Stage: David Kramer’s award winning musical Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie returns for a limited run at The Blik

I saw David Kramer’s Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie at Suidoosterfees and I raved about this breathtakingly original musical. The award winning musical is on for 13 performances only, from July 27 to August 11, 2024 at the Blik, Epping, Cape Town. The production has been expanded and for this run, will have surtitles in English. Read my full review here: https://thecaperobyn.co.za/review-david-kramers-ver-in-die-wereld-kittie-enchanting-homage-tribute-and-celebration/ Read on for more. Info as supplied:

David Kramer’s award-winning musical Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie returns for a limited run at The Blik

Charting the fascinating international success story of South African folk-singerJosef Marais and his wife Rosa de Miranda, the production premiered at the 2023 KKNK to rapturous responses and great acclaim.

It will be performed at The Blik for matinee performances from July 27 until August 11, 2024, with performances on Saturdays and Sundays only, except for an additional performance on the public holiday Friday August 9.

Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie was awarded the kykNET Fiësta Award for Beste Musiekgedrewe Produksie / Best Musical Production; the Kanna toekenning/Award for Beste Musiekaanbieding / Best Music Production 2023 as well as the Kanna toekenning / Award for Beste Ensemble 2023.

The musical has excitingly also been expanded for its first full run at The Blik. Performed in English and Afrikaans, the production will now also be presented featuring English surtitles.

Brought to life by a stellar cast, the production features Dean Balie (Nêrens Noordkaap; Kat and the Kings), as Koos Heuningbek, Rushney Ferguson (Kelders Van Geheime; Arendsvlei) as Kittie Jaftha, Jenny Stead (The Promise on Stage; The Rocky Horror Show) as Rosa de Miranda and Andre Terblanche (André Terblanché in Konsert; Die Boland Moorde) as Josef Marais.

There will also be a wonderful live band on stage, featuring musicians Kerryn Torrance (violin), Yvan Potts (keyboard) and Nick Turner (acoustic guitar & cajon).

Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie is:

Presented by Blik Productions;

Written, composed and directed by David Kramer;

Lighting Design by Ben du Plessis;

Costume Co-ordination by Widaad Albertus;

Projection Design by Julian Davids

1952. Doris Day and Frankie Laine have an international hit with the song “Sugarbush,” which is purportedly written by Josef Marais. In the 1950s, Josef and his wife Rosa rode the wave of their success in America as a folk singing duo. Known as Marais and Miranda they became known for singing Afrikaans songs translated into English by Josef. Their records were played on radio stations across America, and they worked with Burt Lancaster and Humphrey Bogart in Hollywood. However, back in the Boland, Kittie Jaftha doesn’t celebrate their success. She feels betrayed and believes these songs don’t belong to Marais and Miranda. She knows that Josef heard these songs from Koos Heuningbek, who works on his father’s farm.

“Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie is inspired by a true story that few South Africans are aware of,” says David Kramer.  “It opens a window into the world of Josef and Rosa Marais. Their story is a hugely entertaining journey, with a variety of song styles and original musical tunes. Our performers are exceptional in bringing this story to life.”

“Some songs have been expanded and tweaked for this run, offering a new experience. Additional scenes and songs have also been added to illustrate Marais and Miranda’s rise to fame. I am excited about bringing this new production to The Blik, a technically sophisticated theatre, which allows me to explore the sound and lighting that is not possible under festival conditions.”

Responses to the production include:

“Ver in die wêreld Kittie is ’n  musiekspel met aangrypende musiek en ’n storie wat sy gehoor oorrompel”. Laetitia Pople, Die Burger

“You will never listen to Suikerbossie again  in the same frame of mind” Marianne Thamm  Daily Maverick

“Daar is nie ’n vals noot of ’n skeeftrap in die produksie nie” Marchelle van Zyl   Die Krit

‘a beautifully crafted nugget of South African music history…Rushney Ferguson as Kittie brings in an achingly elegiac, nuanced portrait… Dean Balie is extraordinary as Koos….Jenny Stead is magic as Rosa….André Terblanché is phenomenal…It is a piece of theatre with a heart and soul.” Robyn Cohen, The Cape Robyn

“A real masterpiece musical theatre production” Ismail Mahomed, Director at Centre for Creative Arts, University KZN

Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie will be performed at The Blik:

Saturday July 27 & Sunday 28 @ 14:00 & 16:30

Saturday August 3 & Sunday 4 @ 14:00 & 16:30

Friday August 9 @ 14:00.  (Public holiday)

Saturday August 10 & Sunday August 11 @14:00 & 16:30

Tickets cost R230

Tickets for seniors cost R200

Booking 10+ seats 10% discount

Book at WEBTICKETS

The Blik is located at 110 Gunners Circle, Epping.

