Exciting shows lined up for Joburg Theatre this spring

Joburg Ballet will stage Don Quixote and Celebration 7 at the Joburg Theatre till September 13.

Gauteng Opera will present its double bill of opera classics and I Am An African on September 10.

The initiative is part of Joburg Ballet’s aim to collaborate with other art enterprises and to provide a variety of shows for its audiences.

The shows will celebrate the operatic voice through a selection of much-loved arias and ensembles performed by Gauteng opera soloists and guest artists.

Audiences will also be treated to a guest appearance by Joburg Ballet, with the second half of the evening commemorating Africa and its heritage in a segment that takes its inspiration from former President Thabo Mbeki’s famous “I am an African” speech.

Audiences can expect opera classics including the Lakmé duet and Casta Diva, the famous aria from the opera Norma, which is known as one of Maria Callas’ favourite arias to sing.

There will also be selections from Bizet’s Carmen, Puccini’s La Boheme and Donizetti’s La Fille Du Regiment.

The I Am an African programme will be a mixture of singing, poetry and dancing with music including Vicky Sampson’s African Dream, Miriam Makeba’s Pata Pata, Circle Of Life from The Lion King and Bright Blue’s Weeping.

Go to www.joburgtheatre.com for more information.