***NB: 20% Price Slash!!! Sales Extended to 22 February. R350 now R280! R290 now R232! R250 now R200!***

"The Color Purple" In Aid of Alzheimer's SA

Thu Feb 22, 19:00 - Thu Feb 22, 22:30

Mandela Theatre, at Joburg Theatre

ABOUT

The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical 'The Color Purple', based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, is coming to the Joburg Theatre!  Under the expertise of acclaimed director Janice Honeyman, executive producer Bernard Jay and musical director Rowan Bakker, 'The Color Purple' promises to be the highlight of the 2018 theatrical calendar.

Purple is also the colour of the global Dementia Awareness movement.  Join us for a spectacular evening in aid of Alzheimer’s South Africa, which sets up support groups and educates and trains communities in caring for those with dementia.
 
Tickets to this uplifting show make for an awesome, “do good - feel good” feeling at the start of this brand New Year!

AT A GLANCE

Date
Thursday, 22 February 2018
Time
7.00 for 7.30pm
Venue
The Mandela Theatre, at the Joburg Theatre
Welcome Address
Dr Stanley Lipschitz, President of the South African Geriatrics Society
Prices
Slashed by 20% to R200 to R280 per person
Include
Welcome drink on arrival
Dress
Don a touch of Purple in support of the global "Go Purple" dementia awareness movement
Indoor Parking
R15 per vehicle; corner Simmonds & Stiemens Streets, Braamfontein
Restrictions
Not suitable for children under 12

"THE COLOR PURPLE"

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The Power of Love
'The Color Purple' is not just the story of a poor, pregnant 14-year-old with nobody to talk to but her sister and God. It is an inspiring family saga that tells the unforgettable story of a woman who – through love – finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world.
 
Set to a joyous score featuring jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues, it’s a story of hope: a testament to the healing power of love and a celebration of life.

“The musical 'The Color Purple' does not shy away from the brutal realities of its origin,” says Bernard Jay, executive producer. “It addresses themes of sexism, racism, the disruption of traditional gender roles, women’s rights and sisterhood – themes with which South Africans live and grapple on a day-to-day basis.  'The Color Purple', although a vitally important contribution to African American history, will be startlingly relevant to today’s theatre audiences in South Africa.”

“I want to inspire people beyond watching a story of the human spirit… we aim to create further awareness of these issues and atrocities against women, and hope to give people the courage to fight and overcome their own nightmares.”
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The Major Theatrical Event of 2018
Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema, CEO of Joburg City Theatres, is excited about the city’s foremost stage hosting and co-producing what is sure to be the major theatrical event in South Africa’s 2018 calendar.  She saw the original version on Broadway a few years ago and is looking forward to the revival production with an all-star SA cast.

'The Color Purple' is based upon the 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the 1985 Academy Award-nominated Warner Bros / Amblin Entertainment Motion Picture, directed by Steven Spielberg.  The musical 'The Color Purple', with a book by Marsha Norman and music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, was originally produced on Broadway in 2005 by Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Roy Furman and Quincy Jones.  The current Broadway revival, enjoying great success boosted by its major Tony and Grammy Award wins, is a ‘stripped-down’ and re-conceived staging.

The book and musical arrangements from this Broadway production will be used in an otherwise new and original staging by director Janice Honeyman at Joburg Theatre in 2018, showcasing the talents of a completely South African creative team, cast and band.

The cast consists of a high calibre of performers, including Didintle Khunou as Celie, Lerato Mvelase as Shug Avery, as well as Zane Gillion, Sebe Leotlela (as Nettie), Dolly Louw, Andile Magxaki, Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri (as Harpo), Venolia Manale, Namisa Mdlalose, Phumi Mncayi, Neo Motaung (as Sofia), Tshepo Ncokoane, Thokozani Nzima, Funeka Peppeta, Aubrey Poo (as Mister), Senzesihle Radebe, Lelo Ramasimong, Zolani Shangase, Ayanda Sibisi and Lebo Toko.

RAVE REVIEWS!

