Fairytale Rocks a bit Grimm

 

Steve Peralto and
Xania Osorio

     Last night’s opening of Fairytale Rocks at Sibaya Casino’s iZulu Theatre, in Umhlanga Rocks, had a lukewarm reception. This is sad, because the cast of nine and the three musicians really played, sang and danced their hearts out. The dances were well executed and coordinated, and young R – whose attention, if not interest, was retained through the 1 ¼ hours – was particularly impressed by ‘the man with rubber legs’.
Disney songs from the likes of Shrek, Beauty and the Beast, Jungle Book, Lion King etc. were belted out with enthusiasm, and if diction fell rather short that can be said of most popular singers today. It was a pity, though, that just before curtain-up a Julie Andrews song was played, which does tend to show anyone up in the diction direction.
The sticky-tape used to patch the story together is sadly lacking in glue. The singers sang, and the dancers pranced behind and round them with brief expeditions into the audience – that was it. The background of a fairytale palace was mostly obscured by a bank of lights directed, in varying intensities, at the audience. Otherwise, the set consisted of two stairways and four mirrors and – the height of excitement – the introduction of a table and chairs for one scene.
The leading lady, Xania Osorio, in her ‘princess’ costume for the final numbers, had to contend with struggling to prevent a coming-out party. The top wanted south and her upper-structure wanted north.
The show certainly has potential if some tightening up can be done, and particularly if more audience participation can be drummed up in this venue – which is not an easy one for the purpose.

                                                                                             © Colonialist April 2014 (WordPress)