“Tale as old as time” Theater Production Review

O.A.K. Youth Theatre presents Beauty and the Beast onstage at the Atterbury Theatre

As a little girl, I had the VHS cassette of Disney’s classic Beauty and the Beast (1991). I watched it so many times, it didn’t take long for the picture to start rolling.  For the post-1997 generation, rolling is when the tape on a VHS cassette get so worn down that the picture becomes distorted or starts “rolling” on the screen.

So… I AM A FAN! I have watched it more than once in recent years (I own the Beauty and the Beast The Complete Collection limited DVD edition) and I have seen the 2017 adaption starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans (yum-meee!) twice. I could not afford to miss the theater production.

O.A.K. Youth Theater

O.A.K. Youth Theater (One of AKind – clever!) is a Pretoria based theater and gives students of all ages the opportunity to study acting, singing and dancing.  Their past productions include Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and (coming in 2019) Aladdin.

To be completely honest, until now I have never heard of the O.A.K. Youth Theater, BUT now, I am definitely diarizing their upcoming production dates as ‘not-to-missed’ events.  These young adults (and little ones) are seriously talented.  They sing all the songs themselves, while dancing it out and still maintain their onstage personalities – it’s truly inspiring!

Rachelle Weiss (15) and Dominique Wouters (18) portrayed Belle and Beast beautifully with an on-stage chemistry only true talent can put forward.  Matthew Otto (I think 23) and Hennie Möller (15) had us in stitches for 3 hours with their Gaston and Le Fou characters – these two were by far the ‘favorites’.  Other stars included Danike Korf (13) as Cogsworth, Gareth Lovell Davies (25) as Lumière (absolutely brilliant!!!), Erin Victoria Olive (18) as Mrs Potts and the cutest Jessica Findlay (12) as Chip.

Lanie Jay (15), Rachelle’s understudy, portrayed Babette (or more well known in the classics as Fifi (1991) or Plumette (2017), the sassy little feather duster). In this production, Babette had, as a big role, as in the 2017 movie adaption.  She shined with her onstage personality, wowed with her singing voice and we could not take our eyes of her feet when she started dancing.

The Enchanted Rose

No retelling of Beauty and the Beast is complete without The Enchanted Rose “If he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.”  Danielle Putter took our breaths away with her ballet performance(s) of The Enchanted Rose at key points in the story.  Every time ‘a petal fell’, a petal from Danielle’s ballerina skirt fell to the stage.  Such an original idea!

Music and Dance

The first surprise was the opening scene The Cursed Prince performed to Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ and we quickly realized that the music in this production would be slightly different.   The Bimbettes version of ‘Call Me Maybe’ by Carly Rae Jepsen and the mob dancing it out to ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ by Pat Benatar was so much fun and had us dancing and clapping along.

My absolute favorite was Gaston and Le Fou proposing marriage to Belle to a rendition of Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee’s hit ‘Despacito’.  It was hilarious watching Gaston and Le Fou attempt the Latin Hip Hop dance moves and ending with “… this is how we do it down in Puerto Rico…”.

Original songs from Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Beauty and the Beast (2017) included ‘Belle’ (Bonjour), ‘Something There’, ‘Kill the Beast’ and of course they did not disappoint with ‘Be Our Guest’.

I loved that O.A.K. Youth Theater took a classic tale and brought their own refreshing and unique flair to the stage, without taking away from the nostalgia that is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The production was special, fun, comical, magical and romantic.  The story of two outcasts falling in love shone through in its authenticity and originality.

Well done O.A.K. Youth Theatre!!

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Writing is a form of art; like drawing, painting, sculpting, dancing and music – all are mediums of expression.  Having an appreciation for the written word and loving to read, gives you the ability to appreciate other forms of art; even if you don’t know yet, because your mind is curious and creative.  Ask a book lover if there is anything else creative they keep themselves busy with and I am sure you’ll find that they either write, draw, dance or keep their hands busy with something crafty like crocheting or knitting.

So why am I talking about art?  Garrett and I visited the RMB Turbine Art Fair at Turbine Hall in Newtown this weekend and it was amazing.  This Art Fair is all about African art, showcasing established and new artists and encouraging all mediums of art from old fashioned sketches to modern digital media.

Below are some of my favorites:

Gabrielle Kruger’s installation “UNDERGROUNDING LANDSCAPE”.

