(Nick Wium, Shizam
band members & Marianthe Panas)
I hope that Wium will bring this highly entertaining piece
of musical theatre into Durban where more people can appreciate its talent. (Review
by Caroline Smart)
It’s always a pleasurable challenge to go through the Hilton
Arts Festival programme and try to fit in the shows you want to see over the
few days of the festival.
However, the moment I spotted that Marianthe Panas was in a
production, it was my first choice. The first time I saw her perform was
several years ago when I was one of the presenters at the Cancer Association’s Night of 100 Stars and I remember being
blown away by the talent of this young girl, as she was then.
Now 16, Panas blew me away again at Hilton in Listen, a musical theatre piece from Umhlanga
musical director and producer, Nick Wium who is the Director of Music at Crawford College La
Lucia, in collaboration with Durban band,
Shizam.
Panas is an incredible talent. She’s not just a great singer
with an impressive range but she brings a strong dramatic component to her
performance which included a tremendous version of Listen as well as Something’s
Got a Hold Of Me. She gave the right feel of gentleness and sincerity to Don’t Cry for Me Argentina and her I Don’t Know How to Love Him was a
sure-fire audience favourite ... and
she looked terrific!
She was ably supported by an equally youthful threesome with
Bernelee Frick (18); Kaylah Chetty (17) Fazlyn Naidoo (12).
All four ladies were elegantly dressed in black and lacked
nothing in maturity, each making a strong contribution to the show in their own
right. While they all gave great performances, special mention must be made of Frick’s
Welcome to Burlesque, Chetty’s You Must Love Me and Naidoo’s That’s the Worst Thing I Could Do sung
with passion and I Am Changing.
Frick and Chetty’s Last
Night of the World was beautifully poignant.
On keyboard, Wium is a genial host, offering interesting
information on some of the numbers. A sensitive accompanist, he is a pro-active
musical director leading band members Alwyn Singh on drums; Sabastian Gilchrist
on bass guitar, and Shyane Kistensamy on electric guitar.
I hope that Wium will bring this highly entertaining piece
of musical theatre into Durban where more people can appreciate its talent. –
Caroline Smart
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