Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
ON THE BOARDS
Bakgat Country Opskop. This celebration of SA Country Music is taking place on Sunday, June 3, at
3pm at GrandWest’s Grand Arena. It is a tribute to country icon Lance James on the occasion of his pending 80th birthday. The line-up includes veteran stars James, Barbara Ray, Pierre de Charmoy, Tommy Dell and younger stars Ray Dylan, Ricus Nel, Elizma Theron, Brandon Oberholzer and Elandré Schwartz. The singers will be supported by The Banned – a ninepiece live band. Bakgat is a nostalgic look back at country music from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. There is much interest around the appearance of De Charmoy. Now in his 50s, he became a star when he was in his early 20s. He is a sugar cane farmer in KZN and sings in his spare time. De Charmoy broke out of the confines of country music when he played at The Concert in the Park at Ellis Park in 1985 – billed as the first multi-racial mega-musical event in this country – with 120 000 people. Bakgat can be translated as ‘great, lekker’. Bakgat is the name of the production company presenting this show. Opskop – is a party, a jol. Tickets are R195-R235. Book at Computicket
Abakhulu. This new dance piece, choreographed by Sbonakaliso Ndaba and performed by Indoni Dance Academy, premières on Sunday, June 3, at Artscape, at 3pm and 6pm, as part of its Celebration of Youth programme. Ndaba is Indoni’s artistic director of the Indoni Dance Academy. Abakhulu – translated as ‘The Great Ones’ – and grapples with how young people interpret the concept of ‘respect’ handed down during initiation and navigating adulthood. Ndaba added: “Fraught with tension, testosterone and menace, then lit up with tenderness, the dancers of Indoni Dance hold up a mirror to life.”
Tickets are R100. Book at Computicket.
The Good, The Bad and The
Fugly. Nathalie Vijver is directing this musical comedy, which is on at Alexander Upstairs from May 23-26, at 9pm. The performers are Louise Newman, Lee van der Merwe and Chané Otto. Newman has written the piece, which has been inspired by “true South African stories that seem too ridiculous to be true”, and exposes the consequences of “online personas, strong opinions and bad behaviour”. Tickets are R100 at the door and R90 online www.shows.alexanderbar.co.za. Info from 021 300 1088.
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