Hollywood 2 SA master classes held in Joburg, CT

Hollywood casting director and acting coach Michelle Danner will be facilitating the Hollywood 2 SA master classes in Joburg and Cape Town in February 2013. Danner is one of Hollywood's finest film/casting directors and acting coach to A-list Hollywood actors including Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Chris Rock, Christian Slater and Gerard Butler.

The Hollywood 2 SA master classes will be held in Johannesburg (Old Mutual Theatre on the Square) and Cape Town (The Waterfront Theatre School) during February 2013, offering sharing of skills to South Africans including professionals, beginners, parents, casting directors/agents and producers/directors/filmmakers.

Addi Lang together with TV producer Wendy Leissner Machanik and Elize van Herk (The AWEsome Team) are the appointed South African representatives. Says Lang, "The first phase is for Michelle to be able to identify talent through attendance to her master classes, with the second phase being through the "Hollywood 2 SA Talent Search" which offer further opportunities to singers, songwriters, composers to enter the competition with a grande performance for the lucky 12 finalists to perform at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in Sandton on 24 February 2013.

Prizes for the three winners

Prizes are valued at R200 000 for each of the three winners sponsored by multimedia production company Ministry of Illusion. Local celebrities who are involved as co-judges for the "Hollywood 2 SA Talent Search", - include "ANAIS" - brand ambassador to Lifeline, currently taking South African audiences by storm as a singing sensation, and Bollywood film director/actor "Akrum Amod" (Indian Cinema Award winner for Bollywood movie "Pyaar Ajnabee Hai" in 2012) and the MC is "Rosie Motene" - award-winning actress/producer and /TV presenter / voice-over artist and international MC.

"Indeed, we do have what it takes with this ground-breaking initiative," is how Daphne Kuhn , producer / artistic director and owner of the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, in Sandton describes the "Hollywood 2 SA" project. Kuhn reflects, "To have one of Hollywood's finest here in South Africa falls in line perfectly with our theatre's objectives of nurturing and developing the talents of aspiring performers, which offers outstanding on-going opportunities in the international markets."

Delia Sainsbury, owner of the Waterfront Theatre School in Cape Town, recently met Michelle Danner at the Edgemar Centre for the Arts (patrons are Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg) and says that all South Africans are truly blessed to have Danner visiting South Africa.