Vocalist – Sarafina Magazine

A Q&A with Kimmy Skota

Kimmy Skota is a world-renowned opera singer, best known for her performances with acclaimed Dutch violinist Andre Rieu, which led to her touring and performing around the globe. She has won several awards, including at the SAMRO International Singing Competition in 2008. Her opera repertoire includes Gilda in Rigoletto, Tatjana in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Sophie in Werther, Kristine in Miss Julie, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte and Papagena in The Magic Flute. Her oratorio work includes The Messiah and The Creation. She also performed with Richard Cock in his Starlight Concert and Night at the Proms and has worked with internationally-renowned conductors including Kamal Khan and Sebastian Lang-Lessing. On October 22nd and 23rd, Kimmy will be performing in Cantiamo – Mzansi Opera Celebration, a performance which will reopen the Joburg Theatre, as well as being streamed online.

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October 16, 2020October 16, 2020 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Artist, Arts, Interview, Joburg, Johannesburg, Opera, Performer, Production, Q&A, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Art, Arts, Cantiamo- Mzansi Opera Celebration, Covid19, Fiona Walsh, Interview, Joburg, Joburg Theatre, Johannesburg, Kimmy Skota, Live performance, Mandela Theatre, Opera, Opera Singer, Performance, Performer, Q&A, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Theater, Theatre Leave a comment

A Conversation with Alexis Petersen

Alexis Petersen is a UCT Performance Diploma Graduate who majored in Western Classical Voice. She has performed on various stages both nationally and internationally. Alexis has performed in several musical theatre productions including Calling Us Home, The Little Mermaid and David Kramer’s Langarm. Her opera credits include FOUR:30, Le nozze di Figaro and La traviata. With a strong passion for dance, she has also competed as a ballroom dancer, dancing under the Federation of Dance Sport South Africa. She also features as a vocalist in a unique contemporary trio called Inside Voice. Alexis is currently starring at the Baxter Theatre as Pamela in Danger in the Dark, David Kramer’s re-imagining of the Kramer/Petersen ’90s hit, Poison. Continue reading →

October 28, 2019October 28, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Art, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Conversation, Dance, Dancer, Interview, music, Musical, Now Playing, Opera, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, The Baxter, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Advice, Alexis Peterson, Baxter Theatre, Calling Us Home, Conversation, Danger in the Dark, David Kramer, Interview, Langarm, music, Musical, Pamela, Photography, Poison, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, Theater, Theatre, UCT, Vocalist, Western Classical Voice, Women Leave a comment

A Conversation with Toni Jean Erasmus

Toni Jean Erasmus is an actress, singer and stunt performer. After completing her degree at Pretoria Technikon and spending a few years working professionally, she set off to study in the UK. Among her training, she branched out into some new sports and discovered that stunts could be a legitimate job. She added new levels to her training by attending film action courses through the British Action Academy. Upon returning to Cape Town, she was cast as Sister Mary Robert in the South African premiere of Sister Act the Musical. It was on moving to Cape Town that her focus moved more towards film and television, returning to Joburg once more to perform in Saturday Night Fever at the State Theatre. She has slowly built up her stunt and acting resume in a variety of international TV shows and movies filmed in Cape Town; from epic zombie deaths in Resident Evil and Maze Runner to reenactment crime shows, to the lead bad guy in the upcoming movie Camp Getaway.

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June 12, 2019July 3, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Film, Interview, Performer, Photography, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Stunt Performer, Television, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Conversation, Entertainment, Film, Performance, Performer, Photography, Singer, Sister Act, Stunt Woman, Stunts, Television, Toni Erasmus, Toni Jean Erasmus, TV, Women, Women in Film Leave a comment

A Conversation with Lungiswa Plaatjies

Lungiswa Plaatjies is a musician, singer and composer. Born and raised in Langa Township in Cape Town, she started singing at the age of eight years old before becoming the lead vocalist of Amampondo. She has toured extensively around the world and released her first solo album, Lungiswa, in 2000. After spending time digging deeper into the foundation stones of African music and Xhosa dance (Umxhentso), Lungiswa released her second solo album, Unonkala produced by Don Laka. In 2002, she was nominated for Best Newcomer and Best Female Vocalist at the SAMA awards and was also nominated for two Kora awards. Since 2015, she has been working with Bos Theatre Productions from The Netherlands on an annual musical show called South African Road Trip. Her select theatre credits include; Heart of Redness, The Tempest for the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Flower of Shembe. Lungiswa can currently be seen on stage as the featured musician in Kunene and the King at the Fugard Theatre.

