(Pic: Marion Loudon, Darren King and Janna Ramos-Violante)Entertaining and fun evening of country music from Darren King, Marion Loudon and Janna Ramos-Violante. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Featuring Darren King, Marion Loudon and Janna Ramos-Violante – dressed appropriately in jeans, wide belts with shiny buckles, boots, checked shirts, a multitude of fringing and stetsons in various shades and fabrics - Kicking it Country comes to the Rhumbelow Theatre after a successful appearance at the Witness Hilton Arts Festival last month.
The audience is launched into the mood right from the start with the engaging threesome presenting toe-tapping numbers such as Let Your Love Flow and Grandma’s Feather Bed. Also expect to hear Oklahoma, My Achey Breaky Heart, You were Always on My Mind, Me and Bobby McGee, Bad Moon Rising, The Guitar Man, You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille, Stand by Your Man and I Feel like a Woman. There’s not a lot of space on the Rhumbelow stage but the cast made the best use of it with snappy moves and sassy choreography.
No country music compilation would be complete without homage to the inimitable Dolly Parton and this is provided with Nine to Five; Islands in the Stream (an enjoyable number with Janna and Darren performing the distinctive Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers hit), Joelene (a fun presentation from Marion) and I Will Always Love You.
Amidst the wild and fast-paced hoedown fun, the thigh-slapping and the up-tempo interaction, there are well-chosen moments of introspection – mainly from Darren with poignant numbers such as Crazy, Desperado and You Fill Up My Senses.
The show’s beginning is placed so strongly in the mid-West that it comes as a bit of a bounce-back to earth when the narration is presented without an American accent. It moves Kicking it Country out of context and I think I would have preferred mid-West US accents throughout.
The lighting was very effective and made full use of Rhumbelow’s now improved facilities. However, as always, I have a problem with the sound at this venue which seems to follow the thinking that loud is good. Loud is fine in the right context but it’s completely ineffectual if the balance favours the music and not the performers, thereby overriding the lyrics and creating what I call “cottonwool language”. If you don’t know the words, in many cases the performers could be speaking any language under the sun. There are two parts to a song, after all - music and lyrics – and the one needs the other to create the ultimate whole.
There will be one more performance on Sunday (October 25) at 18h30. The venue opens 90 minutes before show for picnic dinner. Tickets R80. Take along food picnic baskets and braais will be available. There is limited secure parking and booking is essential. A cash bar is available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises). Rhumbelow Theatre is situated in Cunningham Avenue off Bartle Road. Booking is through Computicket or contact Roland on 031 205 7602 (h) or 082 499 8636, email roland@stansell.za.net or visit www.rhumbelow.za.net – Caroline Smart
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