From the South African production of the opera Carmen, and Yiimimangaliso: The Mysteries, an opera based on the medieval Chester Mystery plays: Music Director Charles Hazlewood and Singers Sandile Kamle and Pauline Malefane. The operas were staged in Londons West End to rave reviews. They are currently making their American premiere at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina that runs May 24-June 9. (www.spoletousa.org). Hazlewood went to South Africa and auditioned over a thousand performers for Carmen. The Mysteries has a 34-member South African cast and is performed in four languages: Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and English. The Mystery plays were popular medieval street theatre performed in the streets of towns all over Europe. They are dramatic versions of stories from the Bible.

Copyright 2002 Fresh Air