Jonathan Roxmouth is currently the darling of South African musical theatre. Tall, good looking, young and with the sexiest voice since Frank Sinatra, he leaves nothing to be desired.
Jonathan Roxmouth
His first CD is “Stage by Stage” (another one is being released later this year), so you can take Jonathan Roxmouth home to enjoy whenever you want. He has a live show entitled “Stage by Stage” currently showing at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre.
Directed by Weslee Lauder and accompanied by Neil Bennett, Roxmouth takes to the stage without a musical to act in – exposed as an entertainer, no fancy sets, costumes and props – and no storyline. We get to know Roxmouth as the actor behind the characters. Getting to know Roxmouth really works for his fans, many of whom are aging matrons. Yeah, I fit the demographics.
Stage by Stage is what Roxmouth describes as a “concert of the musicals”. It is a formula used by many artists, and it works. Roxmouth also does songs from shows he hasn’t done, but which are on his wish list. Songs interspersed with anecdotes and humour. I preferred the anecdotes to the off the cuff humour. Roxmouth worked too hard at the latter for it to be natural and he doesn’t need it. We loved the personal, self-deprecating stories and the music and lots of his more effortless humour gets overshadowed by the res
The range of songs from the musicals is broad and he played the birthday song in different styles on the piano for an audience member having a 21st. Roxmouth is an accomplished pianist and it is good to hear him at the keyboard, not that there was anything wrong with Neil Bennett, a former teacher at Northcliff High where Roxmouth first shone on stage.
Microphone problems notwithstanding, Roxmouth is a consummate entertainer, and he has a genuine rapport with his audience. Just as I look forward to seeing him in more musicals, so I look forward to more of these intimate recitals.
Stage by Stage is running until 17 May 2015 at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre.