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Rave Reviews!

"Do not walk, do not run, but sprint to see The Color Purple at The Joburg Theatre.  It is magnificent."
Michael de Pinna

“This was a life-changing and sweeping experience that will go down as one of the best and most thought-provoking of the past few years…brilliant and touching production…This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience…You will never forget it”
Leon van Nierop, Artslink.co.za

“Goosebumps abound…It’s a magnificent piece of work…it sings with one cohesive voice”
Lesley Stones, Dailey Maverick

“Any piece of theatre hereon after is always going to be compared to this and will be left wanting…rendered speechless by its sheer excellence…Didintle Khunou plays Celie with dignity, charm and strength and a voice that will capture your heart…a joyful noise that will undoubtedly bring audiences to their feet time and time again in thunderous applause…A genuine masterpiece! This is an authentic gem of a production, the likes of which one rarely gets the privilege to see”
Janice Leibowitz, Glitterandtoast.com

“The Color Purple and its South African team give us a reason to be proudly South African again”
Pop Speaking.com

“Incredibly natural and authentic…multi-layered entertainment value…An inspired production”
Bruce Dennill, pARTicipate

“There couldn’t have been a better time for the show to make its premiere in the country…The Color Purple is an absolute pleasure to experience”
Masego Panyane, The Star Tonight

“The Color Purple is Bold, Black and Beautiful…As a musical, it is the perfect storm for right now…hence the magical reaction and participation of the audience. There was no doubt about their appreciation of what they were encountering on stage…it’s musical heaven”
Diane de Beer, debeernecessities.com

“This vibrant musical had the capacity audience cheering for more…Brilliantly directed by Janice Honeyman…soaring songs that stir the soul…elevates the audience to an emotional high”
Peter Feldman, Artslink.co.za

“Quite simply, awesome…an emotional powerhouse…the audience erupted”
Jennifer de Klerk, Artslink.co.za

“The audience loved it, the standing ovation testament to the fact that they were thoroughly entertained…a major triumph…a magnificent cast…not to be missed…if there is any way you can go and see it, do so immediately”
Hendrik Baird, GaySARadio.co.za

“…to feel my heart beating a thousand times a minute and then being ripped out of my chest, all because it was real, raw and authentic…powerful voices filled the room with effortless brilliance and awoke goose bumps on my body…the audience cheered, clapped and stood up in agreement and triumph”
Waydene Laing, Blogger

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Hollywood Reporter
Extracts from 'The Color Purple': Theater Review, by David Rooney
 

Wow, what a difference a more-focused production makes. When the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's searing story of abuse and deliverance, The Color Purple, premiered on Broadway in 2005, its rewards were compromised by the overblown production. Ten years later, director John Doyle and an electric cast assembled around transcendent British newcomer Cynthia Erivo as Celie have given the show a deep — and deeply satisfying — rethink. This revelatory overhaul is characterized by its grace, restraint and soaring spirituality, peeling back the excess to expose the life-affirming material's molten emotional core. It remakes a patchy musical as a thrilling one.
 

When it was announced that lead producers Scott Sanders and Oprah Winfrey, less than a decade after the original New York run closed, were transferring the radically pared-down production first seen in 2013 at London's tiny Menier Chocolate Factory, it seemed hasty. Now, it not only makes sense, it becomes essential, connecting to the heart of Walker's story with a power that eclipses both the previous production and Steven Spielberg's 1985 movie.
 

Every character feels more fully realized and interconnected, and downtrodden Celie's centrality to the narrative has been fortified, making her emancipation far more uplifting. Maybe it's just the enhanced vitality of the storytelling, but even the score by musical-theater novices Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray, with its diverse influences of pop, gospel, R&B, blues and jazz, sounds more robustly unified. The previously episodic show now feels all of one piece, and each song so rooted in the characters and their experience that even cliches and contrivances gain the dignity of truth.

