…..SoSuterBill…..

……BY BILLY SUTER..…..    

TAKE a good sprinkle of Mary Poppins and Joseph, add in pop songs and a fun scramble of a plot and you get this year’s Young Performers’ Project (YPP) musical, to be presented from July 6 to 14 at Durban’s Playhouse Opera theatre.

The colourful production, Dream On: A Poppins Tale of Joseph, will have the biggest cast to date of these yearly musicals which feature local school pupils under the guidance of professionals, both on stage and off.

And great news is that SoSuterBill.com is giving away four complimentary tickets to the official opening performance at 2.30pm on Saturday, July 6. See the end of this post for competition entry details.

Some 170 young people from throughout KwaZulu-Natal, and ranging in age from five to 19, feature in Dream On: A Poppins Tale of Joseph, a specially-created jukebox production, a pastiche of fabulous musical theatre numbers.

The show, which will have only day-time performances, is being directed by Daisy Spencer. Musical direction is by Des Govender (who has led the team since 2017), choreography by Simone Mann, set design by Chris Taylor, costume design by Kathy Singery, lighting by Dylan Heath, and sound by Anthony Govender.

 “Everybody loved Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat so much last year, that we wanted to include some of our favourite Joseph numbers such as Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door andJoseph’s Coat – but add some other great songs and dances too; especially for the girls,” says Des.

“The solution was to create a jukebox musical using numbers from Joseph, Prince of Egypt and Les Miserables, and tunes by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Bangles, Ben Rector and others.”

Kyran Taylor, a first-year pupil at the International School of Performing Arts, who matriculated from Reddam House Umhlanga last year, is reprising his role of Joseph in Dream On: A Poppins Tale of Joseph.

The plotline involves a show director being beside herself when she needs to create a production at the Playhouse, as all the best shows have been taken.

A kindly cleaner, Brenton from the Bluff (played by Rory Booth), who has a penchant for showtunes himself, suggests the director summon Mary Poppins who always has a solution for everything.

In flies Poppins (Georgie Mabbett Kelly, who was The Narrator in Joseph last year). She also brings along children Jane and Michael, and her trusty carpet bag, into which everyone tosses ideas and inspiration.

A book on bugs and beetles, a piece of jewellery and an assortment of scripts are mixed together, whereby Mary Poppins magically reveals the perfect story for the director.

The ethos of the Joseph story about the importance of family, forgiveness, love and respect is embellished with some brilliant toe-tapping tunes

For the second time, the enormous cast includes primary school pupils. Historically YPP focused on high school pupils, but last year the attraction of a live-on-stage massed children’s choir led to the decision to audition primary school children to create two on-stage choirs of 55 children each (they alternate performances). This exercise was so successful, it is being repeated again this year.

The cast jointly represents almost 50 schools across all locations, demographics and languages. They represent private, government, independent, rural, online and township schools – and include home-schooled individuals from Warner Beach to Umhlali, and everywhere in-between.   

The first musical in this commendable project, Curtain Up! and many subsequent YPP productions, were directed by the late Themi Venturas – an integral part of the YPP family over the years.

Some noteworthy YPP productions over the years have included One Voice, Grease, Annie, The Wiz, Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof, School of Rock SA, Big River, Hairspray, Seussical, Can you Feel It?, Footloose, Soldiers in the City, Legally Blonde, The Buddy Holly Story, and last year’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  

Dream On: A Poppins Tale of Joseph will preview on Friday, July 5, and officially open at 2.30pm on Saturday, July 6. The show runs for 90 minutes, with an interval. It is suitable for ages four and above. Tickets (available via Webtickets) range in price from R150 to R225 (R150 for pensioners).

Parking is available at the nearby Royal Hotel.

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WIN 4 SHOW TICKETS… WIN 4 SHOW TICKETS… WIN 4 SHOW TICKETS

Care to put yourself in line to WIN FOUR TICKETS to the 2.30pm, Saturday, July 6, performance of Dream On: A Poppins Tale of Joseph, at Durban’s Playhouse Opera theatre?

You simply have to be a follower of the SoSuterBill site to win.  At no cost.

If you are not already a follower, click on the word ‘…..SoSuterBill…..’ that appears under Billy Suter’s face on the red curtain at the top of this post. Next, scroll down a little and leave your email address in the blank space alongside the ‘Subscribe Free’ banner. You will then be a follower, and receive email notification whenever a new story is filed on the site.You will then be a follower, and receive email notification whenever I file a new story.

Once you have subscribed (there is no cost), send your NAME and PHONE NUMBER via email (NOT THIS SITE’S CONTACT FORM) to sosuterbill@gmail.com and place the words ‘DREAM ON GIVEAWAY’ in the subject field. 

Note that the competition closes at 6pm on Tuesday, June 18, and the winner of the four tickets will be contacted soon after. His/her name will be posted in this spot thereafter. (The lucky winner of the four tickets is Gillian Taljard).

Also note that tickets may not be exchanged for another performance and that the prize is for tickets only (not travel and/or accommodation should this prove necessary).

NOTE: PLEASE READ ENTRY DETAILS CAREFULLY AS SOME PEOPLE ARE ENTERING COMPETITIONS INCORRECTLY.

ALSO NOTE THAT ONLY ONE ENTRY PER SUBSCRIBER WILL BE CONSIDERED.

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