image courtesy of 
 http://www.studentvillage.co.za/entertainment/flash-a-musical- 

When the word flash comes to mind the first thing that one thinks of maybe something along the lines of  lightning, perhaps something in the direction of a TV series or even a superhero. However in the last two weeks flash has taken on a new persona in the form of a musical blog.

Described by the director, Alby Michaels, “Flash is a social statement – an observation of our time.” With this concept creators Recco De Villiers, Emma Bekker and the director as well as the UJ arts academy have succeeded in capturing a 21st century view of communication and socialization. The show is centered around the lives of a group of people, interacting with each other in the real world as well as over a cyber-network. As the lives of these characters unfold before the audience a Flash Mob is planned for one of the friends leaving for London.  The musical includes songs such as “Somewhere Over the Network” a parody on the classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” sung in the musical “The Wizard of Oz”. As well as a hilarious spin on the chart topper from 2008 “All the Single Ladies” now sung as “All the Single GoGos”, who can’t quite seem to understand the concept of the iPhone and technology alike. Along with these revamped classics, recent hits such as “All the Lovers” and “Born This Way” are also brought into the mix.

Over all “Flash- a musical blog” was a breath of fresh air and a unique concept almost perfectly captures the essence of communication and socialization in a modern society.

Suzi Broom