YouTube meets Joburg Theatre

In a growing trend, YouTube videos of international shows are being used to promote theatrical events in South Africa – obviously to give potential audiences a taste of what is to come, but also to educate them about entertainment available. Get a foretaste of Joburg Theatre’s upcoming live concert by The Sopranos …

From the creative director that brought us The Twelve Tenors and for the first time in South Africa, Joburg Theatre is proud to present The Sopranos ‚ Live in Concert from 19 April to 1 May 2011. And you can get a foretaste of the show on YouTube. You can book online too, and print out your ticket at home.

The eight stunning sopranos will enthral the audience with timeless classics from the world of opera to Broadway and popular classics to contemporary rock, paying homage to the greatest divas the world has ever seen.

Audiences will be treated to some of the best-loved and instantly recognisable music of all time performed in The Sopranos’ own inimitable and evocative style: from hushed, intimate tones to full-throttle rock, the spine-tingling vocals unify with breath-taking harmonies, paying homage to some of the best-loved Divas including amongst others, Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion and Judy Garland.

Their emotion, humour and charisma will dazzle audiences as they sing timeless classics and high opera interwoven with pop and rock.

Appealing to all ages, The Sopranos will perform their renditions of hits ranging from The Marriage of Figaro to Rogers & Hammerstein’s Gonna Wash That Man: from Puccini’s Nessun Dorma to James Bond’s Goldfinger: Barbra Streisand’s Evergreen to Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, Bizet’s Carmen to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s With One Look and all other genres in between.

The Sopranos are: Roimata Templeton (Choreographer and Resident Director), Elizabeth Atkinson, Lisa Bridge, Kathryn Pemberton, Rebecca Moore, Justine Balmer, Rebecca Moon and Katie Murray.

Barry Potts, Creative Director of The Sopranos, is no stranger to South Africa, having performed here on a number of previous occasions and was eager to return to the country, particularly now as producer.

‚At last I have an opportunity to return to the country which launched my career in show business,” he says. “”I was so privileged to conduct the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra in Rock legends, then supervised the launch of the Rat Pack and starred as one of Ireland’s 3 tenors in Spirit of the Dance at the Johannesburg Civic theatre. I am so excited to be producing my international hit show The Sopranos among old friends at the Joburg Theatre and give audiences the opportunity to enjoy one of the best nights out this year.””

The full symphony sound accompanying the sopranos was created by New Zealand’s Wellington Sinfonia and the show features a seven-piece on-stage band starring the sassy all-girl string quartet, The Glamrocks.

Adding some local flavour to The Glamrocks is the incredibly talented and internationally celebrated violinist from Cape Town, Danielle Asherson.

Enjoy a taste of what to expect from THE SOPRANOS – Live in Concert by clicking here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoGNvE7dOFk

Tickets are R181, R212, R242 and R263, and are on sale now exclusively by visiting www.joburgtheatre.com and purchasing your print-at-home ticket on the internet, or by calling the theatre’s new direct ticketing line on 0861 670 670.

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