Posted by: Editor on Sep 30, 2006 – 01:16 PM
newsandinfo It’s sizzling hot, seductive but tasteful and contains some of the best talent in the region, including Bahamian performers. ‘Jambalaya’ is here in The Bahamas.
The cabaret show, which premiered on Friday, September 1, is being staged at the Rainforest Theatre at the Wyndham Hotel and Casino, Cable Beach. The show is an amalgamation of French, Spanish and African cultures and features a cross-section of talent, including acrobatics, amazing contortions and modern dancing. And, in preparation for the show, Bahamian dancers chosen for the show were whisked off to Los Angeles for two weeks of extensive dance training.
“It’s really great that Bahamians are getting an opportunity to be trained by top level choreographers. In fact, it’s really hard for the public to find a show like ours that has so much talent on the stage at one time,” said Chris Foster, of FW Entertainment, one of the three partners of the production team presenting Jambalaya.
The show is produced by FW Entertainment, an international production team headed by Chris Foster, Marc Alexander and Mark Wygonik. “We have some of the top talent in the United States in this show. They have extensive training in choreography, acrobatics and some of them are amazing contortionists,” said Foster. The lead choreographer is Michael Schmandt, who has worked with Britney Spears. He is assisted by Erin Lamont. Larry Barr, Music Director for Smokey Robinson, is responsible for the musical arrangement and has a recording studio in Los Angeles.
In addition, world-renowned Cuban drummer Gustavo is also a part of Jambalaya’s musical ensemble. He is presently working with Bahamian percussionists Mario Lord and Garfield Davis and will pass on his knowledge to them. “Gustavo has a certain sound for the show that is truly one-of-a-kind,” Foster said proudly.
The other Bahamians in the show include Omerit Hield, Grammy award winning artist from BahaMen; Mary Smith and Tina Cash.
FW Entertainment plans to run the show for six months and will be holding monthly auditions for new talent. The first open audition was held on September 2, for singers and dancers. Upcoming auditions will be announced later and are open to Bahamians. FW Entertainment also plans to produce a reality show entitled ‘The Making of Jambalaya,’ which will give viewers an opportunity to see what goes on behind-the-scene in a production such as Jambalaya.
The production team of Jambalaya also wanted to give something back to the Bahamian community. To this end, a portion of the VIP premier show ticket sales has been allocated to the advancement of fine arts in the country.
Source: The Nassau Guardian