​Gabrielle’s installation, made of acrylic paint, re-imagines what she believes a piece of canvas would like if you remove the plastic from the earth.   The piece is inspired by the fact that plastic now pollutes every corner of the earth and forms part of the dirt and soil that we farm and build on.  What a great piece to showcase for #PlasticFreeJuly – a movement very close to my heart.

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The Bag Factory Artists Studios represented Thonton Kabeya’s

Thonton’s framed work immediately caught our attention, as it was unique and there was something so familiar about it.  The description stated a medium called “Lithography” was used.  We asked the representative from The Bag Factory to tell us more about the piece and he explained that Lithograph is a form of printing using metal plates (or limestone) **there is a more complex and technical explanation that I am not going to even attempt.  Thonton then uses the printed images to create 3D “sculptures”; most often using three of more canvasses at a time to create one piece.  South African’s will recognize this image as the H&M boy with the monkey shirt that sparked major controversy and racial out lash earlier this year.  The rep explained to us that Thonton’s piece is about the innocence of this little boy being taken away by all the social media out lash and controversy and he (the little boy) didn’t even understand the context of all that was said at the time.  The piece illustrates a sweet little boy wearing a shirt and a shadow of his innocence being mirrored behind him.

Marian Hester’s installation “THE WEIGHT OF THE DEAD” represented by INTETHE (GH6)

​Sounds dramatic right?… well yes, it is quite dramatic, but we loved it.  Marian uses dry tree roots and tree branches suspended from the roof.  Using spotlights, she creates shadows on the wall, but she also uses vinyl decals that looks like shadows so your eyes (and brain) need to reeaaaally focus to differentiate between the real shadows and the imaginary shadows.  If that is not enough mental stimulation for your creative brain, Marian also makes use of sound medium.  The piece you hear when you enter the installation, is a combination of the artists voice, brass prayer bowls and two frequencies: 220 Hertz which is believed to be the sound of seedlings growing and 40 Herts, which is the frequency of cut wood.  So fascinating!!!

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Candice Berman Fine Art Gallery || Elsa DUAULT ||

Oh wow!  The was so much fun!  Elsa’s canvasses are all circular and she blows through straws to distribute the paint across the canvas – the pieces are vibrant, colorful and looking at them instantly makes you feel happy and ready to create something. 

​BUT that is not the most interesting part – when you download the ARTIVIVE app onto your smartphone or Android device you get to watch a short video of the process.

Another installation was called “HUMAN NOISE” by Odette Graskie.  Odette quoted: “These bodies are a dance of humanity, and each form contains its own possible story as it mingles with the others.”  Some would probably describe it a bit creepy, but it’s definitely appreciated for its ‘human-feel’.

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I absolutely loved PPC Imaginarium’s Sculpture category winner “IMPOSED STRUCTURE (DEFLATED)” by Chris Soal.  It’s a sculpture piece, showcasing a deflated soccer ball sculpted out of cement with a long piece of rebar piercing and winding right through it.  The piece is described as the “…synonymous relationship between rebar and cement” which our cities are made up of.  The description also includes how children who grew up in cities were more likely to play on cement and tar surfaces, rather that soft gardens or soccer fields.  I think I stood staring at the piece for a full minute – it really swept me away.  It was so simple, yet so touching!

“SHEATHED” by Jenna Barbe is made entirely of discarded surf board pieces.  It’s a beautiful cocoon with intricate carvings on the outside and spotlights lighting up the inside to create shadows. Jenna’s description of the inside “…suggests protections, transformation and movement as the viewer experiences a shift from outer to inner body upon entering the structure.”

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Other noteworthy pieces :

• An artist using synthetic hair to complete her portrait paintings (really not as gross as it sounds, it was very intricate work)
• Sketches done using raw printer toner powder (gave us a good laugh, because we were imagining how messy it was to create and you can see the artist used his/her own “jeans” to make a print)
• A collar… as in what men used to wear in the 16th century; made from carbon paper (where do you even still get carbon paper ??)
• A piece created out of toothpicks giving the illusion of a sea anemone (you cannot help but to want to touch it)
• Madiba’s portrait made entirely out of salt

With over 380 artists, exhibiting various pieces, we explored for over 4 hours!!!!   It was so much fun… and fascinating… and educational… and a wonderful day out.  Thank you RMB, the Art Fair will see us again 😊

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Note: Except for the heading picture advertising the RMB Turbine Art Fair, all images were taken by us.

