The Piano Men
The Piano Men is a musical tribute by Wendy Watson.
Not to be confused with a range of specific tributes entitled inter alia The Piano Men: A Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel (), Piano Men: The music of Elton and Billy (), and so on.
Contents
The original text
Originally conceived and produced Jackie Cunniffe, the text was written by Wendy Watson and the first production in 1994 was directed by Kenlynn Ashby. In the show, three singers take turns at a grand piano, to provide a showcase of piano-based chart-toppers, ranging from songs by Nat King Cole, George Gershwin and Fats Waller to contemporary pop artists such as Freddie Mercury, Billy Joel, Bruce Hornsby & the Range, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Phil Collins.
Translations and adaptations
Performance history in South Africa
1994: Staged at the Billboard Dinner Theatre in Durban, going on to performances in Pietermaritzburg, the Grahamstown Festival and in Stellenbosch.
2000: Restaged by Jackie Cunniffe at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre in Durban, June 13 to 25, with Tim Wells, Brendan Jury and De Wet Wraight. Music direction was by Chris Letcher, new choreography by Dean Bennewith and set and lighting design by Stephen Woodroffe.
Sources
Caroline Smart. 2000. "Review of The Piano Men", artSMart(article first published : 2000-05-21) [1]
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