Cape Town Pride Proms 2022

Proms CAPE TOWN

LOUIS

STEFAN

TOMMY

With

Proms

A NOTE FROM THE CEO & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

“TheOrchestraforall.”

The Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra is known for its excellence, its dynamism, its flexibility to play all genres of music and its commitment to all facets of its community. During the pandemic, its reputation increased nationally and internationally.

Having already presented a special concert for the LBGTQ+ community at the Green Point Urban Park some years ago, we are delighted to reinforce our relationship to the LBGTQ+ community and trust this will become an annual event, one that has wide appeal across the entire city. Many of tonight’s performers are seasoned CPO artists, others are performing with us for the first time.

We are delighted to work with Tommy Paterson and his team to unite them all in what will be an extravaganza of note! We are particularly proud of the fact that we have launched many young artists in our community galas, and helped others establish themselves as leading South African artists. We celebrate life and tonight we celebrate with pride the Pride Proms.

Louis Heyneman

Proms CAPE TOWN

WELCOME FROM THE SHOW’S PRODUCER

Tonight’s programme is something different and comprises a mix of both classical and popular songs.

Similar to the world renowned BBC Last Night at the Proms it is an evening of music to be enjoyed by everyone.

As the producer of tonight s Pride Proms I am delighted to announce that the line-up of music reflects the contribution LGBTI+ composers, song writers, choreographers and performing artists have made to the world of music and entertainment. Quite frankly the performing arts world would be less creative and with less talent than without the enormous contribution from our community. That is something that we can all be proud of.

So, get comfortable, and prepare to be entertained ... and have a wonderful night ...

CAPE TOWN PRIDE

Cape Town Pride is an annual event on the city’s calender and is now in it’s 14th year.

The current Pride format started as a one day, street event in De Waterkant. Since then it has grown from a few hundred participants to an event that attracts thousands of people from all sections of our very diverse community.

Cape Town Pride has also grown in to a two week event with up to 30 events including the Pride Awards which honour those people who have worked for and helped the LGBT+ community. This year, for the first time Pride celebrates the amazing contribution LGBT+ performers and artists have made with the Cape Town Pride Proms.

A further feather in our cap is that InterPride, and international body with representation on every continent has voted Cape Town Pride The best Pride in Africa!

THE CAPE TOWN PRIDE PROMS 2022

9 March, 2022 - 8:00pm

TONIGHT’S PROGRAMME

HOSTS FOR THE EVENING: JULIAN NAIDOO & WENDY DE LA ROSA

WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE PROMS PRODUCER - TOMMY PATTERSON

ADDRESS BY THE ARTSCAPE THEATRE CENTRE CEO - DR MARLENE LE ROUX

OPENING ADDRESS BY THE MAYOR OF CAPE TOWN - MAYOR GEORDIN HILL-LEWIS

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra

Daylin Sass

3 Tons of Fun (& Zeke Le Grange on saxophone)

Earl Gregory

Yahto Kraft

Natalia Da Rocha (with 3 Tons of Fun)

Grant J. Peres

Siphesihle Mdena

Craig Lucas & Lynelle Kenned

Kaleidoscope Overture

Believe

Paradise Road

Unusual Way (from Nine)

Never Enough (from The Greatest Showman)

I Never Knew Love Like This Before

I Am What I Am (from La Cage Aux Folles)

Nessun Dorma (from Turandot)

Barcelona

INTERMISSION

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra

Earl Gregory

Craig Lucas

Lynelle Kenned

Grant J. Peres

3 Tons of Fun

Soloists

Yahto Kraft and Zeke La Grange

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra

Rock Overture

Hold Me In Your Heart (from Kinky Boots)

Who Wants To Live Forever

Over The Rainbow (from The Wizard of Oz)

I Will Survive

It’s Raining Men

Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Somewhere (from West Side Story)

YMCA

THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL ANTHEM - Nkosi Sikilel’ iAfrika Full Company

The Talented Craig Lucas

Proms CAPE

STEFAN LOMBARD, MUSICAL DIRECTOR

One of the most versatile musicians in South Africa, Stefan Lombard is a classically trained pianist, and a graduate from the University of Cape Town. He furthered his studies at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, England, and subsequently spent his professional career as a performer, music director, collaborator, conductor, and arranger.

He has performed as soloist with the leading orchestras in South Africa ,and is a keen chamber music recitalist. He has devised, compiled, directed and performed in many concerts for special events and festivals such as the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual community gala spectacular concerts.

