Maynardville: over the decades, this venue has become synonymous with Shakespeare for theatre-loving Capetonians. Now, after a three-year break in the continuity of a long tradition, the mellow open-air theatre in the verdant bosom of Nature is once again celebrating the Bard more exuberantly than ever. BEVERLEY BROMMERT speaks to accompanist and musical director José Dias about his plans for Cape Town Opera at the venue:
Dynamic Magdalene Minnaar, Cape Town Opera’s Artistic Director, has for some time cherished the dream of staging an annual production at Maynardville in which opera inspired by Shakespeare is performed by the company. With the renaissance of the venue this year, she invited the much-sought-after accompanist and musical director José Dias (pictured left) to devise and mount a collage of excerpts from Shakespeare-based operas to showcase the impressive calibre of CTO’s soloists while paying homage to the literary giant. So we have Songs of Shakespeare.
Dias could not be more delighted.
He is currently involved in coaching the five featured artists individually (they were handed the repertoire before the festive season began, so are already familiar with its demands). Work at the open air theatre with the full cast will begin this Monday, 23 January 2023, and he is eager to start.
“That is when we deal with lighting, the sound system, and placing on the stage,” he explains, adding, “this is not merely a static performance in which people stand and sing; it is dramatic, as befits theatre. For instance, the excerpt from Verdi’s Otello is an extended scene, not just an aria. When Conroy Scott sings the pledge of Iago, it will be a poignant moment, as he and I both recall when the late George Stevens performed it at Maynardville…”
Unique and pervasive magic
Dias is very familiar with this venue, where he has performed previously. He does not minimise its challenges (such as wind, sudden chilly spells even on a summer’s night, and mosquitoes), but like most who frequent it, he feels its unique and pervasive magic. Generators will make it blessedly independent of loadshedding, and the 90-minute performance includes an interval for the purchase of refreshments from the facilities on offer.
Ever considerate of his audience, Dias says he will announce each piece on the programme “so that people don’t have to try and read in the dark”, even though many of the songs will be familiar.
After a preface from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen to anchor the evening in the baroque era, Shakespeare will be honoured in an array of arias and ensemble singing. Works featured will include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Otello, as well as songs from musicals like Kiss Me Kate (inspired by The Taming of the Shrew), and West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet). A highlight of the evening will be a noteworthy quintet from West Side Story delivered by the five strong cast.
They consist of Brittany Smith, Lukhanyo Moyake, Conroy Scott, Alida Scheepers and Van Wyk Venter, the latter two being Judith Nielsen Young Artists.
Apart from relishing preparations for this production, Dias is also jubilant at the prospects ahead of CTO. Working intimately with the company’s soloists, he realises how important it is to develop their public personality.
Following of fans
“A company like CTO should have something more than a succession of guest artists visiting for specific productions; soloists like ours develop a following of fans if they appear regularly, as they are now beginning to do. Guest appearances are more like a display of virtuosity, but it’s part-time.” He believes the core of a company is formed by its permanent, full-time artists, and the quintet in this production have what it takes.
As if Songs of Shakespeare were not enough to occupy him, Dias is also involved in rehearsals for CTO’s forthcoming production of Master Class at Theatre on the Bay, a play that will star Sandra Prinsloo and in which he is both accompanist and performer as theatre and opera combine to enchant audiences – as they do in celebrating Shakespeare.
What: Songs of Shakespeare with Cape Town Opera
Where and when: Cape Town Opera will be at Maynardvile from 26-29 January 2023 at 8.15pm with tickets through Quicket
WS
