GRAND MARCH AT RADIO 2000
JOHN GREEN MARCHING ON
MINELLI TO GUEST IN RADIO CEREAL
The Grand March from Verdi’s opera Aida will be heard in its various guises when BravoBrava host, Mixael de Kock, interviews Opera Africa CEO Sandra de Villiers. A new production of John Green’s opera opens in Johannesburg soon and De Villiers is Personality of the Week on this mega-popular radio show tomorrow night, Wednesday, 27th February on Radio2000 (list of national frequencies enclosed).
De Villiers started this artistically innovative company in Durban in 1995. Supported by a resourceful, and enthusiastic production team the company has made several appearances at the State Theatre, Sand du Plessis (Bloemfontein), Civic Theatre (Johannesburg) and Playhouse (Durban), as well as mounting overseas touring productions..
Highlights include commissioning and producing the Zulu opera Princess Magogo that became a popular international touring hit following its world premiere in Durban.
Speaking of world premieres, the whole world seems to be tuning in to hear BravoBrava’s weekly episode of the Snap Crackle Pop-u-lar radio cereal, The De Kocks of Grootvoëlsvlei - a contemporary remake of the classic Springbok Radio series, Die Du Plooys van Soetmelksvlei.
The Grootvoëlsvlei-saga is a fast-moving social commentary on contemporary mores and belief systems and deals with the world’s modern disposable society in a frank and forthright manner. “You are fired” is the one phrase that comes up repeatedly as the tale of woe slips from one the one episode into the next. The series was written as 1001 one-minute episodes and, after tomorrow night’s drama had unfolded, there remains another 996 episodes.
Robert Whitehead-De Kock, well-known as the Barker in Is A Dingo A Dog, clenched the title role away from other aspiring starlets. His performance in this series is an electrifying tour de force of previously unbeknown power and evil.
Bryan Reilly-De Kock heads up the technical production team and internationally acclaimed South African stage and costume designer, Johan Engels-De Kock, conceptualised the settings as well as the apparel worn by the thousand of extras on exotic island locations. Head dresses are of particular feature
of this staging.
JOHN GREEN MARCHING ON
MINELLI TO GUEST IN RADIO CEREAL
The Grand March from Verdi’s opera Aida will be heard in its various guises when BravoBrava host, Mixael de Kock, interviews Opera Africa CEO Sandra de Villiers. A new production of John Green’s opera opens in Johannesburg soon and De Villiers is Personality of the Week on this mega-popular radio show tomorrow night, Wednesday, 27th February on Radio2000 (list of national frequencies enclosed).
De Villiers started this artistically innovative company in Durban in 1995. Supported by a resourceful, and enthusiastic production team the company has made several appearances at the State Theatre, Sand du Plessis (Bloemfontein), Civic Theatre (Johannesburg) and Playhouse (Durban), as well as mounting overseas touring productions..
Highlights include commissioning and producing the Zulu opera Princess Magogo that became a popular international touring hit following its world premiere in Durban.
Speaking of world premieres, the whole world seems to be tuning in to hear BravoBrava’s weekly episode of the Snap Crackle Pop-u-lar radio cereal, The De Kocks of Grootvoëlsvlei - a contemporary remake of the classic Springbok Radio series, Die Du Plooys van Soetmelksvlei.
The Grootvoëlsvlei-saga is a fast-moving social commentary on contemporary mores and belief systems and deals with the world’s modern disposable society in a frank and forthright manner. “You are fired” is the one phrase that comes up repeatedly as the tale of woe slips from one the one episode into the next. The series was written as 1001 one-minute episodes and, after tomorrow night’s drama had unfolded, there remains another 996 episodes.
Robert Whitehead-De Kock, well-known as the Barker in Is A Dingo A Dog, clenched the title role away from other aspiring starlets. His performance in this series is an electrifying tour de force of previously unbeknown power and evil.
Bryan Reilly-De Kock heads up the technical production team and internationally acclaimed South African stage and costume designer, Johan Engels-De Kock, conceptualised the settings as well as the apparel worn by the thousand of extras on exotic island locations. Head dresses are of particular feature
of this staging. Late last week Mixael de Kock-De Kock, executive producer of Grootvoëlsvlei confirmed that the team was in the midst of negotiating guest appearances for Hollywood star Liza Minelli. “Our creative team is going to have to pull hares from bonnets. Minelli insists that these two episodes must contain musical elements as she wishes to sing the role as the start of a come-back campaign.”
De Kock-De Kock declined to comment on the fees being paid this mega-star. “Irrespective of her remuneration, once the advertising revenue from Dr. Hemroid’s ointment starts flowing in, the station management will be toy-toying all the way to the bank.”
Neither could De Kock-De Kock be drawn to comment on rumours that Radio Today 1485 DSTV 169 is making overtures to entice BravoBrava to neck with them in their woods. Other than saying that Radio Today’s audio streaming and pod casting facilities are superior and would give an international audience access to this celebrated show, there was no confirmation of any imminent moves.