Highlights of his extensive work abroad includes recordings with the Wellington Sinfonia in New Zealand and the original production of ‘Cape Town Opera Chorus concert “African Angels’ ,travelling to Holland, Belgium, Sweden and the 2016 Aix en Provence Festival in France,

Stefan musically directed the first South African production of the musical CATS. The success of the local production took Stefan abroad, where he conducted in Lebanon, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, China, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Qatar. Other productions locally included Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins, Orpheus in Africa, Cabaret and the Rocky Horror Show, for which he won the prestigious Naledi Best Musical Director Award in 2015.

Stefan made his official conducting debut with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 during the UK/Ireland tour of Cape Town Opera’s Show Boat, followed by the London Palladium international touring production of The Sound of Music. In 2018 he was associate conductor on the international touring production of Evita.

During the onset COVID pandemic, he was one of the first local artists to perform an online live streamed concert with singer Lynelle Kenned, with whom he enjoys an ongoing musical partnership. In December 2021 he was invited to compile and headline the opening of the 2nd Tantora Winter Festival in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, following in the footsteps of Andrea Bocelli performing the year before. The UNESCO world heritage site was the most spectacular backdrop for the Hegra Candlelight Classics 2021 and a career highlight.

Stefan believes in the communication of music as a universal language. He considers himself very fortunate to be able to feel equally at home in such a variety of genres.

Earl Gregory performed to critical acclaim in Kinky Boots

CHIEF EXECUTIVE & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA LOUIS HEYNEMAN

Louis Heyneman matriculated at the Paul Roos Gymnasium and graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a B. Music and B. Journalism Hons (cum laude) in 1980. In his student years, he became the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, Die Matie, and started his career as a music and art journalist at the Afrikaans daily, Die Burger. In 1983, he was awarded a scholarship from the Rotary Foundation for post-graduate studies and furthered his studies at one of the world’s foremost institutes for journalistic studies, the University of Columbia-Missouri in the USA.

In 1987 he became the deputy editor of De Kat magazine and in 1991 he was appointed the Director of the Oude Meester Foundation for the Performing Arts. Under his guidance, more than 30 recordings of prominent South African composers and performers have been published under various South African and international labels. He served as a Trustee of the UNISA Music Foundation for two decades and occasionally writes articles on music for various publications. In 2014 he and colleague Shirley de Kock Gueller published a book on the hundred years of symphonic music in Cape Town, A Century of Symphony The story of Cape Town’s Orchestra. He became the Chief Executive of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000.

BRANDON PHILLIPS, CONDUCTOR, CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Since 2015, resident conductor of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Brandon Phillips is also its principal bassoon, music director of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and conductor of the UCT Orchestra and ensembles. The winner of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s Inaugural Len van Zyl Conductor’s Competition in 2010 (now the SA Conductors’ Competition), Phillips began his music career in the New Apostolic Church.

He is a guest conductor of the Johannesburg Philharmonic and the KZN Philharmonic, and other orchestras in oratorio, opera and ballet, as well as cross-over concerts. Appearances with the Miagi YouthOrchestraFestivalwhich he conducted in 2014 in Berlin and Amsterdam received critical acclaim. He has also conducted at the StellenboschInternationalChamberMusicFestival . In 2012, Phillips received a prestigious award from the Minister of Arts and Culture Ivan Meyer for “outstandingachievementsbytheyouth”. In 2017 he received another prestigious award, “Skouerklop” , at the Suidoosterfees.Phillips is supported by RMB Starlight Classics.

THE CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

For 108 years, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) has been the foremost orchestra in Africa. The most active one in the country, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic, the CPO broadened its reach by streaming concerts to reach a wider audience nationally and internationally. Prior to the pandemic, the versatile CPO performed with the foremost local and international artists such as Pretty Yende and the late Johan Botha, songstresses Lira and Melanie Scholtz, Freshly Ground, and violinists Joshua Bell and Shlomo Mintz. The CPO remains the indispensable partner to Cape Town Opera locally and internationally and Cape Town City Ballet and will soon again accompany international visiting companies.

While its choral, pops, rock and family concerts took a back seat during the pandemic, the CPO continued to present live and streamed community gala concerts in which provides performance opportunities with a full symphony orchestra to local community stars. Prior to Covid, performances topped a staggering 130 a year in traditional venues such as the City Hall and Artscape Opera, community halls across the region and outdoor venues such as the Endler Hall, Oude Libertas Amphitheatre and Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens.

