Curtain up on Keely’s talent
You learn so much from performing in live shows.
Amanzimtoti songbird Keely Crocker, has been hard at work preparing for this year’s Young Performers production, ‘Curtain Up!’ with the official opening of the show which took place on Friday night, 17 May, at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre.
“I’ve been singing in competitions since I was nine years old. I love music and I love the performing arts, so acting was the next step in my career. I have been in school productions since primary school and took acting more seriously when I got to high school. I joined the drama club in grade 8 and take drama as a subject. I love the drama practicals – it’s the highlight of my term and I have been in the student-run school musicals at Kingsway since then.
“I auditioned for my first Young Performers Project (YPP) show when I was 13, The Buddy Holly Story and for Footloose the next year. I loved every minute of being on the stage. We not only did acting, but singing and dancing as well. I have also competed at Talent Africa Nationals for acting and singing and received gold for both, plus I was selected for their showcase.
“I was also in the Born to Perform Shows held at Gold Reef City Lyric Theatre in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, I sang with Idols star Loyiso Gijana and SA artist Louise Carver.”
Chatting about the show, she shared, “I am thrilled to be cast as one of the leads in this year’s YPP show, Curtain Up! My character is a young performer called Jaimee, the girl caught up in the middle of a love triangle.
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“The show is about a diverse group of talented young performers who take shelter from the rain in a derelict theatre where, to their delight, they discover the evocative remnants of past productions. Inspired by the idea of bringing the old theatre back to life, the performers appeal to the new owner, Siyanda, to re-open as a community theatre, only to learn that the theatre is to be knocked down to make way for a casino. The passion with which the young performers fight to save the theatre leads Siyanda to the realisation of where his true values lie.”
Year round, Crocker is involved in school activities, she is part of the swimming team, soccer squad, plays both indoor and outdoor hockey for the first team, and takes part in athletics and basketball. “Plus, I do drama and interact.” enthuses the youngster.
“The biggest challenge is managing my time. I have to balance rehearsals and the show with keeping up with my grades and doing my duties as a junior leader and still be committed to my sports and other singing commitments. But developing time-keeping skills is one of the things you learn quickly when you choose performing arts as your career. Exams started last week, so learning in between shows and my other commitments is a major challenge, but I am confident I will continue to achieve.”
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Asked what she has learnt from her experiences on stage, she stated, “You learn so much from performing in live shows. You learn professionalism and camaraderie. You have to be dedicated and committed and work as a team. You have to support each other for the success of the production and in the process, you make life-long friends.”
With her birthday next month, the now 16-year-old doesn’t have much spare time as she will be on stage dazzling audiences nightly until 2 June. Tickets are available through Computicket.
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