A Mbizana-born actress has landed a leading role in one of the biggest and longest-running theatre productions of all time, Broadway’s The Lion King.
This after 28-year-old Pearl Khwezi’s decision to move to Spain six years ago paid off.
In 2016, she joined the Spanish production of The Lion King in Madrid, having been cast as Rafiki.
She now plays the lioness love interest of the lead character, Simba, in the Broadway production.
Khwezi joins the likes of Beyoncé, who played Nala in the 2019 film remake, and Trinidadian-American singer Heather Headley, who was one of the first actresses cast as Nala on Broadway.
Khwezi was with the Spanish production for two-and-a-half years before being transferred to the original Broadway show in 2018.
Born in Mbizana, Khwezi was raised in a musical family where her grandmother was a choir director and her mother a choral singer.
“One could say I inherited my love for music.
“I used to sing in churches and school choirs.
“All this led to me auditioning for the KZN Youth Choir at 16 years of age and I later toured with them to Italy in 2013, where I was awarded the best female soloist award that year.”
She drew her acting inspiration from watching South African drama series.
“I just saw it and loved the idea of performing. I also loved music.
“My family would sing all the time and that is still one of my favourite things about going home, singing with my family.”
Khwezi said her high school choir teacher had introduced pupils to the Young Performer Project, which held provincial auditions for an annual show.
“In 2016, they had a production of Hairspray.
“My choir teacher told us about the audition and when I made it into that show; I knew I could do this for the rest of my life.
“I had fallen in love with musical theatre.”
Speaking to the Dispatch, Khwezi shared the memorable moment when she got the news of being offered the leading role in the Broadway production.
“I was so excited. I was at the doctor’s office and when I got the call, the doctor and I screamed together in that office.”
The famous Broadway musical, which has run for 25 years since 1997, has nine other South Africans in its cast, including the iconic Lindiwe Dlamini, who is the show’s only remaining original cast member.
‘‘This journey has culminated in me becoming the first South African to take over the principal role of Nala on Broadway.
“As a South African child born in 1994, I don’t take for granted what this moment means.
“I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, these are the possibilities our forefathers fought for.
“This is a moment of pride for our country and Africa as a whole,” she said.
Khwezi has also appeared on SA television screens in the local drama series, Imbewu, in which she played the role of Boniswa.
She said: “I plan on getting as much experience as possible as far as different acting roles and expanding as a singer, and releasing my own music is also a big short-term goal.”
An elated Premier Oscar Mabuyane said Khwezi’s extraordinary achievement was a fitting tribute to the Class of 1976, as the country prepares to mark the 46th anniversary of their profound sacrifice.
“This is significant, because the class of 1976 fought for us all to be free, and that an African from our very midst, from this our beloved Eastern Cape, is now representing us to the world as a lead in such a prestigious theatre production, renowned the world over.
‘‘This is what we mean when we speak of the embodiment of The Home of Legends, ordinary men and women doing extraordinary things and raising our flag in the process, we are immensely proud of Ms Khwezi and wish her the very best on her residency of The Lion King in the Broadway production,’’ said Mabuyane.
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