Coming Up These School Holidays

Christchurch has plenty of theatrical entertainment to bring to the Easter school holidays... 

Riccarton Players' Playbox - The Princess and the Frog
Another Playbox Theatre production is on its way from the Riccies.  The Princess and the Frog and Other Stories, Songs and Poems will be on at the Open Stage at Hagley College.  The show runs from April 12th to April 22nd, with performances 6pm on Thursdays and Fridays and 11am and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays - tickets are $7 for everyone.  Bookings are available online or on 03 338 4699.

Directed by Phil Dean and Susan Cameron.  Running time approx 60 minutes.

The Playbox Theatre season often sells out quickly, so booking as early as possible is highly recommended.

Canterbury Children's Theatre - Billy Goats Gruff

The Malthouse presents their April season of Cushion Theatre, Billy Goats Gruff.  The show runs weekends from the 7th to the 22 April with performances at 11am and 2pm.  All seats are $7.  Bookings are available via 0800 BOOKINGS or find out more online.

Written by Scott Koorey, directed by Matt Powell.  Running time approx 60 minutes.



If you have a kids' show on during the school holidays that you'd like to have added to this post, let me know via email.

Autumn Theatre News from UC

The students at the University of Canterbury have a few theatre announcements for this Autumn.

Dramasoc
The University of Canterbury's Drama Society is holding its Half-Annual General Meeting on the 28 March at 6pm (location TBC see here for more details).  All members are welcome as committee elections will be taking place at this meeting.

Musoc
The University of Canterbury Musical Theatre Society is putting a call out for interest in their UCSA Arts Week event.  They are looking for ideas for themes and volunteers for production roles.  The event is likely to be a medium-scale cabaret.  Email president@musoc.org.nz if you'd like to get in touch.

Musoc is also holding a workshop this week for people wanting to improve singing skills, with a focus on basic music theory and the beginnings of singing technique. See here for more info or email admin@musoc.org.nz to book a place.

And finally from Musoc, auditions are being held next weekend for their new show choir.  The show choir is a break away from their 2010 and 2011 "Glee Club" and will focus on fast-paced learning and cabaret-style performances.  See here for details or email events@musoc.org.nz.

Riccarton Players presents After September

 Riccarton Players will be performing After September this April on the Open Stage at Hagley College.

The staff of the Gwendolen Kyte School for Girls are an odd assortment of social misfits and eccentric types, some of whom have been at the school for over twenty years.
The day before the new term begins they return to a catalogue of catastrophe: a ceiling has collapsed, the staff will have to share their quarters, and there is no food yet because the bills have not been paid from the last term. Tension reaches breaking point when a government inspector arrives with anonymous letters defaming the school as outmoded, old-fashioned and unsafe, and the staff unqualified.
Who could have betrayed them?  And if the school is closed down, where will they go?

This is a warm, touching and often very funny play - set in the early 1960s.

After September runs from 11-21 April (shows are Wednesday through Saturday), performances start at 8pm and tickets are priced $18/$15.  Bookings are available on 03 338 4699 or through the Riccarton Players website.

AUDITIONS: Habeus Corpus

Elmwood Players is holding auditions this month for its upcoming production, Habeas Corpus By Alan Bennet.

The play is a farce with great lines and scenes for all actors.

Roles Available
Arthur Wicksteed:        Age 50-60 Stage age 53
Muriel Wicksteed:        Age 50-60 Stage age 50 (dancing ability preferred)
Dennis Wicksteed:       Age 20-30
Constance Wicksteed: Age 30-40
Mrs Swabb:                 Mature (could be played by either gender).
Canon Throbbing:        Age 30-40
Lady Rumpers:            Age 50-60
Felicity Rumpers:         Age 20-30
Mr Shanks:                 Mature (prefer slender build)
Sir Percy Shorter:        Age 50-60 (must be of short stature)
Mr Purdue:                  Mature

Performances begin on the 13 June.  For further details see the Elmwood Players' website or contact Brian Sullivan Ph. 352 9530 or email brian.sullivan@xtra.co.nz

Elmwood Players presents Katydid

Elmwood Players are excited to present the South Island premiere of the award winning New Zealand drama Katydid. Directed by Garry Thomas, the play finally reaches Christchurch after a sell-out season at BATS Theatre in Wellington in 2010.

Nineteen-year-old Kate is daddy's little girl. He feeds her, bathes her, and keeps her safe from the obstacle course of 'normal' life. But, when daddy gets sick, and a handsome boy arrives to pick up the slack, Kate sees an opportunity to flee the tower. Like any other young woman her age, Kate clashes with her parents and longs to make her mark on the world. But Kate has cerebral palsy. With her father clinging to his little girl for comfort, and her mother clinging to her Southern Comfort, no one could blame Kate for seeking solace in an unwitting young man who has been brought in to help.

What follows is a searing examination of a family unraveled by the strains of living with disability, and living with each other.

Katydid runs from 11-21 April (performances Wednesday through Saturday) at the Elmwood Auditorium.  Performances start at 7.30pm and ticket prices are $17/$13.  To book phone 03 355 8874 or go to the Elmwood Players' website.

