Consciousness of culture

ABBA

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ABBA

Money, money, money, must be funny, in a rich man’s world. Money, money, money, must be sunny, in a rich man’s world. Yet another great production from Showtime Australia, yet another great pass from Bronwen and B-Sharp entertainment.

I was at the opening of the ABBA Dancing Queen concert hosted by Joburg Theatre. It was Abbasolutely Fabbaulous! I was with Sam and Mia, big fans of ABBA and it’s easy to see why. They were excited about the show but it was not just them. The excitement was in the air and it was contagious! Everyone was excited for this show. The atmosphere was 70’s like, with disco balls and retro music playing in the background before the show commenced. Everyone was in their 70’s outfits, sequins and sparkles were everywhere, it was dazzling! A full house, I love the Joburg Theatre, the experience was memorable. When we finally got inside the auditorium, there was an expectation. We were primed with classics from Micheal Jackson and the Village People – everyone was singing YMCA and that’s before the show! When the show finally commenced it exceeded all expectations. The lighting, the band, the performers, the costumes, it was all grand, we were in the ABBA world and it was awesome! The audience couldn’t stop singing and dancing. The show is interactive, the performers led the songs we were singing and encouraged us to let loose. The show was simply outstanding! Some of the songs performed were Dancing Queen, Waterloo, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme!, Mamma Mia, Take a chance on me, SOS, Money, Money, Money, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Fernando, Thank for the music and other timeless classics! I loved Money, Money, Money, the performers encouraged the audience to participate and we all sang at the top of our lungs. The last song of the program, ” The Winner takes it all” was truly epic, it was mezmarrizing, it was fire – Dracarys!

Jessica Driver is Agnetha Falskoy, Andre Behnke is Benny Andersson, Jimmy James is Bjorn Ulvaeus and Giverny Allen is Anni-Frid Lyngstad. I even saw familiar faces from previous shows produced by Showtime Australia like Dale Ray who was Prince, I see you and Hi Nadine, she was in the Micheal Jackson HIStory Show! Outstanding show, we couldn’t get enough of it! Everything is perfection, from lighting, cheography, music solos, the singing is just out of this world – no hyperbole, go see for yourself, I’ll put my reputation on the line!

Congratulations Showtime Australia and the whole team and a deserved standing ovation!

the assembly improv show

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The Assembly Improv show

Improv – make something up, think on the spot, go with the flow, zen, Bruce Lee, be like water, be formless, quick witted, puns, irony, sacarsm and it has to be humorous! Let’s break the fourth wall, you there, yes you reading this, listening to this, yes hi, happy new year, acknowledge me, make things easier for yourself, I am not going anywhere.

On the square for the Assembly Improv show, filled to the brim, full house. Was with SamSays, it was a great show, unpredictable, spontaneous, quick witted and so funny. We couldn’t stop laughing, we were entertained from the first minute to the last. What I found to be most effective in Improv, is calm. You have to let things process, be in the moment, respond not react. Reactions are filled with anxious energy and that’s not humorous because you bulldoze the act and spoil the tone of the scene. Relax, let other performers have the spotlight. You don’t have to be in every scenario. Listen – don’t bulldoze and overpower others. Anxiety is nervous and not sure of itself, it roams around everywhere, attempts to do everything, please everyone, and it ends up having the opposite effect because it hinders the performance of the other performers to flourish. Calm is controlled, it exudes power, charisma and assurance. When you are calmer, you can be playful and ironic and your punchlines carry more weight. You listen to respond and not to strengthen your view. There were moments of calm and anxiety in the show. I understood the anxiety, entertaining a full house can be exhausting and emotionally draining. It was still a great show, light-hearted, filled with humor and completely unexpected. The show comprised off 6 acts. They improvised about chicken, boyfriend builders, being a little gay, earthworms and burning your mother’s tyre’s.

I loved the two sisters of Case Closed, Megan and Tash Casey. They had a lot of chemistry and complimented each other. They were quick witted, quirky and humorous. The girls of Mechanics of Chaos were simply outstanding! They stole the show, the audience couldn’t stop laughing, they were totally in sync, they complimented each other, they built on each other’s scenes, they listened and added to each other’s scenes, they stuck to performing the scenario the audience gave them; the boyfriend builder and they looked like they were having a lot of fun. I loved them because they were not searching for laughs, anxiety was not a factor, they were in the moment, they loved performing for the audience and it reflected with their performance. Shout-out Itu Chiloane, Mmasehume Raphiri, S’bahle (Sparkles) Hlophe, Sonia Mayor, Tafadzwa Chakanya, Unathi Shongwe and Zanele Sokatsha for a wonderful set. Shout-out to everybody, the gradient, the off cuts and thirst trap. Thank you Daphne Kuhn and the team for the whole experience. Yet another one from Bronwen and B-Sharp entertainment – thank you. Congratulations to The Assembly Improv show and a deserved standing ovation.

