrote the lyrics for a jazz opera, ''[[Love & Green Onions]]'' (Weale) based on [[Zakes Mda]]’s novel ''Ways of Dying'' which was invited to open the [[National Arts Festival]] in Grahamstown.
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* ''[[Poet and Prophetess]]'' (music by Larsson Gothe, 2008)
  
NorlandOperan in Sweden commissioned and produced two of his operas ''[[Poet and Prophetess]]'' (Larsson-Gothe, 2008) and ''[[The Elephant Man]]'' (Unander-Scharin).
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* ''[[Mandela Trilogy]]'' (music by [[Peter Louis Van Dijk]] and [[Mike Campbell]], 2010)  
  
He wrote the book and lyrics for ''[[Mandela Trilogy]]'' (Van Dijk/Campbell) which toured to theatres in Ravenna, Munich, Manchester, London, Birmingham, Southampton, Dublin, Cardiff, Dubai and Hong Kong.
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* ''[[Words from a Broken String]]'' (music by [[Peter Klatzow]], 2010)
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* ''[[Tiger Bay The Musical]]'' (music by Daf James, 2017)
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He has written operas for young people based on African mythology (published by [[Heinemann Press]] in the anthology ''South African Operas for Young People''), as well as the libretti for symphonic operas that have premiered around the world.
 +
 
 +
NorlandOperan in Sweden commissioned and produced two of his operas  (Poet and Prophetess) and ''[[The Elephant Man]]'' (Unander-Scharin).
  
 
===Plays===
 
===Plays===
  
He began writing "radio plays" while studying at [[University of Cape Town]]. His plays include:  
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He began writing radio plays while studying at [[University of Cape Town]]. His plays include:  
  
 
* ''[[Savages]]'' (1982)
 
* ''[[Savages]]'' (1982)
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* ''[[Water Carriers]]'' (performed in theatres in Indianapolis, Brooklyn and New York)
 
* ''[[Water Carriers]]'' (performed in theatres in Indianapolis, Brooklyn and New York)
  

Latest revision as of 19:11, 28 February 2024

Michael Williams (1962-) is an arts administrator, and the authors of plays, musicals, operas and novels.

Biography

Training

Career

Michael started his opera career working as an Assistant Director for New Sadler’s Wells Opera in London, touring productions throughout the UK. He returned to South Africa and worked for Cape Town Opera for the next twenty years as head of Outreach, opera director, General Manager and finally as Managing Director. He moved to Buxton, England in 2018 and, asof 2024, is Chief Executive Officer of the Buxton International Festival.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

As administrator

He was Managing Director of Cape Town Opera.

As writer

Opera and Musicals

He has written the book and lyrics or libretti for the following musicals and operas:

He has written operas for young people based on African mythology (published by Heinemann Press in the anthology South African Operas for Young People), as well as the libretti for symphonic operas that have premiered around the world.

NorlandOperan in Sweden commissioned and produced two of his operas (Poet and Prophetess) and The Elephant Man (Unander-Scharin).

Plays

He began writing radio plays while studying at University of Cape Town. His plays include:

  • Water Carriers (performed in theatres in Indianapolis, Brooklyn and New York)

Other works

Williams had his first novel published when he was twenty-five years old. He is a prize-winning author of thirteen novels, including the highly praised young adult novel Crocodile Burning.

Awards

Sources

Buxton International Festival Website, https://buxtonfestival.co.uk/about-us/team

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906950.Michael_Williams