Steeped in nostalgia and vibrant history, the upcoming documentary on the Luxurama Theatre in Wynberg resonates with the voices of music icons Jimmy Nevis and Craig Lucas.
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Jimmy Nevis and Craig Lucas are lending their voices to ‘Never Forget’, an original song created for the documentary A Cape Town Song: The Story of The Luxurama, celebrating the iconic history of Wynberg’s Luxurama Theatre.
According to IOL, the documentary is being produced by Cape Town’s husband-and-wife team, Nicki and Liesel Priem.
The Luxurama Theatre housed countless storytellers and stories over the years, yet its definitive tale is only being told now.
Nicki and Liesel began documenting the theater’s history and the artists who performed on its stage in 2018, but the project was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Liesel’s connection to the project is deeply personal. Her mother started working at the Luxurama in 1980 when Liesel was six months old, making the theatre a second home for her.
International stars who performed at the Luxurama include Percy Sledge, Connie Francis, Engelbert Humperdinck, Peaches & Herb, and Tom Jones.
South African artists who graced the stage include The Rockets, The Flames, Pacific Express, Zayn Adams, and Taliep Petersen.
Many household names started their careers at the Lux, including Loukmaan and Emo Adams.
South African artists’ contribution to music is highlighted with a song composed by producer Jimmy Nevis for the Lux, launching in July and featured in the documentary.
‘The documentary centres on the years of music and all the talent that has come through the theatre, what it meant to the community, and how that was an important space during the Struggle for a lot of people’ says Nevis.
‘I personally wanted to be involved, I felt like it’s kind of my responsibility to share this, I’m told history and some of the stories that I think a lot of people have forgotten.’
Nevis teams up with Lucas in a first-time collaboration.
Nevis expressed hope that the song will remind people never to forget the artists who performed at the Lux.
‘We shouldn’t forget the building in Wynberg – as a community we often feel forgotten.’
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Picture: VoiceSA/Youtube