Entertaining audiences note for note
SUNDOWNER – Music director aims to attract audiences to brand-new Janice Honeyman pantomime.
One often tends to think that if a production has a good script, an excellent cast and brilliant costumes it will be a success, but music is the glue needed to keep everything together.
Music director of Janice Honeyman’s brand new production, Robin Hood and the Babes in the Woods, Rowan Bakker, is testimony that music is needed to attract audiences of all ages. Randburg Sun met Bakker in between rehearsals with the five-person band for the pantomime. He explained that it is a music director’s job to teach vocals to the actors, conduct the band, choose the music and deal with band rehearsals. Bakker also wrote the music for this pantomime.
He began playing piano at the age of seven and then studied classical music for 11 years. After school, he studied drama at Afda. “I decided to put music and drama together.” His first major production where he was a pianist was We will rock you in 2006.
He explained his intention behind the music for this production was that he wanted to take people of all generations down memory lane. “There is everything from Disney music to hard rock in this pantomime.”
He laughed when he explained that he does not listen to music in his alone time. “Music is so in my head, so I tend to be over-analytical.”
According to Bakker, people should not miss the production as he has tried to incorporate as much music as possible. “Robin Hood is packed with adventure. People will have a lot of fun and laughs.”
His advice to future young music directors would be to ‘live your dream’.
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