The first performance show of
High School Musical: Spotlight South Africa opened on Saturday night with a group performance featuring the Top 18 singing We’re All In This Together from the High School Musical movie.
After a recap of the last four episodes, the Top 18 performers saw their luxurious home-away-from-home in Camps Bay for the first time. This is where the company will be based for the next three weeks as they rehearse and perform at Theatre On The Bay.
The theme for this week’s episode was The Start of Something New - all about first love and romance.
Theatre Director Paul Warwick Griffin and Musical Director Charl-Johan Lingenfelder explained what would be expected from the finalists. Everyone was divided into 9 couples, each couple filmed a scene from the High School Musical movie and learned a duet to perform live on stage. They also all had to rehearse the opening dance number.
Dineo and Darren
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| Dineo |
Darren |
The first couple to perform was Dineo and Darren. The show went behind-the- scenes to find out more about each of them: Dineo confessed that she loves performing and “won’t be satisfied until I perform to a full house in Madison Square Garden!” and Darren admitted “I love performing because I love the attention!”
The couple sang the Jordin Sparks/Chris Brown duet No Air.
Dineo’s voting number: 0862277708 or SMS “Dineo” to 34685.
Darren’s voting number: 0862277706 or SMS “Darren” to 34685.
Danni and Carl
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| Danni |
Carl |
Next up were Danni and Carl who sang Suddenly - Cliff Richard and Olivia Newton John’s duet from the musical Xanadu.
In his turn on camera, Carl played the piano, saying, “My dream is to set up a school like Julliard for S.A.” Danni explained that she had played Gabriella before, in the first African production of HSM, and that “she could shoot a hoop because I played netball!”
Danni’s voting number: 0862277704 or SMS “Danni” to 34685.
Carl’s voting number: 0862277701 or SMS “Carl” to 34685.
Tsephi and Daniel
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| Tsephi |
Daniel |
Tsephi and Daniel’s duet was the romantic love song When I First Saw You, from the musical Dreamgirls.
“I am incredibly loud!” Tsephi admitted to the cameras, “and maybe playing sweet Gabriella will be good for me - help me quiet down a little!” The cameras followed Daniel to his natural habitat, the pool, where he’s training for the 2012 Olympics. “It’s quite a challenge for me to find a balance between swimming and performing,” he admitted.
Tsephi's voting number: 0862277717 or SMS “Tsephi” to 34685.
Daniel’s voting number: 0862277705, or SMS Daniel to 34685.
Lorri and Lyle
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| Lorri |
Lyle |
“Theatre takes people away from the difficulties of their daily lives,” said professional actress Lorri. Her duet partner Lyle is also a professional performer. “I trained as a dancer,” he told the cameras.
Lorri and Lyle sang the classic Endless Love, from the movie of the same name.
Lorri’s voting number: 0862277712 or SMS “Lorri” to 34685.
Lyle's voting number: 0862277713 or SMS “Lyle” to 34685.
Courtney and David
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David |
The song allocated to Courtney and David was the Christina Aguilera/Ricky Martin hit, Nobody Wants To Be Lonely.
“I studied architecture for a year but I’ve now given that up to continue my passion for music,” David said before performing. Courtney showed off her ice-skating trophies, but pointed out that it’s not all about the trophies. “It’s about what is written on the trophies and the memories attached to that,” she said.
Courtney’s voting number: 0862277703 or SMS “Courtney” to 34685.
David's voting number: 0862277707 or SMS “David” to 34685.
Eloise and Mario
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Mario |
“I’m a happy-go-lucky guy, always happy, always smiling,” Mario told the cameras. Eloise, also a professional actress, said playing a 16-year-old character when she’s actually 25 “can be a challenge”.
Mario and Eloise sang Separate Lives, from the movie White Nights.
Eloise's voting: 0862277709 or SMS “Eloise” to 34685.
Mario’s voting number: 0862277714 or SMS “Mario” to 34685.
Melissa and Jarryd
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| Melissa |
Jarryd |
Next up was Melissa and Jarryd, who sang A Whole New World, from the movie Aladdin.
On camera Melissa said she found High School Musical inspiring because of the message “to go out there and do your best.” The cameras followed Jarryd to his other passion, showjumping. “I’d like to reach the Olympics,” he said.
Melissa’s voting number: 0862277715 or SMS “Melissa” to 34685.
Jarryd's voting number: 0862277710 or SMS “Jarryd” to 34685.
Josslyn and Steven
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Steven |
“All I want to do is to better myself as a person, and by bettering myself also better my community,” Josslyn said on camera. Steven said that his friends think of him as a bit of a clown. “I’m always up to mischief!” he smiled.
Josslyn and Steven performed the Enrique Iglesias and Whitney Houston hit, Could I Have This Kiss Forever.
Josslyn's voting number: 0862277711 or SMS “Josslyn” to 34685.
Steven’s voting number: 0862277716 or SMS “Steven” to 34685.
Carmen and Tshepo S.
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Tshepo S.
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Carmen and Tsepho S. sang the classic Somewhere Out There, from An American Tail.
Tsepho S. told the cameras that he’s an all-rounder because he strives to achieve a balance in life and said that he auditioned “for fun”. Carmen said “nothing in the world is as amazing to me as being on stage”.
Carmen’s voting number: 0862277702, or SMS “Carmen” to 34685.
Tsepho S's voting number: 0862277718 or SMS Tsepho S. to 34685.
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Now it’s up to viewers to vote for their favourites. Viewers can also vote for free on the official
HSM website.
Voting lines opened at the end of Saturday's show and remain open until 10h00 this morning (Monday, 18 August).
The results will be announced in tonight’s Results Show (18 August at 19h00), live from the Theatre On The Bay.
Six of the performers will be in the firing line. Pieter Toerien, as Producer, will save two, but the other four will have to say goodbye.