Jonathan Roxmouth returns to Pieter Torien’s Montecasino Theatre for a return season of his hit show, “Key Change!”
No stranger to the stage, Roxmouth has a plethora of hit productions under his belt, including “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Grease”, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story”, “Rock Me Amadeus”, “Chicago” and so much more.
In “Key Change!”, Roxmouth celebrates various piano-based comedians, singers and entertainers who shaped and influenced his musical tastes through the various phases of his life.
And, he has a fantastic 5-piece band supporting him on stage.
On making his way back on stage, he admitted: “It’s a new kind of era, I suppose. I’m now going on the stage more than playing a character. It’s a lot of fun, I have to say.”
In case you are wondering where he is based as he returned from Florence last week, where he had a private work event, he explained: “My office has gotten bigger, but my home is still the same.”
And he was pretty revved up to be in rehearsals for the upcoming show, which starts on October 11 and runs until October 29.
He shared: “The beautiful thing about being asked back for a return season is that you can go back to it and add a few different things, a few surprises, rework a few things and get it even better than it was before.
“We don’t always get the opportunity, normally it’s one crack at it and that’s that. This is quite the opposite, which is lovely.
“We’ve added some Abba, which is always a surprising crowd favourite. The big love song medley is Act 2 which somehow turned out to be one of the hits on the show, we’ve added a few more recent songs from certain movies.
“And certainly, across the board, the range of music is slightly more accessible and slightly more memorable for a lot of people in the audience than possibly closer to my age.
“So it’s a nice challenge now to go over the show as it was and add a lot more current stuff and understand where it really is from, etc.
“It's fun in the sense that it is a second draft. I think the audience is going to have an absolute ball.”
The costumes for the show lean heavily on the colour scheme one would associate with a piano.
Roxmouth added: “The whole theme is black and white. So we have taken all the colours that you find on a piano and that is black, white, gold and red. If you find any grand piano around the world, those are the colours on the piano. The red felt, the black paint, the white keys, the gold soundboard.”
Also, the band has costumes in the same colour scheme.
“It’s really interesting. My nails are also painted on the show because there is a live screen on my hands throughout the show. The first thing I hear from the audience is, ‘Kyk die nails, kyk die nails’ (Look at the nails).
“It’s a nice thing to see the audience pick up on the small details. My fingernails are painted like piano keys as well.
“It’s very rewarding when the audience comes up to you afterwards and notices all the little details you put into it.”
As for the show, Roxmouth describes it as a “kind of Elton John meets Liberace meets Armani. It’s an interesting mix and one we are very pleased to have”.
At the moment, Roxmouth is focused on planting his feet firmly by surprising fans.
He explained: “My focus is on challenging myself and not repeating myself. The moment someone guesses what your next move is, you are regarded as boring. You have to keep them guessing.
“They certainly didn’t see ‘Key Change!’ coming. With the projects down the road, they wouldn’t have guessed it in a million years.”
In the meantime, fans can look forward to a fantastic 2-hour show, which includes an interval, as Roxmouth belts out songs by Billy Joel, Freddie Mercury, David Foster, Carole King and so much more in “Key Change!”
The show plays from Wednesday to Friday at 8pm, on Saturday at 3pm and 8pm and on Sunday at 2pm and 6pm.
Ticket prices vary from R150 to R300.
“Spotlight”
Experience the future of musical theatre as talented young performers take the stage to showcase their triple-threat skills in song, dance and drama. These kids are ready to shine in the professional world and this is your chance to witness their brilliance in action!
Following the performance, guests are invited to an exclusive Q&A session with top industry professionals who will share their insights and advice.
It’s a night filled with inspiration, entertainment and the promise of a dazzling future in musical theatre.
Where: People’s Theatre, Joburg Theatre Complex.
When: Thursday, October 12, 7pm.
Tickets: R200.
“Wait/Weight”
A physical theatre performance that explores the cycle of grief, loss and the moments of recovery.
It interrogates language and communication in its failure and the complexity of the things that happen to us while we wait – and as we wait for life to happen, it often happens to us.
It considers the paradox that exists in waiting, that as we wait for acceptance to arrive, we are overcome by the weight of exactly that.
Where: Kippies, Market Theatre.
When: October 12-14 at 7.30pm.
Tickets: R100 from Webtickets.