THE South African State Theatre is excited to announce the opening of Computicket bookings for one of theatre's most hailed master block buster musical SARAFINA!
SAST in association with Dr Mbongeni Ngema and his company Committed Artists Theatricals presents the Broadway well-known Multi International Award Winning Production, SARAFINA!
One of this country’s most iconic symbols of the struggle for social and political freedom and justice, Sarafina! Was conceived and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, who also wrote the book, music and lyrics with additional songs by Hugh Masekela.
The Broadway Hit Musical, is a musical experience with songs performed in the tradition of Mbaqanga, fused with jazz, rhythm and blues and gospel. This proudly South African musical, set during the 1976 uprisings in Soweto deals with the radicalisation of a young school girl who becomes embroiled in the riots and is tortured by the South African Police. The musical is set in the Morris Isaacson High School against the backdrop of students revolting against Afrikaans being used as a medium of instruction. It will be a pleasure to present this work again after we resurrected the original version in 2004 when we celebrated ten years of democracy in South Africa
During its second run at the State Theatre in 2004, the production attracted more than 25000 people with twenty seven performances; it will surely attract much needed audiences to our theatre. It is a winner and with challenges facing our educational system, arts and culture must step up and help us look back and remember that this democracy was achieved through blood and tears and that education is a right and not a privilege.
The play, which depicts students involved in the 1976 Soweto Uprising against apartheid, was created in June 1986 and premiered at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg in June 1987, with Leleti Khumalo in the title role as the school girl activist, Sarafina.
The powerhouse musical took Broadway by storm in January 1988 during black history month culminating in a 2year run on Broadway in Manhattan New York City and a 5 year Tour of the United State of America concurrently a second cast of Sarafina which also premiered at the Market Theatre in 1988 went on a world tour for 4 years which included the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan and West Africa. Sarafina was later converted into a Hollywood Feature Film starring Whoopie Goldberg and Leleti Khumalo, Dr Mbongeni Ngema, Dr. John Kani and Dr.Mirriam Makeba with the sound track produced by Dr Mbongeni Ngema and Quincy Jones captured the imagination of the world and iconicity engraved Sarafina as a symbol of African triumph and hope the world over.
The NAACP (National Advancement of Coloured Peoples) movement saluted this giant endeavour by an African Son of the soil, Mbongeni Ngema with 11 image awards in Hollywood Beverly Hills. A Grammy award nomination and 5 Broadway Tony Award nominations were bestowed in his honour.
The year 2016 marks 30 years of Sarafina and 40 years of the Soweto student Uprisings. The youth is being encouraged to come and be part of the revival of Sarafina.
Sarafina is proudly funded by the National Department of Arts and Culture.
Previews: 28 February- 9 March 2017
Opening Night: 10 March 2017
Closing: 20 May 2017
The production will be playing Tuesdays to Sundays.
Prices: R100.00 Students price
R120 .00 Balcony
R150.00 stalls
R180 .00 mezzanine
For more information click here.
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