Michael Jackson

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Michael Jackson

I love Prince but Michael Jackson is the king of popular culture. That’s big, he defined an entire generation and transcended it for future generations. To this day, no one has had a bigger influence. Selling records was easy, literally the best selling artist of all time with sales of over 500 million worldwide. Inducted in the Rock n Roll hall of fame twice, the National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, the songwriters Hall of Fame and the Dance Hall of Fame. That’s not all, 15 Grammy Awards, 39 Guinness World Records and lauded as the most Successful Entertainer of all time, period. Over a four decade career, his world record music achievements and publicized public personal life made him a global figure. His songs, stages and fashion proliferated visual performance for singers in pop music. His innovations changed the music video as an art form and popularized street dance moves including the moonwalk and the anti-gravity lean. His mere presence would send fans tumbling on the floor in concerts without him doing anything. Before even the shows commenced, paramedics would be heavily staffed and working hard attending to fainting fans tumbling on the floor. Jackson himself would be just standing on the stage like a statue amidst the hysteria and fans screaming at the top of their lungs. He didn’t have to do anything to elict a response from the crowd, his aura was more than enough, it was God-like and when he did perform, you understood why he was hailed the king. My first experience of Michael Jackson was “You Rock My World”, it was paradigm altering, the video with Chris Tucker was the greatest thing ever! It was so cinematic and grand. The story-telling, the fight scenes, the music, the dancing, it blew me away! Hooked, transfixed and mezmarrized with just the first listen. It was a movie. “You Rock My World” was awe-inspiring. It was my standard for a while until I worked backwards and discovered “Thriller”. I love Prince but Michael Jackson is the king of popular culture, the greatest performer period and that’s not even hyperbole. I’d like to go on record and apologize, I was too excited, “Purple Rain” is not better than “Thriller”, they are both art, both exceptional, executed by two of the greatest artists of all time.

I was at the opening of the Micheal Jackson “History show” concert at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City. The lyric theatre is beautiful, those chandeliers take my breath away. Everyone was infected by the spirit of Michael. Gloves, sunglasses and white shirts were the order of the day. Outstanding show, Showtime Australia delivers yet another masterclass. Garth Field is super talented. He is the reincarnation of Micheal Jackson. He has stage presence, his aura is commanding, he moves like Micheal, sings like him, dances like him, drips of the King of Pop – he is the king of pop. Thank you Bronwen for the invite. First Prince and now Micheal Jackson, you have made my year. Never in a million years did I think I’d see Michael on the stage but it happened and it was like a dream. It was glorious. Sam said I’d love this one and she was right. SamSays on the credits. I was excited for this one weeks prior, I mean Micheal Jackson, the greatest performer of all time – it’s not even hyperbole. Garth did Micheal justice. Everything was Micheal Jackson standard, the show was perfection. From the lighting, the band, the stage, the sets, electric guitarist, the costumes, backup singers, Nadine, dancing, singing and the cheography. The dancers on the stage were simply unstoppable! Unbelievable chemistry and high energy, in sync and well coordinated like a military drill. The electric guitarist is legendary, I loved the solos. Everyone was amazing! Now I have the experience of being in a Micheal Jackson concert and there’s nothing like it, it is glorious. Every hit was masterfully executed on the stage by Garth Field and the team, from “Bad”, “Beat It”, “Thriller”, Smooth criminal”, “Don’t stop till you get enough” “Black and White”, “The way you make me feel”, “Human Nature”, “Billie Jean”, “Earth song”, “Man in the mirror”, “Heal the world”, “Rock with you” “and many other classics. We also had Jackson 5 hits. Every performance was my favorite, Garth is incredible, he is Michael Jackson! It was a Rock and Roll day and once again guitars prevailed. The audience loved the performances, we couldn’t stop dancing and singing. I almost died with happiness when I saw the anti-gravity lean, I saw it live but I still couldn’t believe it. The moonwalk is still the most legendary dance move ever! Probably the greatest concert I’ve ever experienced. They left everything out on the stage. Maybe I wasn’t the greatest Michael Jackson fan but I am after today. Congratulations Showtime Australia and the whole team and a deserved standing ovation.

Young Proust

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Young Proust

Young Proust moving with the times,
rolling,
trying out new combinations,
conquering different nations,
winning,
seeing the same results.

Still with the petty insults?
Flipping overboard to land me like moonsault.
Your punches are too light to be assault.

Reality is weird isn’t it,
cause one moment its there and the next it’s gone,
discombobulated,
entropy,
destruction.

Young Proust remains,
Tea and madeleines the basis of what remains,
Life-bearing and conclusive to get your mama laid.

Young Proust moving with the times,
I’ve been here since day one and I am never gonna stop.
Young Proust consistent and always on top.

Acknowledge Me,
make things easier for yourself,
I am not going anywhere.

Young Proust moving with the times,
Every day is my time,
I am the greatest of all time.