(Pic: Shelley McLean)
New Barnyard Theatre production showcases musical highlights from Las Vegas.
Viva Las Vegas is a new Barnyard Theatre production showcasing magical musical highlights from the entertainment capital of the world, and is scheduled to blow away audiences at The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway from February 24 to April 5.
Las Vegas has staged some of the greatest, most spectacular live performances in musical history, and this show features a wide range of hit songs performed there over the last 50 years. It might be a city based on flash and cash, but an invitation to perform there means that a star is considered to be one of the most influential of their time. The giddy excess of Vegas and eager hedonistic audiences are appealing but, joining the ranks of luminaries like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Elton John who have taken to the stage there, is the hallmark of success.
It all began in 1941 when El Rancho Vegas, the only resort on the Las Vegas Strip at the time, lured singers, comedians, strippers, instrumentalists, dancers and a wide variety of performers to entertain hotel guests in a small, intimate showroom. This formula proved to be a winner and the hotel-casinos that followed imitated this successful format.
The Stardust, however, broke with the star policy by debuting a stage spectacular as its main entertainment feature. The resort imported the Lido de Paris from France, and it was immediately acclaimed by critics as a more spectacular version than the Paris original. The show ran for an incredible 31 years.
During the 50s and 60s, casino lounges also provided continuous entertainment from dusk to dawn at no charge to the customer except the cost of a drink, and these lounges became major entertainment attractions in their own right. But, it is the stages of the big hotels which still lure all the big names in show business.
At The Barnyard Theatre at Gateway, a dynamic 12-piece cast, including two sexy showgirls, will take audiences on a memorable musical journey which begins with the Rat Pack of the 1940s (Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jnr and Dean Martin) who left an indelible mark on the industry, and continues with more recent superstars and timeless musical gems from Elton John, Celine Dion, Tina Turner, Elvis, Billy Joel, Cher, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Carole King and many more.
Included in the hit line-up are Copacabana, Come Fly With Me, That’s Amore, It’s Not Unusual, My Heart Will Go On, All Shook Up and Proud Mary.
Some of the country's finest musicians and vocalists have been assembled and they will pour their hearts and souls into this amazing tribute that guarantees a spectacular evening of top-class entertainment. The cast is led by Kieran Rennie who is joined on male vocals by Percy Smith, and female vocals by Shelley McLean and Felicity Buffel. The band is made up of Adrian Beecham (guitar/vocals), Calli Thomson (keyboards), Bongani Sokhele (bass guitar), PW van der Walt (drums), Vicky Goddard (saxophone), Sakhile Simani (trumpet) and dancers Denya Maslen and Danielle Mann.
Tickets R105 pp Wednesday to Saturday (R70 pp Tuesday night and Sundays) For bookings and enquiries, phone The Barnyard Theatre on 031 566 3045, e-mail gateway@barnyardtheatres.co.za or visit www.barnyardtheatres.co.za for more information.
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