Johannesburg – Back by popular demand, Joburg Theatre and Marcus Desando presented the second edition of Cantiamo, Mzansi Opera Celebration at the Mandela Theatre, Joburg Theatre complex, last Sunday.
It was great to get out of my cave, so off I went to watch Cantiamo, which was beautiful and refreshing, as it was mostly filled with black opera singers who were singing in Italian and English. I hoped they would not include all 11 official languages.
The opera arias and ensembles wowed while the traditional and Western attires made me so proud to celebrate our contribution to the global opera repertoire.
It was a good wide-ranging programme that included arias and ensembles from local and international works.
The Covid rules ensured there were hardly any couples sitting next to each other, until a couple arrived late, only to sit behind me with two children who kicked my chair.
That’s when I left.
A good time too as I managed to grab a drink and snack before looking for celebrities, which was a clever move, as I accidentally landed in the VIP area. Who has VIP areas during Covid?
The first celeb I saw was Shane Maja, who I suspect is following Shwashwi around.
He was there without his wife and in a jersey, so I had to avoid him.
In general, I think South Africans need to dress better for the opera and respect the occasion.
What’s the point of a VIP section filled with people in day dresses and jerseys, it’s not a picnic.
VIP sections should be filled by colourful dressers like praise singer Jessica Mbangeni, who arrived looking regal as usual in her IsiXhosa traditional garb with a beaded bucket as a handbag. She looked fantastic.
So fantastic I watched her join a cast-only picture and had to smile at the chancer.
Great to see Joburg City Theatre’s CEO Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema looking the part.
She looked stunning in an off -the-shoulder evening gown while people walked past wearing denim jackets.
I wanted to cry.
Stunning production and I love the fact that we started promptly at 3pm, but I hope that people learn the etiquette of opera and leave knits at home.
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