Durban — KickstArt is delighted to present the South African premiere of the family musical The Emperor’s New Clothes at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre on the UKZN campus over the July school holidays from June 15 until July 7.
Barely have the sets and costumes been packed away from Steven Sondheim’s extraordinary musical, Company ‒ also a South African premiere ‒ than KickstArt embarks on its second SA premiere in the first six months of this year with the staging of the Broadway musical, The Emperor’s New Clothes.
The Emperor’s New Clothes is a version of the famous Hans Christian Anderson fairytale by Broadway stalwarts Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. This team was responsible for the musicals Once on this Island and Seussical, as well as Ragtime and Anastasia.
Broadway Theatre International describes the musical as: “Fourteen-year-old Emperor Marcus the Third is nervous to take the throne. Deciding that he can only gain confidence by dressing in the finest attire, Marcus commands his Royal Clothesmaker to fashion him in the most royal wardrobe. Taking advantage of Marcus’s uncertainty and immaturity, a Swindler promises to make magic clothes that are ‘invisible to fools, liars, and anyone you should ignore’, for a large and hefty price. Only Arno, the simple-hearted mop boy, can help Marcus out of this royal mess and teach him an important lesson about outward appearance.”
Directed by Steven Stead, with designs by Greg King, musical direction by Roland Perold and fresh new orchestrations by Jaco Griessel, The Emperor’s New Clothes stars Daniel Anderson as Emperor Marcus, with Roland Perold as The Swindler. Others in the cast are Marion Loudon, Lyle Buxton, Mthokozisi Zulu, Keryn Scott, Amahle Tembe and Roshanda Lewis. Perold, Buxton and Lewis were recently in Company.
The colourful and highly entertaining musical will delight children and adults alike.
Book for all KickstArt’s 2024 shows at Webtickets. Visit www.kickstarttheatre.co.za for more details and to make bookings.
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