From gramophone to iPod
STARTING in the 1920s and taking a journey through music that ends with some of the most popular sounds of today, the new party show headed for the Barnyard Theatre at Gateway, Umhlanga, promises to offer something for everyone.
Titled Platinum Jukebox, it slots in at the mall theatre from next Tuesday, April 21, until May 31.
Billed as “a journey of music, song and dance – starting with the gramophone in the 1920s and ending with the iPod in the 21st century”, the production will feature two of Durban’s top musicians.
They are keyboardist Dawn Selby and singer-guitarist Barry Thomson, both of The Reals band, who will be among a cast including vocalists Percy Smith, Kyle Matthews, Nontu Xulu and Peyton Amber. Fresh Monanyane will be on bass and Michael Ramasimong on drums, while dancers in the show are Duane Joaquim (also the show host) and Charlene Hendricks.
“The journey starts in the 1920s, when music from Louis Armstrong and Fred Astaire were the platinum hit songs and The Charleston, the waltz and the tango were the dance crazes of the time. Unsurprisingly, this was known as the Golden Era,” says Barnyard Theatre spokesman Kim Davidson.
“In the ’30s and ’40s, the LP 331/3 RPM and the 45 RPM single records were invented in an era of peace, depression and then war. This period celebrates the sounds of Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe. Dance was dominated by swing, tap dancing and the foxtrot.
“Jukeboxes gained their popularity in the 1950s with the advent of rock ’n’ roll, which revolutionised music. Soon everyone was dancing the jitterbug, the hand jive and the rock ’n’ roll boogie woogie to the inimitable sounds of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Bill Hailey and The Comets.”
The 1960s and 1970s saw the mass production of stereo albums and the affordability of turntables, along with the heady hysteria of Beatle Mania and the British pop invasion.
“Soon the world was dancing to the crazily named twist, locomotion and the funky chicken. The 1970s were also synonymous with the Bee Gees and disco dancing.”
Cassette tapes and eventually compact discs ruled supreme in the 1980s, along with fun dance styles such as the moonwalk, breakdancing, headbanging and the electric slide – to the music of icons such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen.
The 1990s encountered the macarena dance, as well as line-dancing and everything from Cotton Eye Joe to Achey Breaky Heart.
In the 21st century, the iPod became the flavour of the day, with downloads taking the place of compact discs, and dance styles covered a wide range of novel styles.
“Platinum Jukebox is a musical journey that covers every dance craze in the history of recorded music,” adds Davidson.
For bookings or any further enquiries about Platinum Jukebox, phone the Barnyard Theatre at 031 566 3045 or go online and visit www.barnyard theatres.co.za/gateway.