Mandela Trilogy

Stephenson, Campbell & van Dijk’s

Mandela Trilogy – a musical tribute to the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela

From prisoner to President and from Nobel Laureate to revered statesman, Nelson Mandela is hailed across the globe as a treasured icon.  The life of this great man who changed the course of South African history is a fascinating and inspiring tale, now told as an on stage cultural showpiece. Mandela Trilogy celebrates the vibrant variety of South African music while dramatising the defining moments that shaped Mandela’s life.

Mandela Trilogy is Cape Town Opera’s musical tribute to the extraordinary life of Nelson Mandela, written by Michael Williams with music by Allan Stephenson, Mike Campbell and Peter Louis van Dijk.  The production begins its South African tour at the Playhouse, Durban from 29 July to 31 July 2011. Thereafter the show moves to the Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg for five performances from Saturday, 13 August 2011 to Friday, 19 August 2011. Tickets now on sale at Computicket.

Funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and presented by Cape Town Opera and Rand Merchant Bank in association with KayaFM, Mandela Trilogy is a major home-grown work featuring an entirely South African 40-member cast and multiple award winning African singer and recording artist, Gloria Bosman in a leading role. The entirely South African cast includes baritone Aubrey Lodewyk (who has performed to great acclaim in CTO productions in Sweden, Israel and South Africa) and Schock Foundation Competition winner, Nozuko Teto (the star of CTO's recent productions of Suor Angelica and REwind). Gloria Bosman started her singing career in her local church choir and went on to share the stage with many local stars such as Sibongile Khumalo, Victor Masondo, Hugh Masekela and Vusi Mahlasela. This All Africa KORA Award Winner is very proud to have had the pleasure of singing to former Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.

With the world’s eyes focused on South Africa in 2010, writer Michael Williams felt the time was right to create a large-scale stage work about the life of Nelson Mandela. Faced with subject matter so complex and significant to our nation, Williams settled on a multifaceted triptych structure, concentrating on three key periods in Madiba’s life, each composed in a different musical style.

Mandela Trilogy opens with an oratorio dramatising formative moments in Mandela’s early years in the Transkei, as composer Allan Stephenson weaves traditional Xhosa songs into a classical framework. Mandela as revolutionary is brought to life in Mike Campbell’s jazzy Sophiatown act, before Peter Louis van Dijk’s final act examines the Robben Island years and the final walk to freedom.

Enthusiastically received in Cape Town in 2010, a revised version of Mandela Trilogy, travels accompanied by the Voice of the Nation Ensemble and the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Albert Horne to Johannesburg, Durban and Bloemfontein, in preparation of the piece’s international tour in 2012.

“A sexy dose of jazz and the refined strains of Western opera and traditional Xhosa song drive a new opera about South Africa’s former president and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela…The scenes in the village allow the singers to showcase the hymn-like power of African choral music. As the setting moves to Johannesburg, it’s clear that African jazz easily crossed the boundaries apartheid tried to draw between black and white, African and European…The music is punctuated by the clashing of the fighting sticks of the Xhosa village characters, the clanging of metal cups against prison bars and the tapping feet of dancers performing the pantsula jazz style.” – Donna Bryson (Associated Press)

“Tackling a political subject on stage can translate into pure gold – or sheer suicide. But in the case of the Mandela Trilogy, the gamble has paid off richly, resulting in an impressive entertainment product of export quality. Michael Williams’s stirring libretto traces the journey of a person who seems so familiar to us, yet who may in fact be an enigma: we tend to allow our image of the icon to eclipse our view of the man, the husband, the father, the flawed human being. It was a stroke of genius to commission three different composers to musically illustrate three different chapters in Mandela’s life, keeping the audience’s interest piqued as the styles segue from jazz to opera to choral to township jive.  It is a sensitive and evocative re-imagining of the Mandela legend, performed by an amazing company (who dance really well too).” –Christina Kennedy (Business Day)

“The Cape Town Opera and the Voices of the Nation Ensemble can only be commended for a musically faultless performance…the show is due to tour overseas next year and should do well with international audiences” - Jennifer de Klerk (Artslink.co.za)

“Mandela Trilogy is bursting with potential and could be South Africa’s biggest export. This production is proudly South African through and through. The opera singers in particular were outstanding, giving me goose bumps more than once. I could’ve quite happily closed my eyes over the two hours and soaked up just the music. Nelson Mandela’s story is one that inspires us all. The Mandela Trilogy is on route to do so too.” –Boniswa Sidwaba (whatsonincapetown.com)

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SHOW INFORMATION:
PRICES:

1. CAPE TOWN

In celebration of Mr Mandela’s birthday month, we would like to offer you a ticket to attend an Open Performance of Mandela Trilogy: A Musical Tribute to the Life of Nelson Mandela on either Thursday, 14 July 2011 at 19:00 or Friday 15 July at 14:00 at the Artscape Opera House, Cape Town.
BRING YOUR LOTTO TICKET, for FREE ENTRY!  Your lotto ticket gives you FREE access to these Open Performances before the company leaves for performances at the Playhouse Theatre, Durban and the Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg and the UK in 2012.

2. DURBAN
VENUE:  Playhouse Theatre
DATES & TIMES:  Friday, 29 and Saturday, 30 July@ 19h30 and Friday, 30 and Saturday, 31 July @ 14h00
PRICES: Evenings: R 100,  R135, R 165
Matinees: R 85, R 120, R 150

3. JOHANNESBURG
VENUE: The Teatro at Montecasino
DATES & TIMES:  Saturday 13, 17, 18, 19 @ 20h00 and Sunday, 14 Aug @15h00
PRICES:  R150, R 200, R 250, R 300

BOOKINGS:
Computicket by calling 083 915 8000, visit www.computicket.com or visit your nearest Computicket outlet