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May 14, 2019May 14, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Arts, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Interview, music, Musician, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, Songwriter, South Africa, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Amampondo, Anthony Sher, Bos Theatre Productions, Cape Town, Conversation, Heart of Redness, Interview, John Kani, Kunene and the King, Lungiswa Plaatjies, mbira, music, Musician, Photography, RSC, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, The Flower of Shembe, The Fugard Theatre, The Tempest, Theater, Theatre, Vocalist, Women 3 Comments

A Conversation with Lindy Abromowitz Sachs

Lindy Abromowitz Sachs is a performer and doctor. Having started her tertiary studies at UCT’s Opera School, she then changed tack completely and entered the medical world, graduating as a doctor six short years later. Whilst pursuing her medical career, she still managed to keep her love for theatre and performing alive by appearing in several films, commercials, as well as numerous musicals including Grease, The Sound of Music, Cats, Annie, District Six and the runaway hit Offbeat Broadway, which returns to Theatre on the Bay for its much anticipated fifth incarnation.

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April 24, 2019April 24, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Arts, Cape Town, Comedy, Conversation, Dancer, Interview, Musical, Now Playing, Opera, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Theatre on The Bay, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Anton Luitingh, Cape Town, Cheryl Abromovitz, Conversation, Dancer, Doctor, Entertainment, Kinky Boots, LAMTA, Lindy Abromowitz, music, Musical, Musical Theatre, Offbeat Broadway, Paul du Toit, Photography, Pieter Toerien, Singer, South Africa, Theater, Theatre, Theatre on The Bay, Vocalist, Women Leave a comment

A Conversation with Ilse Klink

Ilse Klink is an award-winning actor, singer and television personality. She is best known for the role of Vanessa Booysens on the daily soap, Isidingo. Her stage credits include Mamma Mia!, Rent, Chicago, Show Boat, Menopause -The Musical, Kristalvlakte, Scorched and Caeser, to name a few. She has graced South African television screens by appearing in Roer Jou Voete, iNkaba, 7de Laan and Broken Vows. Her movie credits include Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story, Cold Harbour, Dis ek, Anna and Stroomop for which she was recently awarded a 2019 SAFTA Golden Horn for Best Supporting Actress. Ilse is currently treading the boards as Mama Morton in Chicago, a role she has returned to for the third time, a decade after she played it last. Continue reading →

April 10, 2019April 10, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Artscape, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Dance, Dancer, Film, Fleur du Cap, Interview, Joburg, Johannesburg, music, Musical, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Television, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Afrikaans, Artscape, Chicago, Chicago the Musical, Conversation, Dis ek Anna, Ellen Pakkies, English, Film, Fleur du Cap, Golden Horn, Ilse Klink, Isidingo, Kristalvlakte, Mamma Mia, Mamma Morton, Montecasino, music, Pantomime, Performance, Performer, Photography, Rent, Roer jou Voete, SAFTA, Showboat, Singer, Soap, STROOMOP, Television, Theater, Theatre, TV, Vanessa Booysens 3 Comments

A Conversation with Karen Meiring

Karen Meiring is the Director of M-Net kykNET channels, a position she’s held since 2013. She joined M-Net in 2009 as the head of Afrikaans channels and brought an extensive knowledge of the South African entertainment industry to her position. She has cemented kykNET as the leading producer of Afrikaans film and television content and ushered in successful projects under kykNET such as the Fiëstas, Ghoemas and the Silwerskerm Film Festival. She has also been honoured with numerous awards for her contribution to the arts and entertainment landscape in South Africa. Karen also founded the first ever Afrikaans Arts festival, the KKNK, and was later appointed as the CEO of the festival. She is also one of the founding memebers of Cutt Glas, an internationally renowned Afrikaans a cappella band. We sat down to chat with her during this year’s Silwerskerm Film Festival. Continue reading →

