This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
As the festive season approaches, Matbronze Gallery and Café has lined up a special treat for music lovers. On December 13 and 14, the gallery will host a musical weekend featuring the talented trio, Three's Company.
The trio, consisting of pianist Michael James, soprano Ciru James, and tenor Chris Coutinho, has been performing together in Nairobi for several years. However, their upcoming performance at Matbronze will be a reunion of sorts, as they share a love of musical theatre and will share that love 'musically speaking' at the gallery.
Chris Coutinho, a seasoned performer who has been on stage since kindergarten, recalls their first performance together in the 1980s. 'We performed together in 'Viva Mexico' at Phoenix Players back in the 1980s,' he says. 'That is when Ciru [who was Wanjiru Gecau back then] played the High Priestess and I played Bernardo while Mike was the show's musical director.'
Michael James, a living legend in Kenya for launching the first musical theatre productions at Starehe Boys School in the 1980s, will accompany Ciru and Chris on keyboard during the performance. The trio will perform a range of musical pieces, including duets from operas like Porgy and Bess and Richard Strauss's Die Fledermaus, as well as musicals like Guys and Dolls.
After the starters and before the main course, they will perform seasonal favourites. Ciru will also sing an original piece by Mike entitled A new star is our light. Finally, before dessert, it will be time for Christmas carols. The trio will provide a set of 24 carols that the audience will be encouraged to sing along to.
Throughout the meal itself, Mike and Ciru will play piano duets to keep the evening festive and joyful. In all, it should be a marvelous musical weekend at Matbronze.
