LATOYA NEWMAN

ITS NOT often high-endentertainers opt to bring theirshows to Durban, but JonathanRoxmouth is one artist who

never leaves the city off his tourlist.

His latest production, which begins its season at theRhumbelow Theatre on June 11,will see Roxmouth in a verydifferent type of act.

A celebration of musicals, Stageby Stage sees the performer take tothe stage alone with nothing but amicrophone and his favourite songsfrom the musicals.

Tonight caught up withRoxmouth to find out more abouthis love affair with Durban whichstarted in high school and his new show, which he describes as a concert of songs from themusicals.

He began explaining how Stageby Stage came about: I do thesemusicals all the time and afterevery show, invariably there issomeone who will say well whydont you bring a CD out?

So when I did Sunset Boulevardlast year I decided, well why not? I had some spare time to do it andwhile we were rehearsing duringthe day, I was in the recordingstudio at night.

And I just thought, it will besomething to sell after the show; itwill be something small, but at leastwhen Im an old man one day Illhave something to show that this is what I used to do.

But, as Roxmouth explains, what started as a small project hassnowballed into a full-on show: Itreally took off and people started tosay they wanted to see it live. So Idid a few performances in Margate,Centurion and Boksburg.

These were all people who hadcome to me. I didnt go out lookingfor it, they all just offered (for himto do the show) I realised it wassuch a nice thing to see peoplecoming to what is essentially a concert.

Its not a show. Its a concert of songs from the musicals. Andespecially in 2014, to see youngpeople getting excited aboutRodgers and Hammerstein andAndrew Lloyd Webber and others,is, for a professional in the businesslike me, its exciting seeing theaudiences still interested in thatsort of music.

Its not just about Lady Gagaand Adam Lambert and, dare I say,The Jonas Brothers any more soits very exciting from that point ofview.

Roxmouth said he saw Stage by Stage as more than a show. Itsme on stage. Its an evening of themusicals with Jonathan Roxmouth.

I tell funny stories that havehappened to me in shows, storiesabout the songs themselves and its a completely different toanything Ive done because its me,Im not taking on a character.

And I think an audience reallylikes that sort of reality to it and apersonal touch behind things.

The hardest thing about puttingtogether his running order hadbeen choosing the songs.

I thought, what songs should I sing? And I split them into threegroups: songs I have sung before inshows, songs I am singing currentlyin shows and songs I would love tosing one day that is essentially thedream roles section.

And hopefully the audience getsto know me a little more during theshow, he said.

Commenting on his passion for Durban, Roxmouth explainedwhere it all began.

Durban is very special to meand its where I really first starteddoing musicals. In my NorthcliffHigh School days I did five musicalsat The Playhouse Guys and Dolls,Oklahoma!, The Mikado, Me and

My Girl and The Pirates ofPenzance.

I treated the Northcliff HighSchool tours down to Durban as my performing arts educationbecause you went on stage and didthe show and then you went home,

as a professional, but you were stillin school.

I suppose, in a way, Durban hasthe blame for the reason Im inmusical theatre.

I got to know Durban audienceswell during these tours. Also, on anartistic level, theres no snootiness.There are no pre-conceived judge-ments from people who think theiropinions matter. There are nocritics trying to prove a point andair their agendas.

Nothing kills a show in itsinfancy quicker than being judged.

And Durban is far more graciousthan any of the other hubs.

Roxmouth added that Stage byStage would also see him joined byan accompanist for the first time.Lots of people have been sayingthey hope its not all back tracks.Whats interesting is when I do apiano show like Liberace, people say,Oh, I wish he sang more; and whenI do a vocal show people say Oh, Iwish he played more.

What sets Stage by Stage apartis this time there is no trick. Its notlike Topsy Turvy where there are 14

costume changes in one song. Itsnot like Liberace where its justpiano all the way and blisteringfingers.

Stage by Stage is a wonderfullaid-back show that is all about themusicals.

Catch Stage by Stage fromJune 11 to 22 at RhumbelowTheatre, Durban. All ticketsthrough Computicket, except for Aliwal Theatre: book with Barbara at 039 973 1105or 083 778 1469.

LATOYA NEWMAN

POPULAR comedian Simmi Areffis one of those Durban exportswhove flown the flag high when itcomes to making audiences laugh.

