Culture: Go guide
Suzy’s sing-along
Enduring Kiwi TV identity Suzy Cato will visit The Palms on Saturday for three sing-along sessions. Designed to get the community into the Christmas spirit, the sessions at 9am, 11am and 1pm target different audiences. The first has been designed for kids with sensory processing disorders, such as autism, the second is aimed at children of all ages. For the final show, The Palms has invited residents from local retirement village Windsor House.
Garden tour
Wigram Lions Club’s second annual fundraising Charity Garden Tour will be held this weekend. Eleven gardens will be available to view on Saturday and Sunday, with proceeds going towards the Child Cancer Foundation and Westpac Rescue Helicopters. For more information, see charitygardentour.co.nz.
Christmas in the Park
Award-winning singer/ songwriter Hollie Smith and country songstress Tami Neilson are the headliners for Saturday night’s annual Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park. They will share the North Hagley Park stage with a talent-packed line-up that includes Lavina Williams, Caleb Jago-Ward, Maaka Fiso, Jessie Cassin, Ella Monnery and Josh Leys. The free concert starts at
7.30pm and finishes just after
10pm. For more information, see coke.co.nz.
Chicago holds Court
One of the most famous musicals of all time begins its summer run at The Court Theatre on Saturday. A tale of exploitation, adultery, fame, greed, violence, treachery, corruption, murder and all that jazz, the 1920s-set Chicago focuses on Roxie Hart, a woman who dreams of superstardom on the stage having gained notoriety by shooting her good-her-nothin’ lover. Starring Nomi Cohen and Darle Mohekey, the show will run until January 20. See courttheatre.org.nz.
Live album recording
Singer-songwriter Andy Gibson will be joined by Maree Thom and a host of other collaborators in performing a very personal set of songs at Ferrymead’s Orange Studios on Saturday night. The 7.30pm concert is doubling as a recording of The Andy Gibson Project’s third album, Broken Promises, which aims to chronologically depict the narrative arc of a relationship. Tickets are available from cosmicticketing.co.nz.
Nasty Women
Featuring the best up-and-coming comedians in the South Island, the darkroom’s Saturday night entertainment, Nasty Women, promises to entertain you, ‘‘whether you’re nice, nasty, or a little bit of both’’. The R18 show is scheduled to get under way at 7.15pm
Summer Starter
Thousands of feet will beat the streets of the Christchurch coast on Sunday morning as part of what is billed as the city’s ‘‘most fun run’’. Used by thousands of Cantabrians as a fitness booster, the ASB Summer Starter offers a four-kilometre run (from Ti Rakau Reserve) and 10km (beginning at New Brighton Pier) option. Even four-legged friends are welcome. For more information, see summerstarter.co.nz.
Triathlon festival
The Pak ‘n Save Triathlon Festival will be held at North Canterbury’s Pegasus on Sunday. Events include team challenges, short-course triathlon, a duathlon for non-swimmers and junior races for those aged five and over. The first competitors begin at 8.30am. For more information, see triathlonfestival.co.nz.
Pool party
Jellie Park will host the opening pool party for the summer on Sunday. There will be pool games, inflatables and a lolly scramble between midday and 3pm Standard pool fees apply. For more information, see ccc.govt.nz.
A Celtic Christmas
The St Andrew’s College Chapel will host an afternoon of male voice choral music performed by the Christchurch Liedertafel Male Voice Choir on Sunday from 2.15pm. Snoopy’s Christmas, Scotland the Brave, Mistletoe and Wine and the Hallelujah Chorus are among the items on the programme, which will also feature as guest artists the male voice barbershop quartet Low Expectations and the piano students of Daniel Cooper. Entry is $15.
Airs and Graces
The Christchurch Boys’ Choir will cap a stellar year with their Airs and Graces concert at The Piano on Sunday. The boys will present a tour of the world in folk tunes, performing a selection of traditional melodies from across Europe, America, New Zealand and more. Tickets for the 2pm show are available from Eventfinda.
A Jubilate time
The Jubilate Singers celebrate their 40th anniversary with a special concert at Manchester St’s St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral on Sunday from 2.30pm. Current musical director Susan Densem will be joined by all three former musical directors – Martin Setchell, John Pattinson and Grant Hutchinson – to present a programme of favourite works by, among others, Durufle, Monteverdi, Brahms and Whitacre, sung by an augmented choir of present and former choir members. Tickets are available at the door.
Stadium Challenge
Competitors in Sunday afternoon’s Stadium Challenge at AMI Stadium will face more than 5000 stairs. Expected to take between 40 and 90 minutes, the run also includes a ‘‘lap of honour’’ around the field. The first wave is set to go at 4pm. For more information, see stadiumchallenge.co.nz.
Carpark cycling
New Zealand will get its first taste of Car Park Cannon Ball Cycling when the global event hits Christchurch on Sunday evening. Based at Lichfield St’s Innovation Carpark, riders will go head-tohead up the eight floors, backed by music and commentary. Each rider gets two runs, and the 10 best times in each category will go into the elimination rounds. The first flag drops at 6.30pm. For more information, see carparkcannonball.cc.
Last Operatunity for 2017
Operatunity will make their final visit to Christchurch next Wednesday. Billed as a combination of a nostalgic, oldfashioned Christmas concert and a mad pantomime, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas will be performed at Upper Riccarton’s La Vida Centre from 11am. The ticket price includes lunch with the performers. For more information, see operatunity.co.nz.
Kelly and the gang
Celebrating the release of his 23rd studio album, Life is Fine, Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly will perform at the Isaac Theatre Royal next Wednesday. He will be joined by The Eastern and Busby Marou for the 8pm show. Tickets from Ticketek.
Survivor speaks
Billed as New Zealand’s ‘‘most prolific cancer survivor’’, Phil Kerslake will hold court at The Piano on Wednesday night. In Dead Man Talking: An Audience with Phil Kerslake Phil will share his life story and philosophies on life and death and everything inbetween, before being interviewed by Kiwi actor Will Hall. For more information and tickets for the 6.30pm show, see lifepaths.co.nz.