From March 2020, the CPO adapted its way of doing business to stream community concerts celebrating local talent, symphony concerts, youth concerts, make a YouTube presentation for the free use at schools to introduce the instruments and offer on-line teaching and mentoring to those in its education and development projects which include two acclaimed youth orchestras as well as grassroots training projects with several hundred students from various townships. This programme, Masidlale (from the Xhosa word “let us play”), produces a widening community reach and is part of the skills’ transfer circle in which young musicians are on track to a professional career, assisted by the CPO’s own musicians.

The orchestra is also part of international culture through its CDs and its Cyber Symphonies which were streamed during the pandemic, reaching a new audience nationally and internationally.

ARTSCAPE THEATRE MANAGEMENT

CEO: Dr Marlene le Roux

CFO: Vernon Van der Linde

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: Marius Golding

SENIOR MANAGER: HUMAN RESOURCES: Lungisani Nkomo

SENIOR MANAGER: BUSINESS SERVICES: André Steenveld

SENIOR MANAGER: COMMUNICATIONS: Simone Heradien

COMPANY SECRETARY: Ilze de Wet

GENERAL MANAGER: Stage Services: Yusuf Abrahams

BOX OFFICE MANAGER: Portia Valentine

FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER: David van Deventer

ARTSCAPE COUNCIL

Mr Rajesh Jock (Chairperson)

Ms Ndileka Lerato Manana

Ms Karen Meiring

Mr Mongezi Menye

Ms Xoliswa Ndudeni-Ngema

Mr Mpho Jerry Pooe

Mr Philip van Ryneveld

(asat9thFebruary2022)

Principal Guest Conductor:

Bernhard Gueller

Resident Conductor:

Brandon Phillips

supported by RMB Starlight Classics

Guest Concertmasters:

Farida Bacharova

Suzanne Martens

Deputy Concertmaster:

Philip Martens

First Violins:

Petrus de Beer

Emina Lukin *

Sisa Mgauli

Philip Martens

Annien Shaw ^

Maretha Uys

Second Violins:

Samantha Durrant *

Miroslawa Domagala

Claudia Göttert ^

Tomasz Kita #

Matthew Stead

Milena Toma

Violas:

Rory Africa ^

Cara Coetzee ^

Petrus Coetzee *

Azra Isaacs #

Renette Swart

Cellos:

Nastassja Pretorius ^

Ashlin Grobbelaar ^

Peter Martens *

Edward McLean #

Double Basses:

Zanelle Britz

Donat Pellei #

Roxane Steffen *

Flutes:

Louisa Theart #

Gabriele von Dürckheim * ■

Oboes:

Carin Bam #

Lisa White *

Clarinets:

Ferrol-Jon Davids * David Little ^

Bassoons:

Simon Ball **

Brandon Phillips * ■

Arno Steyn

Horns:

Lieze Nel ^

Mark Osman

Shannon Thebus *

Conrad van der Westhuizen

Trumpets:

Paul Chandler

Pierre Schuster #

David Thompson *

Trombones:

Slavomir Mrazik *

Ryan van der Rheede

Bass Trombone: David Langford #

Tuba:

Shaun Williams ■

Timpani:

Christoph Müller *

Percussion:

Eugene Trofimczyk *

Ethan Rutter ^

Harp:

Roelien Grobbelaar ^

Rhthm section

Piano: Keyboard Stefan Lombard

Electric/ Lead Guitar: Michael Bester

Electric Bass: Shaun JohannesDrums: Darren Petersen

Thislistofplayerswascorrectat thetimeofgoingtopress.

Principal*

AssociatePrincipal** SubPrincipal#

Adhoc^ Onleave

Orchestra Attendants:

Rudi Makwana ^

Lucien Faro ^

Drivers:

Craig Wildeman ^

Derrick Wildeman ^

Chief Executive Officer / Artistic Director

Louis Heyneman

General Manager

Ivan Christian

Fundraising and Business Development Executive

Suzanne Aucamp

Marketing and Communications Executive

Shirley de Kock Gueller

Fundraising/Office Administrator

Mary MacGregor-Frew

Youth Development and Education Co-ordinator

Marvin Weavers

Education manager: Masidlale and CP Music Academy

Odile Burden

Music Librarian

Neil Robertson

Assistant Orchestra Manager

Milena Toma

TONIGHT’S SOLOISTS

Brought to you by Fitch & Leedes

NATALIA DA ROCHA

Natalia Da Rocha was born into a musical family. In primary school she joined her dad and brother in the band. She graduated from Stellenbosch University’s Drama Department in 1981. Her first musical was Fangs (1982) where she met Sam Marais. She left Cape Town in 1983 for her first stage play BacchusInnieBoland . This was also the year that Natalia acted and recorded the theme song BlyByMayfor the Jans Rautenbach movie BroerMatie. Natalia and Sam formed the well-known duo Coffee‘nCream. In 1987 and became the first South African people of colour to perform as leads at Sun City in ‘Movin’. Several musicals in Durban followed: Aint Misbehavin and MidnightBlues.She enjoyed a 2 year stint as celebrity presenter on KayaFM, a weekly tv magazine show JustForYou . In 1995 Rainbow Worx a community theatre project started in Bosmont. In 2001 she relocated back to Cape Town and Applauz Arts Initiative was born, training young performers from disadvantaged communities and giving them a platform to showcase their talent. She was inducted into the SA Legends Museum in 2019 .

