(Some of the enterprising and energetic people behind the project. Pic by Val Adamson)
Fun variety show offers
a goodnatured and entertaining family event. (Review by Keith Millar)
Veteran Durban
entertainer Hamish Kyd, along with SA CAN (Community Arts Network), and in
association with the Playhouse Company, has come up with a new community-based
initiative delightfully named Tjooners,
Crooners ‘n Moovers.
This fun, family
orientated, variety show will be presented in the Grand Foyer at the Playhouse
at 15h00 every Sunday afternoon from April 12 to May 24. The main aim of the
production is to encourage families of all race groups to get together and
enjoy a variety of entertainment while at the same time hopefully unearthing
new talent which maybe dormant in the various communities.
Each show will
feature experienced entertainers along with a teen talent contest and a game
show for married couples. The talent contest, with a prize of R3000, will run
for all seven weeks of the show and will feature singers between the ages of 13
and 19 who have successfully auditioned to appear. The game show will be the
popular Check Your Mate, with the
contestants chosen from the audience. This competition will also run for seven
weeks with the eventual champions winning R5,000.
Tjooners, Crooners ‘n Moovers was launched on Sunday (April 12) and proved
to be every bit of the fun family entertainment that it had promised to be.
Kyd, along with
Cherry the Clown (Adi Paxton), hosted the event which featured very good
singers in Bruce Ives, Praline Ross and Ashley Joseph. They offered songs such
as At Last and I Love You Baby. Freshly unearthed talent, as a solo performer, was
Gabriel Joseph, who proved to be an excellent Louis Armstrong impersonator as
he sang and played his trumpet for What A
Wonderful World.
Also on the
programme was dance provided by the graceful and serene 13 year-old Hannah
Gilbert while Hamish Kyd provided the comedy and Cherry the Clown the magic
tricks.
Unfortunately, only
two of the teenage talent contestants were present, so both advanced to the
next round.
The two couples who
took part in Check Your Mate entered
the spirit of the event and provided much fun and laughter to the occasion.
Although not
without teething problems, Tjooners,
Crooners ‘n Moovers was a good-natured and entertaining family event. It
certainly is not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Tickets for Tjooners, Crooners ‘n Moovers are R70
per person. Booking is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com.
Alternatively, call the Playhouse Box Office on 031-369 9540 (office
hours). – Keith Millar