Since leaving the city for greenerpastures in Joburg, his career hassnowballed, with the funnymanopening for comedians like RiaadMoosa.

Among other achievements hehas appeared on the Comedy Centralchannel and earned a reputation asone of comedys heirs in waiting.

His debut solo show, StrictlyMakrooh, rocked the boat in somecircles in Joburg, where it played tosold-out audiences.

Tonight spoke to Areff to findout more about what he would bebringing to Durban stages since lastperforming here last year.

He said moving to Joburg wasthe best thing he could have done forhis career.

Comedy-wise Durban is a smallplace It depends on who you are,but for me it was the best decision to go.

Other guys thrive in Durban,like Jem (Atkins), Glen (Bo), Carvin(Goldstone), they all stay in Durbanand are really successful becausethey are so close to the community.Theres a lot more happening inJoburg as well in terms of places toperform you can perform almost

every night.Last year, Areff was threatened

with legal action by the SouthAfrican National Halaal Authorityfor using a parody of the organisa-tions logo during the promotion ofStrictly Makrooh. We asked if Arefffelt there were any major issueswith Muslim comedy in SouthAfrica.

There are always issues withMuslim comedy The thing is, ifI come to your house and offend you, then its my problem. But ifyou come to my house, if you paidmoney to come to a comedy show,then why are you offended?

Asked what it was about comedythat drew him to it, he said: Money,drugs, fame and b**s in thatorder, he laughed. No seriously, Ijust like telling jokes. I didnt knowabout this thing you could do whereyou just stand up and tell jokes. Itwas cool The next thing, therewere more people who liked hearingmy jokes and I started getting biggerresponses. I like hearing laughter.Its such a cool feeling to makepeople you dont know laugh.

What I always tell people is that I just want to be in a theatre,and I consider all the people wholike my comedy, my friends. So Iwant my friends to come and I wantto perform for them. And, to behonest, I want to perform for free,but you know you have bills to

pay, so Asked what the audience could

expect of him with Make Salaamand Laugh, he said: Im going tobring my good looks. (He laughs.)I always tell people Im a looks-based comedian But Im justgoing to have fun and tell jokes.

Areff is touring with StrictlyMakrooh, which he hopes to bringto Durban later this year.

Im planning to tour the showfor a while I may do a namechange, it just depends. But I wantto try to bring it to Durban beforethe end of the year and thenprobably take it to the smaller towns like Rustenburg, Petersburg,Nelspruit because they loveMuslim comedy.

For now, Durban audiences canenjoy him in Make Salaam andLaugh, in which he performs withMasood Boomgaard. According to apress release, the duo are expectedto look at the funny side of beingMuslim in South Africa, whiledelving into everyday issues like the economy, crime, elections, sportand married life.

Make Salaam and Laugh is atthe Coastlands Hotel, Musgrave,on Friday. Tickets: R100. Adinner-show combo for R250includes a buffet dinner beforethe show. Book at Shoprite or Computicket.

TUESDAY MAY 27 2014 5TONIGHTSTAGETUESDAY MAY 27 20144 TONIGHTSTAGE

Sharing himself one song at a time

Coming home to Durban for a laugh

LATOYA NEWMAN

DURBANS infamous Karou Charouis to launch his new one-man show,Maha Dhir, in KwaZulu-Natal nextweek.

Karou remains an enigma to hisaudiences, as hes opted to stayhidden behind his traditionalEastern outfits, headgear, darkglasses and bling.

Tonight caught up with theturbaned one to find out moreabout his new show, whichapparently will also include magic and hypnosis.

He explained that, Sanskrit in origin, Maha means power or mighty, while Dhir refers to being wise, adding thatpowerful, mighty and wise are certainly words that describe the turbaned one.

I try to reinvent myself andcome up with something new everyyear. Coming up with new stuff is achallenge, but I stick to my tried andtested format.

I play to predominantly Indianaudiences, and I try to play to whatthey know and love, and what hasmade them identify with me.

My show involves a lot ofaudience interaction. In my lastshow I did some mental telepathytricks, so the audience can expect to have something in that range.

In the past six months, Ive been working on my hypnosis, sohopefully by the time I get on stageIll have it down to a fine art. Soanybody looking to cure some nastyhabits like smoking, nail-biting, andso on, Ive been told a bit of hypnosiscan help. Its going to be therapeuticand funny at the same time.

