Buddy ’93 : Together Again
Reminisce about the music of Buddy Holly and the theatre show that brought his music to our stages in Buddy ‘93 – Together Again
Hot on the heels of Rent : Together Again’s success on &CO’s new online streaming &SCENE last Saturday, they are thrilled to announce this week’s show will be Buddy ‘93 – Together Again.
Taking place tonight, the weekly reunion show will be highlighting the original cast of the musical that took South Africa by storm: Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story.
“It made perfect sense for &SCENE to bring back together some of the cast of this iconic musical production for its own.
https://youtu.be/0Z-0P3eVInc
‘Together Again’ reunion, so that audiences and cast members alike can re-live some of those amazing memories and celebrate the iconic artist that left the world way too soon,” says producer and director of &SCENE Drew Bakker.
Hosted by Natasha van der Merwe, South Africa’s own “Buddy”, Craig Urbani reunites with other cast members from the original 1993 production, including Alistair Izobell, Michael Richard, Paul Ditchfield, Alan Swerdlow, and Leila Henriques.
Being actively involved in musical theatre over many years, as well as being part of the Buddy phenomenon, Bryan Hill will join them in studio to share fascinating insights and stories about the production that changed the face of musical theatre in South Africa as we know it.
Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story chronicles the rise to fame of pop music icon Buddy Holly from his first performances with Buddy Holly and the Crickets to the tour that saw him die in the infamous plane crash that also claimed the lives of J.P. Richardson (also known as The Big Bopper), Ritchie Valens and their pilot, Roger Peterson.
Says Bakker: “Every week on Together Again we are so excited to help audiences relive incredible moments of South African theatre.
“Full of non-stop nostalgia and stories, these are by no means comprehensive, but a chance to relive those very special nights.
“For Buddy ’93, we are thrilled to bring together members of the original company for a “fireside chats” version of Together Again for a much more intimate night of stories.”
Drew continues: “This is all to support a great cause – raising funds and awareness for the incredible work Theatre Benevolent Fund is doing for members of all facets of the entertainment community.”
Opening in 1993, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story was the first bio-musical seen in South Africa of its kind, and was a phenomenon not seen on our local shores previously.
The show travelled South Africa, performing to packed houses for a further six years, audiences always wanting more, and set the trend for similar musicals to follow.
It’s also been a show that launched many an artist’s career both locally and internationally and is still one of the most requested shows to be re-staged, including that of Craig Urbani who played Buddy Holly.
Says Craig; “I am so looking forward to the reunion of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story. I can’t wait to sing some Buddy songs, reunite with a few of the old cast members, enjoy good chats and share some amazing stories about what was an incredible production!
“A huge thank you to &SCENE for creating this platform.”
Buddy ‘93 : Together Again will be staged on &SCENE’s FaceBook Live and YouTube Channels on Saturday at 6pm.
Direct viewing can be done here.
Also read: New online streaming playform for entertainment industry
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