For directions visit https://theblik.co.za/#find-die-blik

Visit The Blik Café for refreshments before the show.

For more information about The Blik visit http://theblik.co.za

Dean Balie (Koos Heuningbek)

Dean Balie is an actor, director, writer and musician, having worked mostly in theatre and radio. He graduated from Stellenbosch University with a BA in Drama in 2010, making his professional debut in the Maynardville production of Antony and Cleopatra and Die Kortstondige Raklewe van Anastasia W, both directed by Marthinus Basson.

In 2012 he played the role of young Kat Diamond in David Kramer and Taliep Petersen’s Kat and the Kings, for which he won a Fleur Du Cap Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Other collaborations with Kramer includes Blood Brothers (2014), Orpheus in Africa (2015), and Ver innie wereld Kittie (2023), for which he was nominated for both a Kanna and Fiesta award.

Dean was cast in Abrahamse and Meyer’s production of The Tragedy of Hamlet, playing Horatio and Polonius. This production made its debut at the National Arts Festival in 2015, and travelled to Romania (International Shakespeare festival) and Provincetown, USA (Tennesee Williams Festival). Other theatre productions with Abrahamse and Meyer includes Sweet Bird of Youth, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and Shakespeare’s RnJ.

Other theatre credits include Vlooi (Artscape), Die Fliek (Woordfees), Babbelagtig (Woordfees, KKNK), Robin Hood (Doha, Qatar), Sinbad (Doha, Qatar), Slegs vir almal (Woordfees), Shakespeare in Love (Fugard Theatre), !Khagan, die Bidsprinkaan (Namaquakand tour) Happy New Year (Fugard Theatre), Pumpkin Finds her Kindness (Artscape), Karatara (Festivals) and  Die Poet, wie’s hy which won multiple Fiesta awards. Dean also received the 2021 Sinjatuur Fiesta award for his contribution to the arts.

He presented the radio program Kortom for RSG.

His directing credits include Fietsry vir Dommies (Artscape), Gas (Artscape) and Een vir my Baby (Artscape).

His television and film credits include Nêrens Noordkaap (Kyknet series), Motel (Showmax shortfilm), Koffie en Sigarette (Showmax shortfilm), Bergie (Showmax shortfim and international film fests). He is currently seen in eTv’s first Afrikaans telenovella, playing the role of Phillip. 

Jenny Stead (Rosa de Miranda)

The daughter of a preacher Jenny grew up all over South Africa moving from Bloemfontein to Potchefstroom, to Durban to East London, Finally Jenny left home to study at the University of Stellenbosch and made Cape Town her home. She lives in Rondebosch with her husband and their twins.

At Stellenbosch, Jenny graduated with an Honours degree in Drama and was nominated for her first Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Most Promising Student for playing Abigail in The Crucible.

After writing and performing in several revue and cabaret shows, Jenny was cast in the smash hit comedy Glass Roots where she had the privilege of working with some of the best artists in the country and her performance won her the Vita Award for Best Newcomer. 

She won her first Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for her performance in Reza de Wet’s Breathing In, directed by Marthinus Basson. Jenny was nominated for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance of Janet in the sold-out production of The Rocky Horror Show which ran for two years at the Fugard Theatre.

Her prolific theatre credits include The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, Noises Off, King Lear, Cardenio, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Truth in Translation, Fatal Attraction, The Glass Menagerie (for which she won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress) amongst others.

Most recently Jenny was seen in Athol Fugard’s My Children My Africa at Artscape and The Promise on Stage at the Homecoming Centre and Market Theatre for which she was nominated for her sixth Fleur du Cap Theatre Award.

Jenny’s TV and film credits include SOS, A Snake gives birth to a Snake, Tropic Fever, Ice, Blood Drive, Vagrant Queen, Revelation Road and Elisin Oba. Most recently she was seen as Mary Lincoln in the History Channel’s Lincoln and is looking forward to the release of The Masked King in which she plays Mary Slessor, Baby Farm for Netflix and the animated Jungle Beat 2 in which she voices the loveable bronchiosauraus Tiptoes.

Jenny is thrilled to be returning to the story of Marais and Miranda in David Kramer’s latest hit musical Ver in die Wêreld Kittie. 

Rushney Ferguson (Kittie Jaftha)

Rushney Ferguson is a triple threat performer from Cape Town who has featured in various theatre productions such as District Six: Kanala, Amper Famous (KKNK), King Kong: Legend Of A Boxer, Langarm, Danger In The Dark and Aunty Merle: It’s A Girl.

