Sarafina!
SARAFINA! is a vibrant musical bursting with song and dance, with music performed in the tradition of ‘Township Jazz’ (mbaqanga) fusing styles as varied as rhythm & blues, jazz and gospel. This proudly South African musical, set during the state of emergency in the 1980s, deals with the radicalization of a young school girl when she becomes embroiled in the protests and is jailed and beaten by the South African Police. The musical is set in Soweto’s Morris Isaacson High School against the backdrop of the students’ revolt against the teaching of Afrikaans instead of English.
In 1987 this celebrated South African musical opened at the Lincoln Center Theatre for a triumphant three-and-a half- month run. It immediately transferred to Broadway – running for 18 months at the Cort Theatre.
Nominated for five Tony Awards, including:
– Best Musical
– Best Direction
– Best Score
– Best Choreography
The production subsequently toured the USA for over a year.
This is a South African production with an entirely South African team, and the production has been updated for 2022 to remind American audiences of the South African history of the time.