Musical mayhem

The ‘Offbeat Broadway’ original cast on remembering and reinvention 

The poster advertising Offbeat Broadway 4 makes the claim: “older, fatter, slower”, but I find exactly the opposite to be true when chatting to bubbly   original cast members Anton Luitingh, Lindy Abromowitz and Paul du Toit in a break from their hectic rehearsal schedule.

For a start, they are all glowing with enthusiasm and energy, so much so, in fact, that they immediately (and delightfully) drive the interview forward with their fond memories of shows long past and their experiences being back together performing  the hugely successful Offbeat Broadway.

“It’s so strange. That first day rehearsing together again was like grabbing that Eighties item of clothing out of the closet and thinking ‘actually, those torn jeans really work’,” quips a laughing Du Toit. “It all just fit and worked together perfectly, and we all remember why we chose to work together.”

In the six years that have passed since their last performance Luitingh jokes that Abromowitz and Du Toit  have been producing children (two each) while he has been forging forth with his career in musical theatre. Their lives and careers may have taken them down different paths – Abromowitz is a medical doctor by profession, Du Toit  is currently shooting a travel show called Rough Or Smooth – but Luitingh says he wouldn’t cast anyone else in the roles.

“It’s our different  personalities and voice types that made the piece work in the first place – that’s the magic that makes the show what it is. Change the cast, and you would have a completely different dynamic. I think that the show’s success is a combination of who we are, and also the fact that  in this day and age, people are looking for a bit of comedy and a good laugh,” he says.

Offbeat Broadway might poke fun at everything from Les Miserables and Phantom Of The Opera to Billy Elliot and Hairspray, but even though the songs are being turned on their heads, the power lies in the fact that they are  beautifully rendered nevertheless. Add to this the fact that SA audiences are more savvy when it comes to musical theatre than ever before, and you have a version of Offbeat Broadway that is stronger than earlier shows.  

"There has really been a shift in our audiences over the years,” Du Toit explains. "When we first started doing this, the Broadway shows weren’t coming to SA. All people knew about musicals was what they’d heard on CD recordings, unless they were fortunate enough to have  travelled to New York or London. Now, people have been exposed to so many Broadway shows – even the more niche market stuff – so it’s actually a lot more fun for us, because our audience has a greater knowledge of the material.”

Expect boisterous banter, local humour, musical genius and the oddball influence of hilarious director Alan Committie. Offbeat Broadway doesn’t miss a beat.

This article was first published in CitiVibe in The Citizen on Tuesday 26 July 2011.

Offbeat Broadway is on at the Studio Theatre in Montecasino from August 19 – October 2.  Visit http://www.montecasinotheatre.co.za/ for more information, or www.computicket.com to book tickets.