It is sure to be an evening brimming with Christmas cheer for the whole family and a great way to enter the Christmas week.
In celebration of a first, successful year, the David Academy of Performing Arts (DAPA) will present its debut concert featuring a cast of children aged 7 to 13 years along with performances by André and Dinali David, Julius Mitchell and Ashi Wickrema. “All I Want For Christmas”, directed by Andre David hits the stage of the Russian Cultural Centre’s revamped auditorium on December 17 and 18 at 7.30 p.m.
The programme includes famous comic songs (with a special Andre-style twist) which feature requests to Santa, (All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth, I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and Santa Baby), complaints on Santa’s gifts from last year (The Hat I Got for Christmas is too Big), heartwarming and inspirational songs (My Grownup Christmas List), songs from generic musicals (Maybe, Where is Love, If I Were a Rich Man), some good, if zany, advice (Be Kind to Your Parents, You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two), a sing-a-long, as well as a few surprises.
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The show will also feature some promising young talent. Look out for talented accompanist Joshua Asokan who was formerly a boy soprano under the guidance of Mary Anne David, and subsequently a student in André’s junior class at the Mary Anne School of Vocal Music. A student of St. Benedict’s College at 15, he is a qualified musician, accompanist, composer and music arranger and is currently studying for two performance diplomas and two teachers diplomas in piano while studying for his Ordinary Level examinations next year.
Daniel Prins, the second accompanist is also a 15- year old student of the British School in Colombo. His father, Christo Prins is the well known drummer with whom André has worked with for several years. Daniel, who started out as a self taught drummer, is now under the expert guidance of Dr. Sumudi Suraweera and has been performing regularly as an accompanist for some of the country’s leading musical groups.
“It is a challenge for me since many of these kids have not had the opportunity of stage performance before this, and there is a great satisfaction, albeit an equally great amount of stress, in preparing them to present this show. Just like the maxim in the business world which says ‘customer comes first’, the maxim in the performance world is ‘the audience comes first’. The kids have really risen to the challenge,” says Andre.
Tickets are priced at Rs.750, Rs.1000 and Rs.2000. The box plan is available at Dwellings, No. 52, Green Path, Colombo 03, and at the David Academy of Performing Arts at No. 89 (first floor), Hospital Road, Kalubowila, or call 0716881119 to reserve your tickets. |
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