Source:  https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/jennifer-hudson-color-purple-theater-847846
 

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Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Extracts from Stage review: 'The Color Purple' soars with message of hope and resilience, by Sharon Eberson

“The Color Purple” might as well be ripped from the headlines of 2017, so prescient is the early 20th-century story of abuse and retribution, redemption and forgiveness. Brimming with potential pop hits for powerful female voices, the musical breaks the bonds of victimization with the declarative “Hell No” and shatters them with the anthemic “I’m Here.”
 

The national tour of the Tony Award-winning, reimagined “The Color Purple” is here right now, filling the Benedum Center with a revivalist fervor and a tale of unparalleled resilience.
 

In Alice Walker’s 1983 Pulitzer Prize-winning story, women are abused or worshipped or both in an African-American community in the South. It’s a rural town where men rule, no matter their monstrous behavior. Occasionally, though, a woman breaks the mold.
 

The musical that says “hell no!” to abuse in all of its ugliness is a “hell yes!” for its message of love and resilience against all odds.

Source: 
http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/theater-dance/2017/11/16/The-Color-Purple-Stage-review-Pittsburgh/stories/201711150189

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Huffington Post
Extracts from Review: “The Color Purple”, by Christian Lewis

“The Color Purple” among other great things, has such an important message about black women and the racism and sexism that they face in our prejudiced world. This musical, full of tear-raising anthems, hilarious musical rants, and standing-ovation causing ballads, educates the audience about oppression while also providing them with an extremely enjoyable piece of theater.


The songs of the show are so emotionally powerful that they sit with you for days afterwards.


In a genre that has been too male and too white and too straight for far too long, “The Color Purple” represents one of this season’s amazing attempts to combat that history, to demand change, and to politically share voices and stories that have been repressed. Go see “The Color Purple”—you’ll get an amazing musical, you’ll probably cry, and most importantly, you’ll learn important lessons about intersectionality through musical theater (what more can you ask for?).

Source:  https://www.huffingtonpost.com/christian-lewis/review-the-color-purple_b_10320930.html
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Rave Reviews From Around the Globe
“THIS RAVISHING PRODUCTION”
The New York Times

“ONE OF THE GREATEST REVIVALS EVER!”
New York Magazine

“IT’S HERE, AND IT’S BEAUTIFUL”
Time Out New York

“MY SPIRIT WAS PROFOUNDLY MOVED”
Los Angeles Times

“NEVER WAS THERE SUCH STAMPING, CHEERING,
HOOTING, ROARING AND WHISTLING…
IT ROCKS THE HOUSE!”
The Times, London

“SOMETHING TRULY EXTRAORDINARY”
The Stage, UK

“SPINE-TINGLING”
Metro

“THE MUSICAL NUMBERS ALMOST BLOW THE ROOF OFF THE THEATRE!”
Daily Telegraph

“THIS IS A SHOW THAT PIERCES AND SHAKES THE SOUL!”
Arts Desk

“UPLIFTING AND HEART CAPTURING!”
Time Out London

NEWS

Media Release

Published at: 5-12-2017 19:49
POPULAR ACTRESS LERATO MVELASE JOINS THE CAST OF THE COLOR PURPLE
 
The Color Purple’s South African producers Joburg Theatre and Bernard Jay are delighted to announce the casting of Lerato Mvelase as Shug Avery, the popular bluesy singer whom we meet in the musical ‘at death’s door’.  Shug Avery is comfortable in her sexuality; dynamic, powerful and irresistible, but has a frailty like a wounded animal.  Her vulnerability is shocking.

The role was played on Broadway in 2015 by Jennifer Hudson (Oscar winner for Dreamgirls the movie) and later by Jennifer Holliday (Tony Award winner for Dreamgirls on stage in New York).
 
Lerato Mvelase recently enjoyed a personal triumph in the role of Petal in King Kong the musical in Cape Town and Joburg.  She is a South African actress and television presenter best known for her role as Katlego in SABC’s Home Affairs from 2005 to 2009.  Lerato also starred as Princess in the TV sitcom Home Sweet Home in 2011. 
 
