Enormously entertaining and enjoyable production. (Review by
Louise Buchler)
Last night, I relived my adolescence through the music of
Peter Mitchell’s latest offering at the Hexagon in Pietermaritzburg – aptly
titled Young, Gifted and Gorgeous. It
is seldom that you encounter a show – particularly a musical revue where every
performer is worthy of a mention. Unfortunately, I am limited to a few hundred
words so this is impossible – however, I was blown away by the talent prevalent
in this enormously entertaining and enjoyable production.
Through Mitchell’s witty script we are guided through just
short of a century’s worth of music by some of the heavyweights of Jazz,
Motown, R&B, Soul, Folk and Pop music. The simple yet effective set,
constructed by Marcus Henning, redolent of a smoky jazz club and lit in tones
of pink and blue - is the perfect backdrop for the 21 strong cast kitted out in
elegant and timeless costumes, designed by Sandra Styles, which lend themselves
to every era of music explored in the show.
From Billie Holiday through to Beyoncè, the production is
jam-packed with songs made popular by artists such as Diana Ross, Billie
Holiday, The Shirelles, Whitney Houston and Beyoncè, to name a few. Although
the focus is predominantly on female performers, the men have ample opportunity to shine with
hits by Louis Armstrong, The Jackson Five and Michael Jackson. The playlist
reads like a dream – and under the experienced direction of Musical director,
Helen Vermaak, the audience is treated to some truly beautiful medleys and
musical arrangements that gave me goose bumps.
Some memorable highlights include Erin Fourie’s breathtaking
renditions of At Last and the anthem
of my late teens – Tracey Chapman’s Fast
Car- I could listen to her perform all night. The Jackson Five medley
featuring hits like ABC had many an
audience member dancing in their seats.
Sthembile Nyanda, Nandile Khumalo and Zazi Kunene’s
performance of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary
was a delight from beginning to end as was Nomfundo Mbambo’s rendition of Georgia.
Roberta Flack’s beautiful ballad Killing
me softly was done full justice by Tatum Donnelly and Siphamandla Gwane –
and Brandon Bosch’s version of John Legend’s All of me was better than the original – I kid you not.
The performances were further complimented by some truly
wonderful dancing – choreographed by Paul Datlen and assisted by Tegan Peacock,
Smangaliso Mnguni and Brenda-lee Cele. Of course, no musical worth its salt
would be complete without a fabulous band – in this instance, led by veteran
musician Jeff Judge.
In Young, Gifted and Gorgeous, Mitchell and
Vermaak have provided a vehicle to showcase some of the greatest hits of the
past century and, along with this supremely talented young cast, have produced
some truly captivating and memorable performances that stuck with me long after
the curtains closed. If you’re looking for an evening of great music and
entertainment, I highly recommend this show.
Young, Gifted and
Gorgeous runs at the Hexagon Theatre, Golf Road, Pietermaritzburg until August
13 at 19h30. Tickets R80 (R60 pensioners and R50 students) booked through Computicket.
- Louise Buchler
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