AngloGold Ashanti steps into brave new world with Streets of Gold musical
Last edited: March 16, 2011
Posted by Business and Arts South Africa
AngloGold Ashanti has never shied away from using innovative ways to market its gold – and the upcoming Streets of Gold – The Musical is yet more evidence of the global gold producer’s marketing daring.
Launching on March 24th and presented in association with the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City Casino, Streets of Gold is a brand new rock musical that delivers an intoxicating mix of haute couture fashion, music, theatrical performance, and, of course, gold jewellery to audiences eager for something daringly different and downright South African. As the musical theatre genre gains momentum, the producers of the show sought to create something truly South African and truly innovative, and all players involved represent the cream of local talent.
The jaw-dropping jewellery that both drives the storyline of Streets of Gold – The Musical and is featured in the show comes from AngloGold Ashanti’s AuDITIONS Urban Tribes gold jewellery collection.
The AuDITIONS programme is one of the more prominent manifestations of the Business and Arts South Africa member’s belief in the power of the creative arts to propel its marketing into new realms and to new consumers. It also makes good on AngloGold Ashanti’s commitment, as a key member of the World Gold Council, to keep gold exciting and relevant while promoting innovation and developing design talent. Each AuDITIONS collection is the result of a design competition that is staged in South Africa, Brazil and China.
A more recent addition to Anglogold Ashanti’s exciting approach to gold marketing is the creation of the parallel world of Urban Tribes, which is inhabited by characters that became notional clients for the designers entering the South African edition of the design competition. Indeed, it was these graphic-novel and noir-photography inspired characters that provided the momentum for the 2009/2010 AuDITIONS Urban Tribes winner, Kristen Malan, as well as runner-ups Eduard Claasen (2nd) and Lincoln Mokoena (3rd) and the competition’s finalists.
It’s also these Urban Tribe characters that propel the narrative of Streets of Gold – The Musical – among them Cassandra (Samantha Peo), Prefect Flora von Higgins (Fiona Ramsay), Jabulani Bond (Tumisho Masha), Lily von Higgins (Carmen Pretorius), Viddy Civille (Shaun V), Sheba (Amore Vittone) and Ngudu 9’s (Phumi MnCayi).
Says Mark Pool, Executive Producer of Streets of Gold and Marketing Manager AngloGold Ashanti, “We decided to create the Urban Tribe characters as a novel way of inspiring designers entering AuDITIONS with a fantastical and multi-dimensional world. But once we had created them, everyone was left desiring more and so, together with producer Heidi Pretorius and a team of very talented South African creatives, we took up the challenge of bringing them to life through the musical.â€
Pool says the process of creating a bespoke musical for AngloGold Ashanti has been “very challenging but enormously satisfyingâ€. “To see gold unite so many amazingly creative individuals in a common cause has been fantastic and the fact that we can now take the Urban Tribes world to the public through the Streets of Gold musical represents a new frontier.â€
For Pool, the AuDITIONS Urban Tribe competition and collection and Streets of Gold – The Musical are key players in AngloGold Ashanti’s aim to promote the local gold industry and local designers as well as offer a fresh twist on gold for consumers.
“Events of the recent past in the global economy have shown that gold is more relevant than ever – and is again being seen as one of the cornerstones of true value. Our musical delves into this and many of the issues that surround gold historically and today.â€
The musical runs between Thursday, 24 March and Sunday 3 April 2011 at the Lyric Theatre, Gold Reef City Casino and bookings can be made through Computicket at 083 915 8000 or Computicket. Ticket prices have been kept low to attract as wide an audience as possible and range from R125 - R175.
CAST
Samantha Peo (Cassandra)
Fiona Ramsay (Prefect Flora von Higgins)
Tumisho Masha (Jabulani Bond)
Amor Vittone (Sheba)
Mark Richardson (Moro)
Carmen Pretorius (Lily von Higgins)
Phumi MnCayi (Ngudu9)
Shaun V (Viddy Civille)
PRODUCTION
Mark Pool (Executive Producer, Marketing Manager AngloGold Ashanti)
Heidi Pretorius (Creator, Producer)
Vicky Friedman (Co-Producer, Director and Choreographer)
Jon Savage, Jane Breezke (Music Composition and Lyrics)
Bryan Schimmel (Musical Director and Arranger)
Alan Swerdlow (Scriptwriter)
Suzaan Heyns (Costume Design and Styling)
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