Lerato was born in Soweto and received her degree in drama at Wits University in 2002.  She is the sister of rapper and television presenter ProVerb.  She has appeared in numerous theatre productions, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1995, directed by Clare Stopford), The Journey (2003, directed by Duma ka-Ndlovu), Love of a Woman, My Spirit Lives and Crepuscule
 
In 2014, Lerato starred as Dipuo Nuru in the SABC thriller series Thola and in 2016 she had a recurring role as Lt Samkelo Mkhize on the Mzansi Magic soapie isiBaya.  Lerato is also well known to television viewers from her presenting roles on Moribo and Imvelo.
 
Lerato Mvelase replaces the previously announced Molebtasi Lekgetha as Shug Avery, who had to withdraw from the cast for health reasons.
 
The Color Purple the musical in South Africa is directed by Janice Honeyman.  The all South African cast also features Didintle Khunou as Celie and Aubrey Poo as Mister.

"GO PURPLE" MOVEMENT

“Go Purple” is a global dementia and Alzheimer's awareness movement which seeks to:
  • Break the stigma of dementia
  • Ensure earlier diagnosis
  • Educate communities about dementia
  • Provide a better quality of life for people with dementia
  • Mobilise governments and society to take action
  • Encourage investment in research
 It echoes the objectives of organisations such as:
  • The WHO, which recognizes dementia as “a public health priority”
  • Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), which warns of “…the epidemic scale of dementia, with no known cure on the horizon…”
Dina Taylor, of the "Go Purple" dementia awareness movement, says "We wholeheartedly thank the Joburg Theatre and the superb, high-calibre, talented team involved with 'The Color Purple' for this amazing opportunity to raise funds in aid of Alzheimer's South Africa. 

Both the musical ‘The Color Purple’ and the “Go Purple” movement encompass a strong message of empowerment.  Dementia cannot be reversed, but we can empower people through education, so that loved ones with dementia are safe and protected, treated with dignity and respect, with their interests and preferences taken into account, and able to live a good life."

DEMENTIA

Dementia is one of the most pernicious and unacceptable things that can happen and it can happen to anyone – even those most special to us.”
(Stephen Fry, 29 November 2017)
 
What is Dementia?
 
“Dementia” describes a set of symptoms that may include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem-solving, language, behaviour and emotion.
 
It is caused by damage to brain cells.  The specific symptoms will depend on the parts of the brain that are damaged and the disease that is causing the dementia.
 
There are over 100 forms or causes of dementia:
  • The most common is Alzheimer’s disease (+60%), followed by Vascular dementia (+20%).
  • Others include dementia with Lewy bodies, Frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (‘mad cow disease’), Huntington's disease, alcohol-induced dementia and HIV-associated dementia.
 
The Stigma of Dementia
 
According to Always On Healthcare, “Dementia is often hidden away, not spoken about, or ignored at a time when the person living with dementia and their family caregivers are most in need of support within their families, friendship groups and communities.
 
Social stigma is the consequence of a lack of knowledge about dementia.  It can have numerous effects, including:
  • Dehumanizing of the person with dementia
  • Strain within families and friendships
  • A lack of sufficient care for people with dementia and their care givers
  • A lower rate of diagnosis of dementia
  • Delayed diagnosis and support”
Ruth Mantle, Alzheimer Scotland dementia nurse consultant, says: “One of the most common things people tell me is how difficult it can be to talk about their concerns about dementia. Talking about dementia won’t make it go away, but it will make sure that nobody is left to face dementia alone.
 
By sharing experiences and raising awareness, we can change society’s attitude to dementia and to see that it is possible to live well with dementia. We can encourage people to seek help when they are worried about their memory and improve standards of care and support.”
 
In South Africa, we have an impossibly long and deeply purple road to travel before we can even begin to conceive of the dementia-friendly communities, restaurants, cafés, holidays and villages that are popping up in first world countries. 
 
