Careers can start with a phone call. Hazel’s did; twice. As a young go-getting journalist wanting to change the world, she received her first important phone call; from Jim Stodel of African Theatres asking her to run his Press Office. She did just that and quickly saw that there were audiences enough in South Africa for more shows to be brought in and so, at the age of 22, (the youngest and first woman to do so) she started Showtime Management – the first show she imported was Stars of the American Ballet.

The second phone call was from hotel magnate Sol Kerzner. He invited her go on a helicopter flight with him to see a building site – miles from nowhere. Nestling in an ancient volcanic crater was a heap of building material that would one day be Sun City. He was mad, she thought, but it was a madness she liked and she accepted his offer to run the entertainment side of Sun City. He tempted her by dropping names like Sinatra. Fourteen years later she was dropping names of her own -negotiating Freddy Mercury, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Rod Stewart…..

Her big lesson from Sol was:  If you can dream it, you can do it. After Sun City she adopted his motto and went on to greater challenges, The Rolling Stones, Pavarotti, The Three Tenors and musicals like Chicago, Rent, Dream Girls, Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

She’s open to phone calls but her calendar is fairly full for some years ahead!

Hazel is married to Sam Feldman. Their son Tony is also in the entertainment business with them.

www.showtime.co.za