Mail & Guardian reporter
On February 22 the Mail & Guardian ran a story about the tribulations of professional artists who had not been paid for their participation in the operetta Die Fledermaus that ran at Johannesburg’s Civic Theatre over the festive season in 2001.
The story noted that the production was the work of Opera Africa, which was incorrect. Die Fledermaus was, in fact, a production of the Bloemfontein-based company, The Operetta Theatre of South Africa.
The company Opera Africa was founded in 1995, and has had the honour of being the company that presented nationally renowned singer Sibongile Khumalo in her first operatic role, in Bizet’s Carmen.
Today Khumalo is a director of Opera Africa along with other well-known individuals, including Durban artist Andrew Verster.
On May 4 Opera Africa will premiere its new production Princess Magogo ka Dinuzulu composed by Mzilikazi Khumalo. It is based on the life of one of the country’s foremost traditional composers and musicologists, and The Chicago Durban Sister City project is sponsoring the costs of taking the production to the Humanities Festival in Chicago in November 2002. The world premiere of the production will take place at Durban’s Playhouse complex on May 4. It will be broadcast live by WFMT Radio and Networks, Chicago.
The Mail & Guardian apologises unreservedly for the inconvenience this erroneous information may have caused Opera Africa.