According to ADI’s report, “Dementia in sub-Saharan Africa” (September 2017):
  • “The scale of stigma in sub-Saharan Africa is huge.... At policymaking level,…mother and child health issues and infectious diseases are the top priority…non-communicable diseases and older people’s issues are not really on the radar of many sub-Saharan countries.” Paola Barbarino, CEO, ADI
  • In South Africa, perceptions exist that endanger the safety of those with dementia:
    • At best, people with dementia were “perceived as a joke by the community”, which “meant that their safety and wellbeing were not taken seriously”
    • Often, dementia is “perceived as connected to witchcraft rather than to disease. Persons labelled as witches - mostly older women - may be bullied, ostracised, beaten, stoned, burned, even killed.”
 
Women and Dementia
 
The following points were highlighted at the U.N. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 22 November 2017:
  • Women are disproportionately affected by dementia. More women than men live with the condition, they provide the majority of care support and they face the greatest stigma.
  • Reference was made to "a woman who lives in South Africa and cares for her older sister with advanced dementia. They have been outcast because the community in which they live view her symptoms as evidence of a terrible curse... I’ve also heard reports of women with dementia across the world being mistreated, assaulted, having their assets seized, and even murdered all due to the combination of their condition and gender."
  • To end violence against women with dementia, awareness is vital – communities must recognise that dementia is a medical condition.
  • Dementia is a global women’s health and human rights issue that can no longer be ignored.

Sources:
Stephen Fry, https://www.dementiablog.org/why-santa-forgot-means-so-much-to-me/
https://www.alz.org/abam/#takeAction
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
https://www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2015.pdf  
http://www.who.int/mental_health/neurology/dementia/gap_info_sheets/en/
http://www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/News/Pages/DementiaAwarenessWeek2017.aspx
http://www.alwaysonhealthcare.com/senior-health-care/world-alzheimers-go-purple-sept-21/ 
https://alzheimersdementianamibia.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/would-you-not-be-afraid-of-being-accused-as-a-witch/

ALZHEIMER'S SOUTH AFRICA

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Our Beneficiary
When it came to selecting a beneficiary for the "Go Purple" dementia awareness and fundraising campaign, we chose to support Alzheimer's South Africa because it:
  • Is the South African representative of Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), the umbrella body of over 80 Alzheimer’s associations around the world
  • Has a national footprint
  • Is the only non-profit company in Gauteng exclusively dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with dementia, their families, and their carers
  • Provides an invaluable service in providing memory screening and dementia education to poorer communities
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How You Can Help
Alzheimer's South Africa is in need of:
  • Volunteers - If you would like to help, please contact Debbie Beech, Gauteng Regional Manager at [email protected]
  • Funds, especially as it is no longer receiving Lotto funding - Please consider making an additional donation while purchasing your theatre tickets.  Alzheimer's South Africa can issue an 18A Certificate for tax purposes.
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For More Info, Contact:
  • Debbie Beech, Gauteng Regional Manager, [email protected]
  • Dean, Office Administrator, [email protected]
  • Loraine Sepeng, 079 591 1304, at the Soweto office
  • https://alzheimers.org.za/

10 WARNING SIGNS

TAKE ACTION!

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Take Action, Go Purple!
  • Learn about the 10 Warning Signs of Dementia
  • Start a conversation:  share and discuss your learnings with family, friends, colleagues, staff
  • Post and share educational information about dementia, Alzheimer's disease, caregiving, and the 10 Warning Signs on Facebook
  • Support organisations, such as Alzheimer’s South Africa, that educate communities and train caregivers, by:
    • Volunteering (wear Purple, of course!)
    • Organising Purple Fund-raising events – host a Best Purple Hat Party, a Posh Purple Tea, a Purple Cocktail Competition, a Purple Fun Run, a Lurid Purple Writing Competition! 
  • Contact Dina at [email protected] with any ideas you'd like to share
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Purple Flower Arranging Classes
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A Posh Purple Tea
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A Purple Fun Run

DIRECTIONS

"The Color Purple" In Aid of Alzheimer's SA
Mandela Theatre, at Joburg Theatre
163 Loveday St, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa
Get Directions