Kia ora Friends of The Court!
Oh my gosh, it is November and I heard someone talking about Christmas decorations this morning!!??? I don’t know about you, but I am not ready for that!
The year has just sped by. But I hope within it you have enjoyed a few of the shows we have all created for Canterbury. The Broadway hit Jersey Boys, Roger Hall’s hilarious and very kiwi Winding Up, the heart-stirring Things I Know to Be True, the funny and naughty Ladies Night, the romantic and beautiful Once, the dramatic and thought-provoking Frankenstein or the energetic and pride-filled Disney’s Moana Junior were all sold-out shows!
For 2022 we have announced our lineup of what we thought you and all our communities might enjoy. It is all up online, and brochures are available now for you to see what grabs and intrigues you.
I wanted to talk about a couple of shows in particular. Some of you musical theatre lovers may already know about the show Next to Normal. It is not a well-known show like Grease or The Sound of Music. But gosh, it is a moving show. At its heart, it is a family story, of a mother on her journey with bipolar, and the effects of it on her husband and children. It is beautiful, sad, harsh, moving and meaningful. There is so much feeling in it, that it requires powerful music to carry and hold the themes and emotions, so it is not surprising then that it is a rock musical. It is a Pulitzer prize and three-times Tony award-winning show that rocked Broadway when it debuted in 2009. Lara Macgregor is taking the reigns here so…to be honest…I expect a sell-out mid-winter musical like ONCE and That Bloody Woman.
The other show I wanted to talk about was The Māori Side Steps. You will have already heard about this show this season, but I have heard a few comments that make me think people might be worried that this show is for Māori audience members and not anyone else. I wanted to share my thoughts here. This show is so fuuuuuuunny and I promise you it is for ANY New Zealander! When I am looking for shows that have different perspectives, stories or messages, I sit and think about how they would be received by different audiences. So, I offer my Artistic Director’s guarantee to you as a Friend of The Court. If you go to this show and don’t enjoy it, you email me and I will bake you some of my famous brownies or cookies to make it up to you. Although…that may incentivise you to not like it as I have been told my brownie is a “money can’t buy” experience…hmmm….
As always, I love people’s feedback on our show choices and whether we are offering things you want. So please get in touch whether it be praise, critique, requests or suggestions.
Right, I am off to start making the invitations for Christmas Day as it seems I am hosting this year!
Much Aroha/love,
Dan Pengelly