SARO The Musical Set To Storm The World!

Everyone is talking about Saro The Musical, a stage play conceived, written and produced by Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters; it is designed to serve as a response to the recent trend of Nigerian corporate organisations and the affluent importing theatrical packages from abroad without giving necessary encouragement or assistance to local talents to flower.

"Saro: The Musical steps into the future of Nigerian drama" - National Mirror

 The stage in Nigeria will come alive with a major cultural project tagged: Saro: The Musical between October and December. The musical, a production of the Victoria Island, Lagos-based Terra Kulture Art Centre will then tour other parts of the world for most of next year.

Created and produced by Mrs. Bolanle Austin-Peters, who also runs Terra Kulture, she said Saro is the story of four young men, who determined to break from the yoke of frustration and lack of opportunities to explore their talents and realise their dreams, decided to embark on a journey to the land of opportunities, Lagos.

“A devastating experience lands them in the lap of destiny, success ignites them and love fuels them,” she said.

Austin-Peters explained that Saro: The Musical is conceived as a patriotic cultural project, designed to serve as a response to the recent trend of Nigerian corporate organisations and the affluent importing theatrical packages from abroad without giving necessary encouragement or assistance to local talents to flower.

National Mirror Newspaper writes about SARO 

Full story here - National Mirror

IN SARO…WE TAKE YOU THROUGH THE ENTIRE MUSIC AND DANCE LORES OF THIS COUNTRY, says Gbenga Yusuf, Dance Director

“Saro will be a standard for any play of its kind in the future. It is distinctive because this time in Nigeria, we are using these different genres of arts on thread system. Every aspect is peaked whenever on stage.”-- Gbenga Yusuf, Dance Director for SARO

For the past two hours, I have watched you dance and give instructions…

Yes. I am the dance director for SARO, The Musical;I am basically focused on body movement and stage direction, formation and adding to the duties of cast on stage... I help with bringing the music to life with body movement -- dances; creating beautiful movement on stage and so on. Aesthetics is very key in musicals and adding costumes with body movement with different formations add grace to the production. So, that is my primary function in this show.

SARO… Will Change Our Theatre Landscape Significantly, says Kenneth Uphopho, Director (Drama)

"Some musicals that have come out of this country used dance as an accompaniment but in Saro, dance is an instrument of communication, telling that part of the story for that purpose -- not just going to be there for the aesthetics; it is going to tell a story."-- Kenneth Uphopho, Director (Drama) for SARO

Who is Kenneth Uphopho ?
My name is Kenneth Uphopho. I am an actor, a dancer, a theatre producer and director. I am an alumnus of the Lagos State University, Department of Theatre and Music.  I am the Creative Director of the Performing Arts Workshops and Studios (PAWS), an independent theatre outfit based here in Lagos. I have directed over 40 productions for my company and other independent producers. I have also been a part of over 100 stage productions as an actor, dancer, and as a stage manager. I have also co-produced some festivals and directed them. I am the current Artistic Director for the Lagos State Theatre Festival organized by the British Council for 2014; an ongoing project and I am also one of the Directors in SARO.

What aspect of Saro are you directing?
I am in charge of characterization and drama in the play. The play is a musical that brings together different elements of theatre: music, drama, dance, pantomime and mime, etc. So, I am in charge of seeing that other artistic qualities from the actors are carried out effectively in the general production. I am in charge of characterization and the framework of the play.

WATCH OUT... NIGERIANS HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING MUSICALLY ACCOMPLISHED AS SARO, says AYO AJAYI, Music Director

"You see, from my experience in the music world, I know when something is marketable, I know when it is commercial; I know when people will appreciate things. When I sit down in my home to listen to music or see movies, I know which one is actually interesting or appealing to people… We are planning to do all genres of music -- synchronized it all together. Music is a universal language. If you are a Nigerian, you will understand it; a Ghanaian, you will understand, no matter where you are from in any part of the world, you will find SARO the musical interesting" -- Ayo Ajayi, Music Director for SARO

It has been pretty difficult to get a chat with you. you've been so busy???

Yes, I have been busy. SARO… is seriously a very big production; we are seriously into it. We have to devote our time.  A lot of commitment has gone into it, having an interview is actually something that comes at the background; not a major for us right now.

Saro- the musical. How great is Saro?
Well, Saro  is something that has never happened in this country before. Not as in the word but, with what we are bringing into it. According to research, Saro is a settlement… where former slaves who came back settled in an area of Lagos Island. In our own way, SARO is a big musical project, and that I can tell you boldly.

                                                                            

SARO… WILL BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR THE AUDIENCE, THE ARTISTES AND FOR NIGERIA THEATRE, says Diana Yekinni, playing Ronke in SARO the Musical

“SARO… is going to be a game changer. The show is going to be fabulous.

Pictures And video From SARO Rehearsal Week Four Morning Exercise

Check Out Pictures And video From SARO Rehearsal Week Four Morning Exercise Below:

SPOTLIGHT: Kenneth Uphopho - Director of Drama - SARO Musical Play

First spotlight of this week is Kenneth Uphopho, the Director of Drama for the musical play - SARO.

SARO UPDATE : Date, Venue and Ticket Details Revealed

DATE: 25^th, 26^th & 27^th October, 2013

SHOW TIMES

25^th & 26^th – 11:00am, 4:00pm and 7:00pm 

27^TH – 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 7:00pm 

VENUE
New Oriental Hotel Grand Ballroom. No. 3 Lekki Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.

TICKETS

VVIP - 40K,

VIP - 25K,

PREMIER - 10K,

STANDARD - 5K

MEDIA PARTNERS

Mnet/Africa Magic      

Flytime, ARM
Oleanders

First Bank

For more, visit – www.saroterrakulture.com

Follow on Twitter - @SAROTERRA

Like us on FB – SARO – A Musical Play 

Check Out Pictures From SARO Rehearsals Week Three

Check Out Pictures From SARO Rehearsals Week Three....

Musical theatre is a form of theatre that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. 

The Story Of SARO Musical

SARO is the story of four young men who are determined to break from the yoke of frustration and lack of opportunities to explore their talents and realize their dreams  decided to embark on a journey to the land of opportunities, Lagos.

“I AM COMPLETELY EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN SARO THE MUSICAL” -- Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters, Creator and Producer of SARO

Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters, Creator and Producer of SARO

“I want to appeal to their (audiences’) sense of aesthetics.I want to appeal to their sights through the sounds. I want them to feel they are in an international performance…
they could be in Paris, New York or anywhere in the world when they step into the theatre… because we are going to alter everything… we are doing what has never been done in Nigeria… it is not for the faint-hearted. But we intend to do it right. People should just come and have fun”.