Joburg Theatre relives the spirit of Marvin Gaye
13-04-2015
Lloyd Cele, South Africa’s award-winning R&B sensation, will lead a star-studded cast in the international production of Let’s Get It On: The Life and Music of Marvin Gaye at the Joburg Theatre next month.
Cele will be backed by some of Australia’s finest and funkiest musicians – Vika Bull and The Funk City Band.
The limited season of the musical runs from May 7-16 on the Mandela stage.
The daughter of a Tongan mother and Australian father, the versatile Vika and her sister Linda have been the most distinctive and most sought after artists on the Australian music landscape.
Vika has over the past 25 years forged a diverse pathway into soul, gospel, blues, country and the island music of her Tongan ancestry.
In the Gaye musical Vika plays an amalgam of the three main women in Gaye’s life – Tammy Tyrell, Diana Ross and Anna Gordy. One of Australia’s most powerful female voices, Vika has backed legendary musicians such as Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Sting and Joe Cocker.
Cele, who recently won Best R&B single for All I Need is You at the Metro FM Awards, says this is a perfect fit for the show.
“Marvin Gaye has always been one of my idols. I’m extremely excited to have been given this opportunity to portray this music icon on stage,” he says.
Let’s Get It On: The Life and Music of Marvin Gaye explores Gaye’s humble beginnings, his troubled relationship with his father, his search for meaning and the music that defined a generation.
About 30 years ago, Gaye was shot dead by his father. The scale of that tragedy is reinforced through the retelling of his story. From the opening number Stars and Stripes Gaye-style to the finale, the show channels the “main man”.
Let’s Get it On: The Life and Music of Marvin Gaye is a two-hour narrative that celebrates the life and music of the multi-talented musician, singer and songwriter acknowledged as The Prince of Motown and The Prince of Soul.
The show features some of Gaye’s most famous songs, including Heard It Through the Grapevine, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, his stunning spiritual masterwork What’s Going On? and the Grammy Award-winning Sexual Healing.
For the award-winning Australian producers Simon Myers and Moira Bennett, this is their first production in South Africa. Their recent shows include Man in Black: The Life and Music of Johnny Nash, At Last: The Etta James Story and Take Me Home Country Roads: The John Denver Story.
The producers were very keen to cast a local singing personality for the show and found their star in Cele.
A crowd favourite at numerous music festivals, Cele shot to fame as the runner-up in Idols in 2010. He has since won numerous.
An executive producer, this diverse artist plays guitar, piano, bass and saxophone.
Shows start at 8pm from Thursdays to Saturdays, and at 3pm on Sundays.
Tickets range from R180 to R350 and are on sale online at www.joburgtheatre.com. You can also call the theatre’s ticketing line on 0861 670 670.
For discounted rates for groups of 10 or more call (011) 877 6853/6815.