Imaginations take flight in Star Blaze
Young children of Horowhenua shone brightly last weekend as they carried out an extra-terrestrial performance that transports you to another planet.
With an all-child cast, Levin Performing Arts Society is currently staging Star Blaze — a musical.
Star Blaze is a colourful hybrid of Star Wars and Romeo and Juliet, a high calibre performance considering the actors are children with the youngest aged 6.
Like most musicals at the society, the excellent costumes and set designs were in a creative world of their own.
In the first scene, you are transported to the bridge of the spaceship Vigilant, where massive painted walls give the impression of spaceship control desks that set the stage for this interstellar fight for peace and harmony.
The spaceship is home to a group of female freedom fighters and one Dr Sneech.
During a space battle, they capture the evil dictator Odium and his henchmen.
Odium is played by Jonty Praat, who, with brightly coloured spiky hair, expressive facials and confident voice, played the evil leader well in a performance that is sure to send chills down the spines of children in the audience.
Odium isn’t captured for long; a traitor is on the ship and evil genius Dr Sneech sets Odium free.
Sneech, performed by Tiernan Spalding, had the audience checking out his groovy costume and confident persona as he moved across the stage.
His character helps release evil dictator Odium from the freedom fighters, and chaos ensues.
Odium forces the ship to land on Plant Zodark and the fighters are taken under guard but Sandy, the daughter of the captain, manages to escape.
Alone and frightened in the outlands, she meets a young Zodark called Astro, and a duet between the two was a highlight of the show - their harmonising a credit to musical director Adam Praat and assistant vocal coach Asaria Saili. After the moving duet, the two are captured by a band of roaming monsters called the Horriffs whose appearances are so repulsive that for years they have struck fear into all Zodarks.
The Horriffs were amazing to look at as their costumes had been well thought out, moving across the stage in a creepy floating manner that set the scene for their song Misunderstood Monsters, led by the soft, kindly voice of their leader Colosso, played by Noah Watters.
In the end, it’s discovered the Horriffs are indeed “misunderstood monsters” who merely want to be friendly to everyone.
Back in Zodark City, Odium is preparing to execute the freedom fighters, but in the nick of time, Sandy and Astro burst in, overcome the bad guys and restore peace to the city.
This play is perfect to take your children to and is sure to ignite their imaginations.
The final performances are next week Thursday, April 26, Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28, at Levin Performing Art Centre, 655 Queen Street. All shows start at 7.30pm.