Unlike the long, drawn-out, name-and-shame format of Idols and the like, the creative panel behind M-Net's
High School Musical: Spotlight South Africa took just two episodes to get through the masses and appoint a Top 40.
It's not exactly a Top 40, however - there are 42 of them. Either the extra two are alternates in case others get sick or drop out, or there was simply too much talent for the producers to cope with.
Let's hope it's the latter.
In
the first episode, screened on Saturday 2 August,
Pieter Toerien and the show’s Creative Panel – theatre director
Paul Warwick Griffin, musical director
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder and choreographer
Lorcia Cooper – found 25 potential Troys and Gabriellas for the forthcoming stage musical, High School Musical: Live On Stage.
The remaining spots had to be filled from the auditions in Johannesburg and on Monday night those auditions were aired.
Plenty of amateurs as well as seasoned professionals auditioned in Johannesburg, but as the essence of the show is to cast two specific roles in a musical, Toerien and his team were looking for very particular qualities.
Paul Warwick Griffin explained the selection process as follows:
"What we’re looking for are our two leads, a leading man and a leading lady, and there’s an awful lot of responsibility that comes with that, so not only are they going to have to learn and crack the American accent, they’re going to have to crack the choreography and the singing.
"But there are other elements, the so-called 'X Factor', which is very difficult to teach somebody. I guess with any luck we’ll find ourselves a couple of rough diamonds and it’s going to be a case of polishing them up."
Johannesburg was the only audition point in Gauteng so auditions were spread over four days to cope with the demand. The first two days were devoted to registration and the preliminary round, where the performers auditioned for industry professionals.
Those who received a callback returned on the Saturday for a gruelling day of singing and dancing workshops in preparation for three rounds of further auditions for Pieter Toerien and the Creative Panel on the Sunday.
By the end of that process, the Creative Panel had found their Top 42.
"It’s incredibly scary for us all, knowing that out of these people we’ve got now – our Troy and our Gabriella are somewhere in the mix,” said Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, bristling with equal doses of enthusiasm and madness.
Producer Peter Toerien warned that “the next eight weeks are going to be the toughest these kids have ever had, but they’re going to learn so much.
"This is going to be an experience they’ll never forget."
And here they are – the High School Musical: Spotlight South Africa Top 42:
| Top 42 |
Melissa Allison - Port Elizabeth |
Nicole Andrew - Cape Town |
Jeremy Bishop - Johannesburg |
Amo Chido - Pretoria |
Kyle Clark - Edenvale |
Lara Coetzee - Johannesburg |
Chantal Delgado - Sandton |
Lesedi Dipeko - Bedfordview |
Emile Doubell - Port Elizabeth |
Meranda Elisha - Durban |
Carl Ellis - Pietermaritzburg |
Andrea Frankson - Cape Town |
Cara Frew - Johannesburg |
Geraldine Singh - Durban |
Lorri Glajchen - Johannesburg |
Josslyn Hlenti - Durban |
Eloise Horjus - Johannesburg |
Jason Humm - Port Elizabeth |
Lezahne Jacobs - Cape Town |
Jeraine Jaftha - Cape Town |
Courtney Jonas - Cape Town |
Dayne Levinrad - Johannesburg |
Steven Lewis - Cape Town |
Jordana Malkoff - Johannesburg |
Tshepi Mashego - Centurion |
Dineo Moeketsi - Johannesburg |
Thabiso Ntsime - Krugersdorp |
Jarryd Nurden - Pietermaritzburg |
Mario Ogle - Pietermaritzburg |
Carmen Pretorius - Roodepoort |
Danaë Rau - Durban |
Eddie Rautenbach - Port Elizabeth |
David Schlacter - Durban |
Tshepo Seloane - Boksburg |
Zolani Shangase - Pietermaritzburg |
Prenashan Singh - Cape Town |
Melanie Steenkamp - Bedfordview |
Jethro Tait - Cape Town |
Darren Vercueil - Alberton |
Lyle Volkwyn - Johannesburg |
Daniel Wessels - Durban |
Patricia Zwane - Johannesburg |