It’s the theatre stage of the Idols SA competition and, surprisingly, many people will by now have stopped watching the show because they preferred the bad singers.
If social media is anything to go by, there is a huge populace that loves the show just for the chuckles that come with some of the shocking performances seen during the audition stages of the competition.
Now that we are at the theatre stage, there is a whole different vibe as we are looking at the serious singers, one of whom will win the competition. There is nothing funny about that. But as one of the few people fortunate enough to have been part of the theatre stage, there are some behind-the scene things I picked up that may, or may not, be of interest to you.
Unathi’s sweet tooth…
They will probably not show you this, but if you looked with a curious eye then you might have picked this up by now. The only female judge, Unathi has a serious sweet tooth, so much so she keeps her stash of sweets hidden under the table to munch on each time there is a break. Even with the make-up artist’s brush in her face, the singer and judge happily obliges with her eyes tightly shut, but continues to chew.
Randall remains rigid…
When the director yells “cut”, the coldest judge, Randall Abrahams, uses the opportunity to withdraw into his safe place by wearing a set of high-powered headphones and playing music on his cellphone. The other three judges try countless times to include him in conversation, but you can tell that he is not keen. If this is still part of his act, then the man is a Method actor.
Somizi, the animated…
Perhaps it’s all to do with being a dancer, but there is never a dull moment when it comes to Somizi. The only person whom he is obviously in competition with is himself. While we see a number of funny things that the new judge does on TV, it is worth noting that that’s only part of what he would have come with.
Fashionistas will also love just how varied his taste in music really is.
Gareth the gadget man…
In most cases, Gareth Cliff rushes back to his cellphone or tablet to see what’s happening on social media. With over a million followers on Twitter alone, the man behind CliffCentral has a whole other audience to entertain even when he’s working on Idols SA.
While he comes across as the most understanding judge, the man has a dark side, which he tries to conceal by always giggling at Somizi and Unathi’s mischief.
• Idols SA season 11 airs every Sunday on M-Net (DStv channel 101) and Mzansi Magic (channel 161) and is also available on DStv Catch Up.
‘Idols’ drag queen a voice for the different
Caitlyn Jenner has become a catalyst in a lot of transgenders “coming out” too.
Shortly after the Vanity Fair cover, Carte Blanche ran a story on Gita November, who opened up about being shunned by her family, her life as a sex worker and how she is now helping others.
Now, Idols SA (season 11) has its first transgender on the show, too. It does beg the question: was it a decision based on talent or trend? After all, every season comes with a new “twist” or two.
In Sunday’s edition of Theatre Week, Shenay O’Brien (born Thiart van der Linde) stood out when she featured in the all-girl group.
Not keen on being called a “transgender”, she is not planning “on having any surgical procedures to turn into a fully-fledged woman”. Shenay prefers to be called a “drag queen” or “female impersonator”.
Having auditioned twice before, but as a guy, she says: “I have auditioned previously, the first when I was still in school and the other in 2011 (I think). This year I decided to take a chance and was pleasantly surprised at how I was received by the contestants and judges alike. Other contestants were convinced I was there purely to get attention and to compete in the “Wooden Mic”, but that soon changed when I started singing, and they knew I was bringing my A-game.
“Somizi and Unathi were very excited to see something ‘different’, Gareth seemed shocked and Randall did not even blink. My main goal was to take a stand and be a voice for people who are different, but scared to be who they are because of their fear of what society might think. If I can inspire one person, my goal has been reached! But this is a singing competition, and I’m in it to win it. I’m here to stay!”
Lani Lombard, M-Net’s head of publicity, commented: “It’s wonderful to have a refreshing personality like Shenay as part of Idols SA. The show has always embraced great singers from a variety of backgrounds, but it takes someone as brave as Shenay to challenge perceptions about what it means to be a great artist and reality show contestant. Overall, the reaction to Shenay has been very positive.”
Vocally, it is hard to reconcile the masculinity coming through in her vocals. But, if Somizi is happy, that’s clearly all that matters.