Karous debut show, Kama Sutra,was a sell-out. His next one-manshow, Dont Dalla Wid Da Masala,enjoyed an equally successful run.

We asked Karou to what he

credited the popularity of his shows.When I first went on stage, I

wanted to try my hand at doingcomedy. So I wore a disguise andwent on stage with the idea beingthat if I flopped no one would know.

So I went on stage and, strangelyenough, the disguise worked. Peopledidnt recognise who I was. But thecharacter became an enigma who

piqued peoples curiosity. Also, the disguise allows the

audience to be a bit more free andopen when they interact with me,because they dont know who theyare talking to.

Karou said audiences couldexpect Maha Dhir to be like aBollywood movie, only shorterand without subtitles. Its not

recommended for sensitive viewerswith no pulse.

Rated PG18, Maha Dhiropens on June 6 and 7 at SibayaCasino. Tickets R100 at the Sparpharmacy (Northway Mall), R120at Computicket. June 13 at AryanHall (PMB). Tickets R100 at theSpar pharmacy (Northway Mall),

R120 at Computicket. June 15 at Durban City Hall. Tickets R100 (early bird special) atComputicket, with limited buy two, get one free special.June 28 at Richards Bay Casino.Tickets at the casino. July 4 inUmzinto, July 18 in Port Shep-stone, August 2 in Ladysmith. See Computicket.

Stunning sounds fromFrance, Spain and BrazilMUSIC from France, Spain andBrazil made an attractive andunusual programme for the secondDurban City Hall concert of theKZN Philharmonic Orchestraswinter season.

The conductor was the HollanderArjan Tien, much admired hereafter 16 years of visiting Durban,and the soloist was the highlyaccomplished Cape Town guitaristJames Grace (pictured).

The evening opened with thewell-known Ritual Fire Danceby Manuel de Falla (1876-1946), the most famous of all Spanishcomposers. This work is, I think,most often heard in its pianoversion, but the original orchestralscore is highly effective, and theKZNPO made the most of its strong,fierce rhythms.

The guitar concerto by HeitorVilla-Lobos (1887-1959) breathes the atmosphere of the composersnative Brazil. Earlier, James Gracehad joined Liezl-Maret Jacobs at the

regular pre-concert lecture andillustrated some cello effectsachieved on the guitar, as well aspassages inspired by the rain forestsof Brazil.

The performance itself washighly successful. The work isscored for a small orchestra, about35 players, so as not to drown out the solo guitar, but even then it isnecessary for the soloist to use anamplifier. The lengthy solo cadenzawas particularly impressive.

The encore provided one of thehigh points of the entire concert.

James Grace played the hauntingMemories of the Alhambra, written120 years ago by the Spanishguitarist Francisco Tarrega. It is difficult and unforgettable, the

theme picked out against a ceaselesstremolo (rapidly repeated notes).

We moved to France withMaurice Ravels Mother Goose Suite, written originally aschildrens piano pieces, and laterexpanded to a ballet suite withenchanting orchestration. ArjanTiens expressive conducting stylewas seen and heard to particularlygood effect here.

Finally, Ravels most celebratedwork, Bolero, was given the fulltreatment by the whole orchestra about 70 players.

This hypnotic and extraordinarycomposition, written in 1928, hasalways been controversial. Somefind it dull and repetitious, but there is no denying its compellingpower. Its a long, slow, 15-minutecrescendo, starting with a murmurfrom the drums, and ending with amassive blast from all the instru-ments. It was brilliantly played bythe KZNPO and brought the housedown. Artsmart.co.za

MICHAELGREEN

DURBAN FAN AND FAVOURITE: Entertainer Jonathan Roxmouth brings his new show (or rather concert of songs),Stage by Stage, to KwaZulu-Natal next month. PICTURE: THE FAMOUS FROUWS

Durban comedianSimmi Areff, now

working in Joburg,returns home for Make

Salaam and Laugh.

PICTURE: SUPPLIED

Mighty wise move for Karou Charou

SOMETHING OF AN ENIGMA: The infamous and razor-tongued Karou Charou is back with a side-splitting new one-man show. PICTURE: SUPPLIED