Johannesburg, 26th February 2008
BACKGROUND
BravoBrava is South Africa’s only gay lifestyle radio show and is broadcast nationally by the SABC on its countrywide FM station Radio2000 every Wednesday night from 20:00 to midnight. This is a show where everyone is a star and deserves the right to twinkle; where everyone is cheerful, trouble-free and at ease! On this show some are gay, some not so gay and some, not gay at all. This is the radio show where listeners are not separated but where the aim is to integrate, to encourage and to embrace.
On the airwaves for more than two years now, BravoBrava is hurtling towards its 100th broadcast on 16th April. Within months after its first broadcast on 30 November 2005 this Radio2000 offering rose from total obscurity to become the most popular radio show after sports broadcasts.
What is so encouraging is the fact that the show has won at least as many heterosexual listeners as it has inspired vast numbers of gay persons. Producer, compiler and presenter Mixael de Kock says that both gay and non-gay listeners phone in from the most obscure places in South Africa to say how much they enjoy the programme.
“Especially in smaller places such as Vaalwater en Pofadder, isolated gay people find a family on the show to identify with on Wednesday nights. That is why we opted to broadcast 52 weeks per year. There are so many lonely people out there and, because they are regulars, we will not drop them even if it means having to go to the studios when everyone else is having a good time and holidaying.”
Be it in the main centres or the rural areas of South Africa it would appear that once people had tuned in to BravoBrava they come back every week. Says Mixael: “We started out as a two-hour programme during which we interviewed a Personality of the Week with various short inserts on a host of subjects.”
“Once the programme proved to be a hit with both gay and non-gay publics it was decided to go out for four hours every week. Now the Personality of the Week interview has become a really in-depth exercise – probably the only really probing interview of its kind in the world today.
Then from 10pm onwards we do many shorter interviews ranging from politics and current affairs through legal, financial as well as fashion and the arts in all of its guises. But, humor is very much the order of the day and, the quirkier the better!”
The main objective of the programme is to integrate rather than to separate. Mixael smiles when he confirms that the many non-gay listeners are proof that BravoBrava has achieved its aims. “If non-gay people listen to a gay programme because it is interesting, informative and entertaining then I have a captive audience to whom I can prove, through intelligent radio, that gay people are worthy contributors to society. And, in the end, that is what gay pride is about.”
De Kock-De Kock declined to comment on the fees being paid this mega-star. “Irrespective of her remuneration, once the advertising revenue from Dr. Hemroid’s ointment starts flowing in, the station management will be toy-toying all the way to the bank.”
Neither could De Kock-De Kock be drawn to comment on rumours that Radio Today 1485 DSTV 169 is making overtures to entice BravoBrava to neck with them in their woods. Other than saying that Radio Today’s audio streaming and pod casting facilities are superior and would give an international audience access to this celebrated show, there was no confirmation of any imminent moves.
Johannesburg, 26th February 2008
BACKGROUND
BravoBrava is South Africa’s only gay lifestyle radio show and is broadcast nationally by the SABC on its countrywide FM station Radio2000 every Wednesday night from 20:00 to midnight. This is a show where everyone is a star and deserves the right to twinkle; where everyone is cheerful, trouble-free and at ease! On this show some are gay, some not so gay and some, not gay at all. This is the radio show where listeners are not separated but where the aim is to integrate, to encourage and to embrace.
On the airwaves for more than two years now, BravoBrava is hurtling towards its 100th broadcast on 16th April. Within months after its first broadcast on 30 November 2005 this Radio2000 offering rose from total obscurity to become the most popular radio show after sports broadcasts.
What is so encouraging is the fact that the show has won at least as many heterosexual listeners as it has inspired vast numbers of gay persons. Producer, compiler and presenter Mixael de Kock says that both gay and non-gay listeners phone in from the most obscure places in South Africa to say how much they enjoy the programme.
“Especially in smaller places such as Vaalwater en Pofadder, isolated gay people find a family on the show to identify with on Wednesday nights. That is why we opted to broadcast 52 weeks per year. There are so many lonely people out there and, because they are regulars, we will not drop them even if it means having to go to the studios when everyone else is having a good time and holidaying.”
Be it in the main centres or the rural areas of South Africa it would appear that once people had tuned in to BravoBrava they come back every week. Says Mixael: “We started out as a two-hour programme during which we interviewed a Personality of the Week with various short inserts on a host of subjects.”
“Once the programme proved to be a hit with both gay and non-gay publics it was decided to go out for four hours every week. Now the Personality of the Week interview has become a really in-depth exercise – probably the only really probing interview of its kind in the world today.
Then from 10pm onwards we do many shorter interviews ranging from politics and current affairs through legal, financial as well as fashion and the arts in all of its guises. But, humor is very much the order of the day and, the quirkier the better!”
The main objective of the programme is to integrate rather than to separate. Mixael smiles when he confirms that the many non-gay listeners are proof that BravoBrava has achieved its aims. “If non-gay people listen to a gay programme because it is interesting, informative and entertaining then I have a captive audience to whom I can prove, through intelligent radio, that gay people are worthy contributors to society. And, in the end, that is what gay pride is about.”