EARL GREGORY

Earl trained at Pretoria Technikon getting a National Diploma Musical Theatre in 2004. He has performed extensively both here in South Africa & overseas. These include KinkyBoots at the Fugard Theatre in 2019. Intothe Woods (Theatre on the Bay, 2019) Evita (South Africa and International tour 2017/18), PussinBoots (Lyric Theatre 2017), JosephandTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat( South Africa and New Zealand tour 2016), CATS(Seoul Korean Tour 2014), HanselandGretel (Baxter Theatre 2013), TheLittleMermaid (Baxter Theatre 2012), TheQuietViolenceofDreams(UJ Con Cowan Theatre 2012), BeautifulCreatures(Teatro 2010), Dreamgirls(Teatro 2011), CATS(Artscape Theatre 2009), SnowWhite(Joburg Civic Theatre 2008), HighSchoolMusical(Asia Tour 2008), Hairspray (Lyric Theatre 2007), HAIR (Pieter Toerien Theatre 2007), Aint Misbehavin’ (Market Theatre 2006), Life@centrestage(Pieter Toerien Theatre 2005), JosephAndTheAmazing TechnicolorDreamcoat(Pieter Toerien Theatre 2004), AllTogetherNow! (Theatre on the Bay 2021)’ He has received a NalediTheatreAward , as well as a covetted FleurDuCapTheatreAward.

LYNELLE KENNED

Lynelle Kenned, graduate of the UCT Opera School under the tutelage of Prof Virginia Davids, is a Multidisciplinary Performing Artist, TV Presenter, Corporate MC, Actress and Media Personality. Her list of awards include the KunsteOnbeperkYOUNGVOICE2019 , a 2018 NalediAward,a FiëstaAwardin 2017 and a FleurduCapAwardin 2016. Performances include Maria in “WestSideStory” , Maria in “TheSoundofMusic” , Mattie Allen in “OrpheusinAfrica”,Musetta in “LaBoheme” , Julie in “Showboat” , Cherubino in “LenozzediFigaro” , and Grace in the world premiére of “CallingMeHome” . Classical performances as soprano soloist include TheMessiah,EasterOratorio,StMatthewPassion, JauchzetGottinallenLanden,Brahms’Requiem,Handel’sGloriaand the GloriabyVivaldi.Since 2012, she’s been a television presenter on “Pasella” , and subsequently hosting “JýGeld”,“123Fixit”and “UitdieSpens”on KykNET and VIA respectively. Films include “AChristmasChorus”,“Wonderlus”,“Playboyz” and “TweeGradevanMoord” . A few memorable career highlights are the FNB/RMB Starlight Classics, live broadcasts of Dancing with the Stars and the KykNET Fiëstas, performing with Welsh crossover superstar Katherine Jenkins, and receiving master classes with Juilliard’s Brian Zeger.

Microsoft empowers everyone.

The dynamic voice of Yahto Kraft

YAHTO KRAFT

Yahto Kraft, is openly queer, and described as a “fabulously fierce powerhouse of a performer”. With a background in classical singing, Yahto went on to attend Stageworx School of Performing Arts in Randburg. His vocal coach entered him for Season 3 of The Voice, where he chose Team Lira. He says “LirataughtmehowtobeadivaandgetwhatIwant.” He was sadly voted off before the finals, but loved the experience saying, “We diditguys!Wegotthroughtothemandshowedsomepeoplehowwe doit,andwearen’tdoneyet.We’vegotalongwaytogobuthopefully I’veopenedsomedoorsfory’all.”He released his debut single “Ugly”.As a queer performer he feels a responsibility to LGBT+ people “IdowhatI do,forthepeoplewhodon’thaveavoice,forthosequeerkidswhocan’t comeoutbecausethefamiliesaren’taccepting,orthey’reafraid,and they’rejustnotready.Tohaveyourfamilynotlovewhoyouare,Ican’t imaginehowterrifyingthatmustbe,buttonotloveyourselfissomething farmoreterrifying.”He’s incredibly talented with a powerful voice...