Rushney has two Fleur du Cap Theatre Award nominations under her belt and her ability to go from stage to screen has also assisted her in landing various roles in commercials, films and TV shows including Kyknet’s Projek Dina and Arendsvlei as well as Woordfees TV’s Krismis Van Map Jacobs and David Kramer’s Boland Tot Broadway.

When Rushney is not performing, she is teaching. Her teaching career started whilst studying at the Waterfront Theatre College which is where she completed and taught beginner to advanced I.S.T.D levels in Modern, Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Musical Theatre, including attaining her associate qualifications in these genres.

Rushney also works regularly behind the scenes with many local artists like Emo and Loukmaan Adams: Brother Love 2, Emo Celebrates 30 Years in Music, the popular talent competition, Maak My Famous and their current touring production, Two Of A Kind. Rushney even had a hand in the production of songbird Karin Kortje’s 2021 Christmas album.

Rushney performs the role of Kittie in David Kramer’s production, Ver In Die Wereld Kittie.She can also be seen on TV screens as Veronique Marais in ETV’s Kelders Van Geheime.

André Terblanché (Josef Marais)

André Terblanché, an accomplished theatre actor and vocalist, embarked on his professional journey in 2012 after earning his honours degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from the University of Stellenbosch. Throughout his career, André has been involved in a diverse range of stage productions, radio dramas, and music concerts, including a notable appearance in Season 2 of Die Boland Moorde on kykNET.

As the founder of Prima Productions, a live entertainment production company, he actively shapes the live music landscape within the events industry, serving as both producer and technical facilitator.

André is also the charismatic frontman of the acclaimed swing band, André & the Swingers. His career highlights include performances in international venues such as Doha, Qatar, and his portrayal of Daniel in Daniel the Musical at the Jerusalem Theatre in Israel. Beyond his stage pursuits, André is deeply committed to arts facilitation and administration, frequently lending his expertise as an adjudicator and mentor to aspiring artists and students nationwide. His current endeavours include directing and designing Hugenote High School’s rendition of West Side Story and portraying the role of Inspekteur Jan Brand, in Dean Balie’s latest stage production Een vir my Baby, which debuted at the Suidoosterfees this year.

André frequently shares his musical talents with symphony orchestras and show bands, embracing the joy of performance. In 2019, he unveiled his debut album, Pop Culture Bekeerdes. Currently, he’s touring the Western Cape with his Afrikaans production, André Terblanché in Konsert, teaming up with renowned organist and pianist Winand Grundling. Their tour is centered on seeking out small, intimate venues to foster genuine connections with their audience.

André performs a leading role in the David Kramer musical, Ver in die Wêreld Kittie, which garnered two Kanna Awards for Best Music Production and Best Ensemble at the KKNK, as well as a Fiesta Award for Best Music-Driven Theatre Production.

André also recently assumed the role of technical coordinator within the management team of the Toyota US Woordfees, overseeing the technical execution of venues and productions.

Josef Marais

Born in 1905, Joseph Pessach is better known by his stage name Josef Marais. A folk-singer from South Africa, Marais left South Africa in the 1920s to study violin and viola in Europe, finally settling in London. He toured as a concert violinist for several years and when he heard that His Master’s Voice was eager to record songs in Afrikaans for the South African market, he offered his services.

The very successful recordings were heard by the BBC who approached Marais with the request that he translate and perform the songs for British audiences. These were heard by NBC and Marais was invited to New York in 1939 to do a radio show for them.

One day, when Josef was rehearsing with the Bushveld Band, Rosa de Miranda entered the studio. Upon hearing some of her beloved Dutch songs, she impulsively joined in. Instead of being annoyed at her presumption, Josef encouraged her. She improvised harmonic counterpoint and her exemplary musicianship further intrigued Josef. Ultimately, Josef invited “Miss Miranda” to join him in recording a few songs in several languages, as duets. A few months later they were married  and performed for more than 30 years as Marais and Miranda, recording many South African traditional folk ballads.

Several of their songs achieved popularity when recorded by high-profile American recording artists, such as Sugar Bush (a duet between Doris Day and Frankie Laine), A-round the Corner (Beneath the Berry Tree) (Jo Stafford) and Ma Says, Pa Says (a duet between Doris Day and Johnnie Ray). 

✳ Sponsored content. Images supplied. Jenny Stead as Rosa de Miranda and Andre Terblanche as Josef Marais in Davis Kramer’s Ver In Die Wêreld Kittie. Photo: Gys Loubser. Supplied.