You can just call him Lee too
MAGALIESSIG- Jonathan Roxmouth is at the helm of reconstructing the altar where Johannesburg can kneel in front of the glory that was Liberace.
Indeed, Mister Showmanship as Liberace was known as, pioneered outre performance and his influence is still deeply ensconced in modern pop culture. Lady Gaga, Nikki Manaj and Adam Lambert with their gaudy goodness are revered, much like Liberace was among his legions of fans back in the day before TV and music videos were the platform to be ocular.
In what Roxmouth calls a concert biography, his latest self-penned show Call Me Lee brings the vision that was Liberace to life – with all the opulence one would expect.
And dazzling the show certainly is.
Over a cup of coffee Roxmouth, a darling of the stage himself, dug deep into his pockets to bring something new to the stage.
“I started researching him while doing Phantom of the Opera [in 2012], spending hours on the make-up chair gave me time to research and write the show,” he said.
This was before the HBO film Behind the Candelabra paved the way for a Liberace revival.
Unlike the film, Roxmouth wanted to stay true to the fact that Liberace was a celebrity who adored his audience and had endless adoration for his fans, and how much of his life was denied in the film, painting him as a caricature.
And with the help of 25 000 beads glued, sewn and pinned to costumes, set pieces and props Roxmouth will drop jaws.
“Liberace was all about entrances,” Roxmouth said, and that’s why no cost was spared for the show.
When director and choreographer Ian von Memerty was approached by Roxmouth to get involved, they agreed on three crucial criteria. The show would be honest about who Liberace was, the audience would leave happier than when they entered and no cost would be spared in re-creating iconic costumes.
Call Me Lee offers six snapshots from Liberace’s life on stage interwoven with glimpses behind the scenes into his life.
Young-blood actors Weslee Lauder and Samuel Hyde were cast to play different family members, friends and lovers of Liberace.
By offering to pay for the coffee that ended the chat, Roxmouth showed that behind all his talent was decorum, and much like Liberace, Call me Lee will enthrall audiences.
DRESSED TO IMPRESS
With Call Me Lee, Jonathan Roxmouth will again demonstrate why he is the man.
Co-writing and starring in the concert biography is however not Roxmouth’s only hand in bringing the famed pianist Liberace to life at Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre.
And his excitement is a dead giveaway that he has no problem stepping in the shoes of a true virtuoso.
Roxmouth is also the costume designer for the show, after carefully studying the outfits that earned Liberace the nickname Mr Showmanship.
“We couldn’t just have funny costumes, and couldn’t reproduce his costumes due to copyrights,” Roxmouth said.
This resulted in him sitting with a blank canvas and re-envisioning six of Liberace’s famed costumes.
The costumes are as much a character in Call Me Lee, as they play a pivotal role in the show which is split into six distinct concerts which portray the pianist’s dominance of the international entertainment scene.
Roxmouth got hold of Lena Olivier to make up the pieces. Together they travelled to the fabric meccas of South Africa to track down cloth, lace, and patches of all that glitters to construct a spectacle fit for a rock god. Feathers, fur and 25 000 beads went into the final extravaganzas you see on the stage.
Mirrored pianos and colossal bejeweled rings draw your eyes as Roxmouth taps away at the ivory and ebony playground of the piano.
Call Me Lee is every bit as spectacular as the magic Liberace shared with his audience.
Backstage, an entire dressing room is dedicated to the splendid outfits.
Here stones get hot-glued back on, sequins are sewn and everything is maintained to ensure the costumes dazzle in the spotlight.
Added to this, none of the costumes are made with the same fabric – perhaps a subconscious stab at Liberace’s versatility. But a beaming Roxmouth is clearly in awe of what they managed to create.
The largest weight Roxmouth carries in Call Me Lee is not putting the show together, but some of the costumes. One weighs in at 10kg, plus he wears a glamorous black fur coat with silver lining to accompany it.
Oh, and of course he’s also the genius behind the prop construction.
