(Lynelle Kennned as Maria
with the von Trapp children)
A
production which is fresh, vibrant, and captivating. (Review by Keith Millar)
The
Playhouse in Durban is alive with the sound of music!
Arguably
the most popular musical of all time, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s glorious, The Sound of Music, opened before a
delighted full-house audience at the venue last night, and will run until
December 30.
The
Playhouse Company assembled a heavyweight creative team to craft a production
which is fresh, vibrant, and captivating. And they have succeeded in spades.
Direction
is by South African theatre legend Ralph Lawson. Assisting him is
Choreographer, Sean Bovim, Costume Designer Sarah Roberts, Set and Lighting
Designer Denis Hutchinson, Sound Designer Mark Malherbe, and Musical Director
Andrew Warburton. What a team!
The
music for the production is provided by the incomparable KZNPO, conducted by
the enigmatic Lykele Temmingh. My admiration for this magnificent orchestra is
well-documented and on this occasion they did not disappoint. Despite the
problems associated with playing in a pit they performed with zest and aplomb
which provided a superb backing for the talented cast.
Lawson
searched far and wide to put together a very talented cast who have obviously
embraced the production and perform with charm, skill and energy. As Maia,
Lynelle Kennned puts in a vivacious and entrancing performance. She has a
lovely voice and really comes into her own when singing the many memorable
songs. My only hesitation is that she maybe appears a little too young for the
role.
Craig
Urbani as Captain von Trapp is commanding and masterful. He also shows a
vulnerability which makes his character very likable.
The
role of Mother Abbess is played by Arline Jaftha. Her performance of Climb Every Mountain is without doubt the highlight of the show. What a voice!
A soul-stirring performance, which elicited cries of appreciation from the
audience.
There
are two groups of young performers who play the children on alternative nights.
The group we saw displayed talent beyond their years and were all full of
beans.
Space
does not allow me to mention all the cast members but in my opinion there were
no weak performances and one can only say - well done, all!
Special
mention must be made of Denis Hutchinson’s set design. There was a series of
panels hanging at the back of the stage and backgrounds were projected onto
these. So everything from beautiful shots of mountains, forests and stained
glass windows in the Abbey were seen in bright colour and sharpness. This gave
an interesting filmic feel to the production.
Having
worked in the audio industry for many years I always admire anyone who can
skilfully deal with a multi-microphone production such as this without any
major problems. So, well done Mark Malherbe and his crew.
This
much-loved and timeless classic was first staged 59 years ago and has been
revived and restaged on numerous occasions since then. In 1965 it was adapted
into a legendary, multi-award winning movie starring Julie Andrews and
Christopher Plummer.
Audiences
know and adore this story. They know the plot, they know the characters and can
sing all the songs. The bar as far as The
Sound of Music productions is concerned has been set pretty high. Well, I
would venture to say that this current production raises that bar even higher
and will give future producers something to think about.
Durban
audiences are going to love this production – so I would suggest that you book
your seats soon, or risk losing out.
The Sound of Music runs at The Playhouse
Opera until December 30.
Tickets
R150, R180, R200 and R225 if pre-booked at Computicket, and R170, R200, R220
and R245 at the door one hour before the show. Students and pensioners receive
a discount of 30% off the highest ticket price. Block bookings discounts: 10%
discount for 10 to 19 people; 20% discount for 19 to 49 tickets; and 30%
discount on 50 or more tickets. To make a block booking, call 031 369 9405 or 031
369 9460. – Keith Millar
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