January 28, 2004
By Thomas Thale
THE much-publicised world premiere of Gumbeat, a celebrated African musical scheduled to open at the Johannesburg Civic Theatre on Wednesday 28 January, has been called off following the death of its composer, Siva Devar.
Devar passed away after suffering a stroke in late December.
Sub-titled 'the awesome energy of Africa,' Gumbeat promised to set the stage alive with a mixture of gumboot and traditional dance routines. The show was to feature a 40-strong cast dancing to music composed by Lebo M, who was catapulted into fame after composing some music for Disney's Lion King, and Devar.
Simon Painter, one of the producers of the show, said the show had not been cancelled but only postponed. "Patrons who already bought tickets have been refunded," said Painter.
In a statement released to the media, the producers of the Gumbeat said: "The production suffered technical and logistical difficulties that are still in the process of being resolved".
The producers reaffirmed their commitment to the show "both nationally and internationally", and promised to "bring to stage what still promises to be one of the most exciting and entertaining African shows of all time".
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