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SCENE IT: Kramer’s revamped ORPHEUS MCADOO at the Artscape is a soulful musical experience
- Barbara Loots
- Oct 28
- 3 min read
Barbara Loots
David Kramer’s ORPHEUS MCADOO, presented by Cape Town Opera, is doing a return run at the Artscape Theatre to the joyful applause of thoroughly entertained audiences.
With this musical, Kramer blends traditional spirituals with early American folk, ragtime, minstrel tunes, and South African folk music. The result is a production that has soul, soul, and then some more soul. Billed as a vibrant showcase that celebrates connections forged through music and culture, ORPHEUS MCADOO does not disappoint.
In unpacking the story of real-life minstrel show impresario Orpheus McAdoo, the musical reveals the empowering as well as oppressive force of music. Ultimately, the music as performed by McAdoo and his troupe shows that embracing one’s true identity is where music’s real transformative magic is found. Born in North Carolina, the free son of two slaves, McAdoo set out to prove to the world (and to make his parents proud) that he, an educated man, could elevate minstrel music to more than vaudeville comedy offerings. Running parallel with McAdoo’s personal journey of self-discovery and acceptance, is that of performer Martha “Mattie” Allan, who signed up to be a soloist in McAdoo’s touring company and later became his wife when they were married in South Africa.
Between 1890 and 1898, Orpheus McAdoo and his Viriginia Jubilee Singers performed throughout South Africa. In corresponding with friends, family, and newspapers in America during that time they bore witness to the racial discrimination and segregation that was taking hold of South Africa in increasing degrees.
Sitting in the theatre, reflecting on how those tensions are now again taking hold of McAdoo’s America in a most hateful manner (with us now viewing it from a South African perspective), the sad truth that history appears to be repeating itself hits rather hard when immersing oneself in Kramer’s hit musical.
With this third staging of ORPHEUS MCADOO, Kramer is presenting a version that is sleeker and more impactful even than his previous offerings of McAdoo’s South African musical journey. McAdoo and his troupe’s undeniable impact on the cultural musical stamp that still rings through Cape Town has taken centre stage in the previous renditions, but this third staging now also shows the full character development of McAdoo in clearly reflecting on his family roots. Kramer has tweaked and reshuffled parts of the show to now introduce the source of the rhythm (an ancestral drum owned by McAdoo’s father) earlier in the narrative to set the scene for Orpheus’ eventual embrace of his rhythmic legacy. This results in a rather poignant moment when he realises that his musical heritage is an inherent power and not something to be ashamed of. The outcome is a beautiful infusion of jubilee songs with ragtime rhythms that ends the musical on an absolute high, amplified by photos of the real McAdoo and his company of singers. The Cape Town Opera ensemble do them all justice as they again provide stellar vocal performances all round, with great acting to boot.
As McAdoo himself was a formidable baritone it is a perfect fit for Cape Town Opera’s Conroy Scott to reprise his role as this enigmatic musical figure alongside soprano Brittany Smith who again dons the mantel of the charming and high-energy Mattie.
However, it is Jody Abrahams and Zolani Shangase who absolutely steal the show. They are the charm and the heart of this musical, amplifying the vibe with great comedic timing and catchy vocal performances in portraying the rag-tag duo that ultimately assists McAdoo and his choir to see the potential of the ragtime beat. And what a beat that is!
At the end of the show the audience spontaneously burst into song along with Brittany Smith when she closed the show with a lovely rendition of the Battle Hymn “Glory Glory Hallelujah”. I walked out of the theatre with a skip in my step and a tear in my eye. If time allowed, I would have rushed back to see this staging of ORPHEUS MCADOO in a heartbeat. Kramer has taken all that worked in his previous stagings and elevated it to an exquisite musical production –possibly the best musical I have seen over the last few years, and it is homegrown both in story and talent. Go book your tickets before you miss out on this theatrical gem.
The show has a runtime of 2h 40 mins with intermission. Although it is family friendly in content no U5s are allowed. Catch David Kramer’s ORPHEUS MCADOO at the Artscape Theatre until 2 November 2025. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets.