Article
by Billy Suter (courtesy of SoSuterBill - https://sosuterbill.com)
The cast and creative team of the
ground-breaking 2007 South African production of Hairspray will reunite in a one-night-only special today (Saturday,
April 25, 2020) to raise funds for the Theatre Benevolent Fund.
Hairspray:
Together Again will be shown from 18h00 (SA time)
when it will be livestreamed on &Scene Facebook Live and YouTube Stream
(direct link on www.andscene.live)
A network for theatre folk, by theatre
folk, &Scene is a new online venture by Johannesburg-based theatrical
production company &CO. This evening marks its official debut.
Hairspray:
Together Again, hosted by Natasha van der Merwe,
will not only reunite cast and crew from the South African production of this
early '60s-set musical about dance and bigotry, but also the International team
from the US: Marc Shaiman (Music & Lyrics), Mark Sendroff (Sendroff & Baruch
LLB), Matt Lenz (Director), Lon Hoyt (Music Supervisor), and Greg Graham
(Associate Choreographer).
They will be joined by the South African
team members who made it happen in this country– Steven Joffe (then CEO of Gold
Reef City Resorts), Richard Loring (Executive Producer), Debra Batzofin
(Associate Producer), and Denis Hutchinson (Theatre and Lighting Designer).
The live stream will feature members of the
show’s all-star 2007 South African cast: Harry Sideropoulos (Edna), Marah Louw
(Motormouth Maybelle), Kate Normington (Velma Von Tussle), Mike Huff (Wilbur),
Elizca Coetzer (Tracy), Vicky Friedman (Penny), Jo Galloway (Amber), Kyle Grant
(Link), Earl Gregory (Seaweed), as well as Nonhle Beryl Makhaya, Pulane
Rampoana and Ntambo Rapatla (The Dynamites).
The special event promises to be an
unforgettable and nostalgic experience with personal stories and songs from the
show.
Throughout the special, audiences will be
able to donate directly to Theatre Benevolent Fund via a QR code or directly at
andscene.live/donations
“We are a live-streaming network that
brings together all facets of the theatre industry in a curated online
streaming performance space, creating a sense of community between audiences
and artists,” says a spokesman for &Scene.
“We are empowering artists with unique
opportunities to earn income as well as encouraging creative growth in creating
unique network content. We believe that the digital trend, and all its
potential, is to be embraced.”
The network will stream for 12 hours daily,
and is free to stream on Facebook and YouTube.
“We offer a variety of content from weekday
morning workouts (offering yoga, workouts and choreography), to family content
(baking classes, kid-centric classes offering such activities and singing and
dancing and storytime), industry workshops from industry professionals (in
acting, singing, dancing, producing, etc.), wellness hours (focusing on the
mental and physical well-being), chat shows, play readings, open mics and
special content.”
Weekends are set to include a show for
young performers to shine, as well as a rotating Saturday afternoon special
broadcast and the Together Again experience, reuniting members of South African
favourite productions for one night only, to benefit the Theatre Benevolent
Fund.
“We are proud to be home to new content
(Bake a Leg! with Andrea Shine, Bromance with Naledi award nominees Musanete
Sakupwanya and Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri, Shore Shape with Jonathan Blaine Shore)
and (Duck and Covid with Grant Towers, Matthew Lewis and Doug White).
“We wholeheartedly believe that we are
purely a platform. All work generated by artists remains the full property of
the artist, moving forward. Every show will host a QR code, which connects to
SnapScan and allows for viewers to made immediate donations to the artists.
The Theatre Benevolent Fund was started
more than 50 years ago and raises money for all those who have worked
professionally in the entertainment industry and for whom the spotlight has
faded, no matter how it has faded. It receives no government grants and is run
by volunteers from within the industry. The reunion is the first of many shows
on the &SCENE network in aid of the Theatre Benevolent Fund. – Billy Suter
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