GOING OUT WITH A BANG
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Dawn Selby
CAST: Barry Thomson (guitar and vocals), Marion Loudon (vocals), Jerryn Fosteras (vocals), Dawn Selby (keyboards), Mali Sewell (drums) and Jason Andrew (bass and vocals)
VENUE: The Heritage Theatre, Hillcrest
UNTIL: November 30
RATING: ***
AS we all know, the year 2012 is drawing to an end (some may even say the world will end as we know it), and with that said what better way to celebrate the festive season than with Going Out With a Bang. Not in the sense that these are our last days, but rather to celebrate the great memories, laughter and happiness that the year has brought us.
Devised and directed by Dawn Selby, Going Out With a Bang, currently running at the Heritage Supper Theatre venue, is an entertaining evening of music to enjoy during the festive period by staging a red-hot selection of the best party songs yet compiled.
Consisting of a six-piece outfit, the cast includes Barry Thomson on guitar and vocals, Marion Loudon (vocals), Jerryn Fosteras (vocals), Dawn Selby (keyboards), Mali Sewell (drums) and Jason Andrew (bass and vocals).
The show is divided into two acts, giving you a taste of some of the hottest tracks recorded and offering both old school and modern hits.
Opening with one of the best-known tracks out there, Final Countdown, they get the show on the road with some great feel-good songs that relate well to the overall theme of the show, reinforcing the message of a celebration with a wide range of music from artists such as Maroon 5, Kings of Leon, Queen, Adele and more.
The second half ranges from hits by Pink to Nena’s 99 Red Balloons.
In terms of the crew, they are highly talented. There’s just some-thing about frontman Thomson.
His talent is noticed within seconds and he possesses the rare gift of being able to hypnotise the audience from the first chords. Not only is he an extremely talented musician but also an entertaining host, coupled with a charismatic personality and a great sense of humour. In terms of vocals, he owned the stage and no one could touch him.
His performance of Fragile was amazing, deep and extremely moving.
As for newcomer and vocalist Fosteras, he works hard to deliver a good performance and his voice is powerful, carrying across the cosy, intimate venue nicely.
Female vocalist Loudon has a great voice and her performance of the James Bond hit track Skyfall was a huge success and thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. The one glitch in my opinion was vocalists’ Fosteras and Loudon’s lack of energy.
There was no audience synergy and it definitely lacked that element of liveliness.
A choreographed dance could have come in handy for a few of their tracks. As for the costumes, they were a great selection, fitting in well with the celebration theme.
Loudon did a great job with her multiple costume changes and she epitomised elegance on stage.
Her costumes ranged from stunning evening wear to punk rock party clothes.
Also worth noting is bassist and vocalist Andrew’s rendition of Party.
He definitely made up for the energy that was clearly missing on stage and he got the crowd going, which was evident in their roars of cheering and applause.
The track Some Night, performed by Fosteras and the rest of the crew, was undoubtedly the highlight of the show and a few members of the audience even got out of their seats and engaged in their own merry dance.
All in all, the show offers something for everyone with a wide variety of music that we all know and love. It’s great for an evening out where you can just relax and celebrate 2012 with some feel-good tracks and delicious food, all in a beautifully candle-lit setting.
• The production runs until December 31 at the Heritage Theatre, Shop 14U, Heritage Market, 9 Old Main Road, Hillcrest. Tickets are R165 Tuesday dinner and Sunday lunch, and R195 a person Wednesday to Saturday including a delicious two-course meal. For more information or to book call 031 765 4197 or visit www.heritagetheatre.co.za