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To Kill a Mockingbird (To Kill a Mockingbird #1) by Harper Lee

#####/5

Published July 11th 1960

Mockingbirds mimic the calls and sounds of other birds and insects to protect their territory. They can also be quite aggressive if feeling threatened. Harper Lee expands on the characteristics of adults, children and society in general and draws a parallel with Mockingbirds on how innocence is tainted or “killed“.

I now understand what all the fuss was about – this book is brilliant and unforgettable. I could’ve easily finished it in one weekend, if not for my work-schedule.

One of my favorite books is “Kringe in ‘n Bos” by Dalene Matthee (translation: Circles in a Forest). To Kill a Mockingbird is right up there with “Kringe” now. I used to believe it a pitty that this book was not part of my school curriculum, as I understand from friends and colleagues that they were reading it in high school, but I don’t think I would’ve appreciated it much back then.

The book was very controversial when it was published in 1960, which in my opinion is what made it so popular. I appreciate it when authors, speakers, leaders and everyday people stand up for the issues that some of us don’t want to talk about around the dinner table – that is how history is made, but that is not why I enjoyed the book so much. It’s a beautiful story of childhood long gone, told by a little girl so full of spunk and attitude; you wish you had her as your childhood friend. The rest of the characters are colorful, relatable and lovable. Harper Lee knows how to make you fall in love and ‘in-hate’ with the seen and unseen characters of a story.

To Kill a Mockingbird is referenced in well-‘knowns’ such as Gilmore Girls (several times), 30 Rock, The Simpsons, The Perks of Being a Wallflower; a pop-band named themselves the Boo Radleys-; celebrities have even named their children and dogs after the the book’s characters and several clothing lines and online shopping sites have To Kill a Mockingbird sections for fans.

In the years since its release, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Other Editions:

1962 Movie adaption – IMDb 8.3/10

46 times ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ echoed through pop culture:http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-jc-to-kill-a-mockingbird-pop-culture-20150707-story.html

Book Review of Roses of May by Dot Hutchison
#/5

Published May 23rd 2017

I read some of the reviews before starting Roses of May, so I was very much aware that this was not going to be a follow up to The Butterfly Garden (The Collector #1), only that there might be the same character …or two. I knew it was going to be a new story-, plot- and characters – So I expected a standalone, even though it is listed as The Collector #2.

Standalone it is not, and neither is it very good.

Vic and Eddison are secondary characters, but the book is written in such a way the you keep feeling you missed something. Who are they…? Where did they come from…? And what happened to them…? The FBI is personally involved with Priya and her mother. Text and emails are exchanged, home visits are made, birthday cards are sent. You are not sure if something transpired of such importance to nullify the golden rule of “do not get personally involved with the victim/victim’s family” or if there is just no regard for these rules? I cannot relate to this.

Priya and her mother are primary characters, but their personalities and the relationship as mother and daughter is so unrealistic, you feel like you are still reading about a stranger half-way into the book, and by this stage, the primary character should feel like your hero/friend/maybe you (?).

When it comes to the antagonist/villain, it’s like reading an episode of Criminal Minds. You don’t know anything about him, who he is, what he looks like, what he is feeling, thinking, planning… nothing, niks, nada! You need to wait for the very-personally-involved FBI to solve this one.

The only relatable part of the book was the spattering of butterflies present and how they are struggling to fit into normal life, family and jobs. Inara/Maya seeks out Priya and they exchange letters on how to cope with everyday life.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
#####/5
Published February 9th 2017

“Cyril Avery is not a real Avery – or at least that’s what his adoptive parents tell him. And he never will be. But if he isn’t a real Avery, then who is he?”

This book… is so many things. I was left breathless several times, I had to stop reading and go process — more than once… It took me a long time to finish, but it was beautiful. Can a book be beautiful? This book is beautiful.

There are chapters that rip your heart out, there are chapters that make you cry with happiness. On several occasions, I wanted to shout “It is going to be ok, in the end!!!!… I promise, I hope”

I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved loved loved the history and the complexity of it all – I loved Cyril, and Julian, and Mrs Goggin, and Charles, and Maude – they all became family. ❤❤❤ Well done John Boyne – you truly touched my soul with this one.