SPOTLIGHT: Enthusiastic and versatile Zolani Shangase in ORPHEUS McADOO

Beverley Brommert

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Most daunting of all the challenges faced by aspirants to a career in musical theatre is the unholy trinity known as the triple threat, and few have met its demands with greater aplomb than Zolani Shangase, who will soon appear in Cape Town Opera's reprise of ORPHEUS McADOO. 

Photo Supplied.

It soon becomes apparent in the course of a conversation with this charismatic young man that his mastery of all three "threats" is due to a happy blend of natural versatility and irrepressible enthusiasm. 

When in his mid-teens, he was inspired by a production of The Sound of Music: "I was intrigued by the performers' ability to sing, dance and act," he recalls. "That is when the bug bit! I realised, though, that a lot of training would be needed to get there.” His first foray into this challenging trio of genres was to tackle singing. "That is my first love, possibly because my mother had a career in singing: she was a soloist in a choir, and it brought me closer to her after a short separation of a couple of years. I also sang in a choir - in primary school, and fortunately when my voice broke, it was not too painful a transition - although I realised there were some notes I could no longer handle."

His voice is presently in the register of baritone/tenor and very easy on the ear, as demonstrated by his performance in rehearsal for ORPHEUS McADOO. As for dancing and acting, his proficiency in both developed when he left his native KwaZulu-Natal to train for a career in Musical Theatre at the TUT in Pretoria.

"Dancing came naturally, as I was used to the rhythms of traditional dance from childhood. And acting is promoted by both singing and dancing when it comes to telling a story. They say good singers make good actors."

In the current iteration of David Kramer's musical celebrating inclusive culture, Shangaze plays Ernest Logan, a minstrel singer/musician who inspires Orpheus McAdoo to blend ragtime with traditional spirituals, marking a significant evolution in Afro-American music.

This is not his first experience of the work, as he played Orpheus' brother in an earlier version titled Orpheus in Africa, a role subsequently written out of the later reprise. "I am loving playing Ernie, whose character is based on a real-life minstrel named Hogan. He was the first African/American to appear in a Broadway Show, back in 1907, and in some ways he mirrors my own career. As a person, I think he was a good man in bad circumstances, who needed to create his own work to survive. A spunky individual, serious about performing, and with a sense of humour but not in any way a comedian."

Three weeks into rehearsal, he has had time to take the measure of Logan, his enthusiasm and energy undiminished by knee surgery after a mishap while performing in Jersey Boys aboard a cruise ship at the end of last year. Both qualities are necessary for the "short but punchy" (his description) piece he performs with Jody Abrahams in this ORPHEUS McADOO.

A plus for him is spending some time in Cape Town, which he adores: "the beauty, the sense of security, the pace of life that allows you to stop and smell the roses..." For an energetic freelancer like himself, this is precious for rechanging batteries.

As soon as the run of ORPHEUS McADOO is over, Shangaze is off up north to direct a show at the Market Theatre Laboratory, further evidence of the array of activities which attest to his growing reputation in the world of performing arts. This award-winning actor, dancer, singer, composer, founder/director of Madevu Entertainment (an independent company dedicated to innovation and creative collaboration), participant in corporate events, films and TV productions, is living proof of his personal conviction that "in South Africa, you need to be multi-talented and create your own work; above all, enjoy what you do and give pleasure to others in order to succeed."

Wise words from an entrepreneurial and dynamic young performer.

ORPHEUS McADOO in collaboration with Cape Town Opera is at Artscape from 21 October to 2 November 2025. Tickets can be booked online through Webtickets, and cost from R200. To take advantage of the Early Bird Special, book between now and opening night through Webtickets using the promo code ORPHEUS50.