(Jenna
Moodie & Keegan Barnes. Pic by Pranah Persadh & Alex James)
A production that could hold its own on any
mainframe stage. (Review by Caroline Smart)
Yesterday
was a day exploding with youthful energy as I judged the annual Drum for Joy
Steel Drum competition in the morning and, in the evening, attended the opening
of the latest production from the Westville Boys' High
School's Performing Arts Department - a musical revue called You Can't Stop the Beat!
It was a
day-long affirmation of how the performing arts can change the lives of young
people through disciplined focus and education through entertainment. Their
look of pride and sense of achievement as they take the stage and present their
talents in front of an audience is energising, to say the least.
The cast of You Can’t Stop the Beat also includes performers from Westville
Junior Primary, Westville Senior Primary as well as the Westville Boys’ and
Girls’ High School Combined Choirs. The press release describes the production
as a “slick Barnyard-style Film and Broadway Tribute”. Frankly, this production
could hold its own on any mainframe stage.
The jam-packed programme offers numbers from
classic stage shows like Rent, The Rocky
Horror Picture Show, Cats and
Hairspray interspersed with contemporary
interpretations of modern Hollywood masterpieces like Step Up, Pitch Perfect and Disney's Frozen.
The show offers impressive and mature
performances all round. It is slick, moves fast and explodes with energy.
Co-ordinating the large cast – there are 286 people on stage at one point! – is
something that would require the skills of a military tactician, so hats off to
director Luke Holder and his backstage crew.
In fact, huge kudos all round for a
splendid production and especially to the school itself for believing in the
value of the performing arts. No expense was spared in the well-designed set,
spectacular lighting or effective sound design –at one point, I counted 17
hand-held microphones. What a luxury!
The costumes range from balletic and
ballgown elegance to funky gear.
Special mention must be made of the highly-skilled
main dancers – Jenna Moodie and Keegan Barnes - who also handled the
choreography along with his mother, Fiona Barnes. The choreography is required
to move smoothly across all styles and this is successfully achieved.
Other stand-out performances come from 12
year-old Ethan Coombe who sings Skyfall with
aplomb, Andrew Bray as a Mr Bean lookalike and Deneska Theron who handles a
number of the vocal solos.
You
Can't Stop The Beat! runs at Westville Boys High
School for another eight performances. These are already sold out – but there
is a cancellation list, so try your luck. This is a production well-worth
seeing. For more information contact lcoombe@wbhs.co.za
– Caroline Smart
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