Cape Town Opera's SHOW BOAT Will Return this May

Presented by Cape Town Opera, Show Boat is a musical of the old American South, rich with nostalgia, humour, love stories and well-loved melodies such as Ol' Man River and Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man. This ever-popular critically acclaimed musical will be on stage at the Opera House at Artscape, Cape Town for four performances only from 16 to 18 May 2014 before the production tours the United Kingdom from 2 July to 2 August 2014. Tickets for the limited South African season are on sale at Computicket.

As a musical, Kern's Show Boat has all the flourish and glamour of the old American-style big family musical, but the story has deep meaning that resonates with South Africa's past. Cape Town Opera's production of Show Boat has enjoyed several triumphant seasons since its South African premiere in 2005. The show has had nightly standing ovations at Artscape in Cape Town, the Nürnberg State Theatre in Nürnberg, Den Norske Opera House in Oslo, the Malmö Opera House in Sweden and Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The combination of Voice of the Nation Ensemble's gutsy rendition of Ol' Man River, the witty and glamorous production, the over one hundred period costumes and the stylish set has made Cape Town Opera's production a winner wherever it tours.

In collaboration with Cape Town Opera, the Wales Millennium Centre presents its first UK tour taking Show Boat featuring an all-South African cast accompanied by the 30-piece Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Albert Horne and Gareth Jones to theatres in Birmingham, Manchester and Dublin. The Cardiff-based venue has built a reputation for hosting the biggest West End and Broadway productions. The Show Boat UK Tour is a ground-breaking development for the WMC into a new sphere of musical theatre and an accolade for Cape Town Opera'sShow Boat to be selected to mark this new venture. The management team at the Wales Millennium Centre hopes that by becoming a tour presenter it will raise the profile of the iconic building among national and international theatre companies and further boost audience numbers.

Cape Town Opera already has close ties with the WMC thanks to South African philanthropist and businessman Sir Donald Gordon, after whom the main auditorium at the Welsh Centre is named. The opera company has previously staged Porgy and Bess and the European premiere of Mandela Trilogy on the Cardiff stage. This tour is an extension of the strong business relationship between Cape Town Opera and the Wales Millennium Centre and for local performers, a wonderful opportunity to showcase South Africa's wealth of talent.

Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, Show Boat is one of the first American musicals ever written. Created in 1927 with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, it tells a story of the old American South as it follows the lives of the performers, stagehands, and dockworkers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River show boat, over a 40-year period from 1887 to 1927. Show Boat is a musical with the most telling reverberations for South Africa. The show deals with the haves and have-nots, the arrogance of the advantaged and their ignorance of poverty. The musical also deals with racial discrimination and the historic fact that while change improves the lives of some, it usually passes by those who need it most.

Show Boat is directed by award winning director, Janice Honeyman with a highly talented creative team of Mannie Manim (lighting designer), Johan Engels (set and costume designer) and Timothy le Roux (choreographer), with Birrie le Roux assisting with additional costume design.

No other musical reflects the situation of South Africa´s past better than Show Boat and no other company through its enormous talent reflects the bright future ahead for South Africa. Don't miss this iconic musical on stage in Cape Town, prior to its forthcoming UK Tour. Book now at Computicket. For further information and details of Cape Town Opera's scintillating 2014 season, visit www.ctoshowboat.com or www.capetownopera.co.za.