September 12, 2018September 12, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Arts, Candice van Litsenborgh, Cape Town, Channel Director, Content Creator, Content producer, Conversation, Director, Festival, Film, Film Festival, Interview, Joburg, Johannesburg, Organisation, Performer, Photography, Producer, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, Television, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: A Cappella, Angelique van Wyk, Candice van Litsenborgh, Canned Rice, Cape Town, Channel Director, Content, Content producer, Cut Glas, Director, Ellen Pakkies, Film, Kanarie, Karen Meiring, KKNK, KykNet, MNet, PACOFS, Photography, Silwerskerm, Silwerskerm Fees, Singer, South Africa, Stage Manager, The Bay Hotel, TV 2 Comments

A Conversation with Regina Malan

Regina Malan is a performer, producer and director. After previously performing in operas such as Le Nozze di Figaro and Dido and Aeneas, last year she starred in her first three plays, namely Macbeth, Design for Living and Jane Eyre, as well as her first two musicals, The Full Monty and Shadows in Red Light. Her other credits include Public City, Because it’s okay, Not Just Musicals and Othello: A Women’s Story which she also co-directed. In 2017 she co-founded Mish Mash Media Productions, a multi-media production company giving voice to LGBTQ projects in Cape Town. Following a successful run earlier this year, Othello will be performed at the Baxter Theatre for a limited run in September. We sat down to chat about her career and Mish Mash Media’s next show, 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche. Continue reading →

August 8, 2018August 8, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Artist, Arts, Baxter, Cape Town, Comedy, Conversation, Director, Interview, Now Playing, Opera, Performer, Photography, Producer, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Shakespeare, Singer, South Africa, The Alexander Bar, Theater, Theatre, Theatre Arts Admin Collective, Theatremaker, Uncategorized, VocalistTags: 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche, Actor, Actress, Advice, Alexander Bar, Conversation, Director, Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche, Galloway Theatre, LGBTQ, Lucy Brittany Woolley, Mish Mash Media Productions, music, Musician, Opera, Othello, Performance, Photography, Producer, Regina Malan, Robert Shenton, Singer, Theater, Theatre, Theatre Arts Admin Collective, Theatre-maker, Women Leave a comment

A Conversation with Carmen Pretorius

Carmen Pretorius is a Naledi and Fleur du Cap nominated musical theatre and television actress, qualified makeup artist and presenter. After getting her professional start by winning the televised High School Musical competition, she went on to star in notable productions including Mamma Mia, Footloose, Jersey Boys and most recently The Sound of Music, which sees her taking on the role of Maria. We sat down with Carmen, ahead of the final week of the production, to chat about her “metamorphic” journey with the show.

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May 23, 2018November 17, 2019 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Artscape, Cape Town, Conversation, Interview, Musical, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Pieter Toerien, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Television, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, Women, WomxnTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Artscape, Cabaret, Candice van Litsenborgh, Canned Rice, Cape Town, Carmen Pretorius, Conversation, Footloose, High School Musical, Interview, Liesl, Makeup Artist, Mamma Mia, Maria, music, Musical, Musical Theatre, Performer, Photography, Pieter Toerien, Presenter, Singer, South Africa, Stylist, Television, The Sound of Music, TV, Woman, Women 2 Comments

A Conversation with Sihle Ndaba

Triple threat, Sihle Ndaba is well-known to South African audiences for her award-winning role as ‘Smangele Maphumulo’ in SABC 1’s hit primetime soap Uzalo, for which she won the Simon Sabela Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2015. She is currently making a return to her musical theatre roots by starring as ‘Petal’ in The Fugard Theatre’s return season of King Kong. We sat down with her to chat about joining the illustrious company and navigating the fame that comes along with starring on South African television.
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February 21, 2018February 21, 2018 by Sarafina Magazine Categories: Actor, Actress, Advice, Arts, Candice van Litsenborgh, Cape Town, Conversation, Culture, Dance, Interview, Musical, Now Playing, Performer, Photography, Production, Sarafina, Sarafina Magazine, Singer, South Africa, Television, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, Uncategorized, Vocalist, Woman, WomenTags: Actor, Actress, Advice, Candice van Litsenborgh, Cape Town, Conversation, Film, King Kong, Miriam Makeba, music, Musical, Performance, Petal, Photography, Sihle Ndaba, Singer, Smangele Maphumulo, The Fugard, Theater, Theatre, TV, Uzalo, Women 1 Comment

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