CRAIG LUCAS

Over the past four years, Craig Lucas’ name has become synonymous with #1 radio hits across South Africa. Winner of TheVoiceSeason2in 2017, this shy boy from Elsies Rivier in Cape Town, has come into his own, capturing the hearts of millions with his deeply emotive soul and wide vocal range. Craig is a graduate in Economics and Politics at UCT, but despite a promising career ahead of him in the corporate world, Craig always secretly loved singing. He made a promise to his mother that he would finish his degree first before staring on a road to music. Despite not having musical training in any form nor coming from a musical family, Craig remembers loving music from a young age. As an introvert, he never could express how he was feeling. Music was always an escape; it was how he dealt with things. At high school he suffered from performance anxiety got the better of him and he stopped. He was aiming to enter the first season of the Voice, but his stage fright got the better of him. CRAIG decided to enter The Voice season 2 to become a better performer, and the rest is history.

SIPHESIHLE MDENA

Siphesihle’s relationship with Cape Town Opera stretches back to his high school days: thanks to a programme that brought opera to Queenstown, he was able to explore a love for music that had been sparked while performing with his school choir in an Eisteddfod. Awarded a scholarship for his studies at UCT, he completed his Performer’s Diploma in Music, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance. Looking to the future, he hopes that his talents will take him even further afield: he’d like to grow his skills as a soloist and then one day travel to Germany, France and more of Europe to perform. When he’s not immersed in music, he can be found focused on sport, whether watching it on TV or playing soccer and touch rugby with his friends from UCT.

The Amazing talent of Grant J Peres aka Lady G

GRANT J PERES

Grant Joshua Peres, originates from Ceres and had is induction into the industry at age 19 where he performed under direction of Hennie Van Greunen in DieLaasteAandalongside Natalia Da Rocha, AJ Van der Merwe and Pedro Kruger in 2002 at KKNK and Aardklop. In 2003 he made it to SA Idols Top 100 and came 3rd Nationwide in the KykNetZing2Competitionin 2004. He’s worked alongside the legendary Natalia Da Rocha at Artscape and various national and international platforms on a number of productions. He has also worked alongside Alistair Izobell on NowThat’sMusicand MixedBredie and re-recorded KaapseDraaifor Die Burger for the album DraJouHartop jouTong . Grant has travelled the world performing in countries such as Nannying, China with Applauz Arts Initiative, Menorca, Spain, and as been a Male Headliner on Costa Italian Cruise liners and the Scandinavian Ferry, Silja. He played Bingo in the 2012 version of KatandtheKingsand Will Thompson in OrpheusinAfricain 2015, written and directed by David Kramer.

DAYLIN SASS

From backing vocal for many local artists In Cape Town, to the MaakMy Famous (Top 3 finalist) and IdolsSouthAfricastages (Top 5 finalist) taking up space to showcase his brilliant talent, Daylin Sass, Singer, Songwriter, and entertainer, hailing from Hanover Park, Cape Town, continues to wow audiences with his amazing talent. He started singing at the tender age of 6 and since then has been a backing vocalist for 6+ years until he decided to take the leap of faith to step into the limelight. This has skyrocketed Daylin to become an amazing artist in his own right. Daylin did his very first theatre production pantomime called “Cinderella&FrikaDella”,playing one of the ugly step sisters, Frika. He’s graced so many stages from local to international and when he steps onto the stage, he makes sure to leave it all on stage not for himself, but for his audiences and they’ve never regretted a single moment of listening to him sing.

3 TONS OF FUN

Formed in 2007, 3 TONS OF FUN is one of South Africa’s most loved all-female groups , they exude sexiness, glamour and with their incredible voices they show the world that not only slender women can be sultry and seductive. They are in great demand on the corporate circuit and have performed at some of the most prestigious events in the country, from sharing the stage with Maria Carey to performing at some of the most exclusive high profile private weddings and functions all over the world. They are a distinctive brand who are loved wherever they perform.

Proms

OUR FABULOUS PRODUCTION TEAM

Producer

Technical Director

Stage Manager

CPO Marketing & Communications Executive

Sound & Lighting

Publicity & Social Media

Publicist

Programme Printer

Cover Photo Tickets

Special Thank You

Tommy Patterson

Roy Hunter

Juanita van Wyk

Shirley de Kock Gueller

Artscape

Matthew Van As

Keith Coventry

ABC Press

www.cpo.org

Computicket

Dian Harcovecchio

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

who have made this awesome night a reality!

The always fabulous 3 Tons of Fun