REVIEW: Musoc presents the Get It ON! season of RENT

A stripper, a guitarist, a filmmaker, two lesbians, an anarchist and a drag queen.  Although this sounds like a cross between the start of a terrible Walked Into a Bar joke and the cast of a very kinky blue movie, it’s actually the recipe for Rent – a deeply touching story about human survival.  Rent is a well-loved musical that is often billed as a “year in the life of friends” but this just skims the surface of what the show is about.  Set in New York City, Rent centres on Mark and Roger (who share a freezing loft apartment they can’t pay rent for), their friends and lovers, and the ripple effects of events that take place on one Christmas Eve.  The story revolves around the struggle of the main characters as they live with, die from and survive the HIV virus.  Rent is not your cliché struggling-artists story, but instead is a story of survival and the difference between living life and waiting for death.

Rent has some pretty big themes and a cult following, as well as huge musical numbers (it’s almost completely sung-through with very little spoken dialogue) so for a university club to take on the challenge of producing it is impressive.  Musoc’s Get It On! season of Rent does not disappoint. 

Singing Lessons

As well as a blogger and thespian, I'm a singer.  At the moment, I'm offering singing tuition to both beginners and to those who feel the need to brush up on the basics again.  I've had two full years of one-on-one vocal tuition as well as experience singing in musicals and several choirs including the Christchurch Pops Choir under the musical direction of Luke di Somma.
If you'd be interested in singing lessons, please give me a text on 022 132 0357 or send me an email to aimeerhiannon@gmail.com.

Musoc presents RENT

Thanks to Get It On! NZ, Musoc will be performing Jonathan Larsen's Tony Award winning musical RENT.

Based loosely on Puccini's "La Boheme", RENT tells the story of one year in the life of friends living the Bohemian life in modern East Village, New York City, 1989-1990.  Among the group are our narrator, nerdy love-struck filmmaker Mark Cohen; the object of Mark's affection, his former girlfriend, Maureen Johnson; Maureen's Harvard-educated public interest lawyer and lesbian lover Joanne Jefferson; Mark's roommate, HIV-positive musician and former junkie, Roger David; Roger's new girlfriend, the HIV-positive drug addicted S&M dancer, Mimi Marquez; their former roommate, HIV-positive computer genius Tom Collins; Collins' HIV-Positive drag queen street musician/lover Angel; and Benjamin Coffin III, a former member of the group who married for money and has since become their landlord and the opposite of the group's Bohemian values.  This show demonstrates how much changes or doesn't change in the 525, 600 minutes that make up a year.

RENT runs from Wednesday 7th March to Saturday March 31st, with shows on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week. 

Tickets can be purchased online, or in the UC Central Library foyer between 10am-2pm (cash only) - door sales may also be available.

Performances start at 7.30pm. 

Tickets are $15 or $12 for students.

Directed by Sam Creed and Merryn Patrick
Musical Direction by Cameron Stewart and Benjamin McKellar
Choreography by Jessie Budd

For more info, see the event page on Facebook or the Musoc website.

AUDITION NOTICE

Cantebrury Children's Theatre is holding auditions this weekend for Billy Goats Gruff.  They are not just looking for actors but also puppeteers to operate the grumpy old troll and budding percussionists to create on-stage sound effects.
This is a very cool opportunity that doesn't appear often - no experience is needed if you want to be a puppeteer or coconut-banging "audio technician".  
If this sounds like it might be up your alley, email Matt - fauxparse@gmail.com - ASAP to book an audition slot.
For more info, see the event page on Facebook.

The NCMS presents Blood Brothers

The North Canterbury Musical Society is performing the musical Blood Brothers in the upcoming weeks:

Blood Brothers is set in Liverpool from the 1960’s – 1980’s and tells the story of two twins who are separated at birth and go on to lead drastically different lives. However, fate conspires to bring the brothers together again after they both fall in love with the same girl, with tragic consequences.

Despite their usual venue of the Rangiora Town Hall being out of action due to earthquake damage, the NCMS has soldiered on, and will be performing in The Chervier Centre in Rangiora.

 

Blood Brothers runs from Thursday March 15th to Saturday March 31st, with shows on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday of each week. 

Tickets can be purchased online. 

Performances start at 7.30pm with a 2pm matinee on the Saturdays. 

Tickets are $20/25 with discounts available for group bookings.

Director: Tom Hart

Musical Director: Hamish Oliver

Vocal coach: Leanne O'Mahony






If you have any objections to anything posted on this blog, please raise your concerns with me - I will remove offending material if necessary.

The Riccarton Players Presents DEATH & TAXE$

The Riccarton Players will be performing DEATH & TAXE$ this month:

"Death & Taxe$" is a madcap financial farce set in the very topical world of insurance, investments and KiwiSaver! It's a crime story. It's a ghost story. It’s a hilarious comedy featuring dodgy deals, a potty psychic, a fishy tax inspector, a nutty cop, murder, mayhem and a hairy Yak!

DEATH & TAXE$ runs from Wednesday 7 March to the 17th on the Open Stage at Hagley College. 
Tickets can be booked online, or by calling 03 3384 699. 
Performances start at 8pm. 
Tickets are $18 Waged, $15 Student/Unwaged.

Directed by Craig Hutchinson.

For more information, see the Riccarton Players' website.


If you have any objections to anything posted on this blog, please raise your concerns with me - I will remove offending material if necessary.