Difference between revisions of "Neels Hansen"

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HANSEN, Neels.(19*-) Designer and Director. *  He did costumes for ''[[Kismet]]'', the first [[PACT]] musical to be staged. It was directed by [[Anthony Farmer]] who also designed the sets and [[Lawrence Folley]], [[Gé Korsten]], [[Barbara Veenemans]], [[Kerry Jordan]] and [[Iris Chapple]] starred in this musical at the [[Civic Theatre]] in late 1973. He staged a new production of it in 1980. He did the costume design for [[Sun City]]’s opening theatre production. It was designed and directed by [[Anthony Farmer]] with choreography by [[Nick Navarro]], and [[Adolpho Waitzman]] leading the musical team. It opened on the 15 December 1979. He directed the [[PACT]] production of ''[[The Merry Widow]]'' starring [[Roberta Palmer]] and [[Gé Korsten]] at the Pretoria [[State Theatre]] in December 1983. He became a director of opera and musicals. (Tucker, 1997)
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[[Neels Hansen]] (1936-2014). Designer and Director for theatre and opera.  
  
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== Biography ==
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Cornelius Johannes Hansen born on 16 April 1936 and went to school in Heidelberg in the Transvaal. He then studied at the [[University of Pretoria]] and the  [[Pretoria Teachers Training College]], with a view to becoming a teacher. However, at the age of 24 his interests shifted and he began work at the [[Johannesburg Civic Theatre]].
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He died of cancer in November 2014 at the age of 78.
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== Contribution to South African theatre and performance ==
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Hansen was a driving force behind South African opera and musical theatre in the North of the country, both as a lecturer at the [[University of Pretoria]] and his work as designer, director and artistic director for [[PACT]] Opera. In 1999, he and the soprano [[Mimi Coertse]] founded the [[Black Tie Ensemble]] as means to help preserve the traditions of opera performance in South Africa and to create a pathway for gifted, aspiring young singers to become opera performers. This later evolved into what is now known as the [[Gauteng Opera]]. Hansen remained a patron of this till his death in 2014.
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===As designer===
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His early costume designs include those for  ''[[Kismet]]'' (1973) and  [[Sun City]]’s opening theatre production (1979)
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===As director===
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His directing projects include:
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1971: ''[[La traviata]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1971: ''[[Tosca]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1974: ''[[Lucia di Lammermoor]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1974: ''[[La bohème]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1975: ''[[Die Fledermaus]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1976: ''[[La bohème]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1981: ''[[Aïda]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1983:  ''[[The Merry Widow]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1995: ''[[Les contes d’Hoffmann]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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1996: ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'' ([[PACT Opera]])
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2001: ''[[Rigoletto]]'' ([[Black Tie Ensemble]])
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2002: ''[[Madama Butterfly]]'' ([[Black Tie Ensemble]])
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2004: ''[[La bohème]]'' ([[Black Tie Ensemble]])
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Others (dates unknown) include:
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''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]''
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''[[Peter Grimes]]''
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''[[Death in Venice]]'' (with designs by [[Peter Cazalet]])
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''[[Don Pasquale]]''
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''[[Maria Stuarda]]''
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''[[I puritani]]''
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''[[L’elisir d’amore]]'' (for the Royal Opera of Teheran)
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Gounod's ''[[Faust]]''
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''[[I pagliacci]]''
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''[[Cavalleria rusticana]]''
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''[[Turandot]]''
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''[[Il barbiere di Siviglia]]''
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''[[Der Rosenkavalier]]''
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''[[Attila]]''
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''[[Don Carlo]]''
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''[[Nabucco]]''
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''[[Otello]]''
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''[[Un ballo in maschera]]''
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== Awards ==
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He won a [[Naledi Theatre Awards|Naledi Lifetime Achiever Award]], February 2005.
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In 2014 he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the [[Kyknet Fiestas]], for his contribution to Theatre and Costume Design.
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== Sources ==
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[[Percy Tucker]], 1997
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http://www.taadaa.co.za/Neels-Hansen-sterf-op-78
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http://gautengopera.org/neels-hansen-2/
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http://gautengopera.org/tribute-to-a-genius-neels-hansen/
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''The Star'', 15 February 2005.
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https://iol.co.za/entertainment/2014-12-02-opera-maestro-sad-loss-ot-sa/
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==Return to ==
  
 
Return to [[ESAT Personalities H]]
 
Return to [[ESAT Personalities H]]

Latest revision as of 13:37, 1 August 2025

Neels Hansen (1936-2014). Designer and Director for theatre and opera.

Biography

Cornelius Johannes Hansen born on 16 April 1936 and went to school in Heidelberg in the Transvaal. He then studied at the University of Pretoria and the Pretoria Teachers Training College, with a view to becoming a teacher. However, at the age of 24 his interests shifted and he began work at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre.

He died of cancer in November 2014 at the age of 78.

Contribution to South African theatre and performance

Hansen was a driving force behind South African opera and musical theatre in the North of the country, both as a lecturer at the University of Pretoria and his work as designer, director and artistic director for PACT Opera. In 1999, he and the soprano Mimi Coertse founded the Black Tie Ensemble as means to help preserve the traditions of opera performance in South Africa and to create a pathway for gifted, aspiring young singers to become opera performers. This later evolved into what is now known as the Gauteng Opera. Hansen remained a patron of this till his death in 2014.

As designer

His early costume designs include those for Kismet (1973) and Sun City’s opening theatre production (1979)

As director

His directing projects include:

1971: La traviata (PACT Opera)

1971: Tosca (PACT Opera)

1974: Lucia di Lammermoor (PACT Opera)

1974: La bohème (PACT Opera)

1975: Die Fledermaus (PACT Opera)

1976: La bohème (PACT Opera)

1981: Aïda (PACT Opera)

1983: The Merry Widow (PACT Opera)

1995: Les contes d’Hoffmann (PACT Opera)

1996: Madama Butterfly (PACT Opera)

2001: Rigoletto (Black Tie Ensemble)

2002: Madama Butterfly (Black Tie Ensemble)

2004: La bohème (Black Tie Ensemble)

Others (dates unknown) include:

The Marriage of Figaro

Peter Grimes

Death in Venice (with designs by Peter Cazalet)

Don Pasquale

Maria Stuarda

I puritani

L’elisir d’amore (for the Royal Opera of Teheran)

Gounod's Faust

I pagliacci

Cavalleria rusticana

Turandot

Il barbiere di Siviglia

Der Rosenkavalier

Attila

Don Carlo

Nabucco

Otello

Un ballo in maschera

Awards

He won a Naledi Lifetime Achiever Award, February 2005.

In 2014 he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kyknet Fiestas, for his contribution to Theatre and Costume Design.

Sources

Percy Tucker, 1997

http://www.taadaa.co.za/Neels-Hansen-sterf-op-78

http://gautengopera.org/neels-hansen-2/

http://gautengopera.org/tribute-to-a-genius-neels-hansen/

The Star, 15 February 2005.

https://iol.co.za/entertainment/2014-12-02-opera-maestro-sad-loss-ot-sa/

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities H

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to Main Page

Retrieved from "https://esat.sun.ac.za/index.php?title=Neels_Hansen&oldid=282196"