Big and sparkly
Three musicals hitting city
A shipping container full of extravagant costumes and wigs is on its way to Christchurch for the start of a new season of musicals in the city.
Christchurch theatre company Showbiz launched its new line-up of shows for 2017 this week. The company will stage popular musicals Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Sister Act at the Isaac Theatre Royal, as well as a concert show featuring songs from music legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.
Tickets go on sale to the public tomorrow at noon.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert, based on the 1994 Australian film starring Terence Stamp and Hugo Weaving, opened in Sydney in 2006 and has since toured Broadway and Britain. It tells the story of two drag artists and a transgender woman as they travel from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus named Priscilla.
Showbiz general manager Michael Bayly said the production in March would require 500 costumes and 200 wigs, which filled a shipping container.
‘‘We are starting off our season with a big, sparkly bang,’’ he said.
Bayly had a dig at Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki, who last week blamed the recent earthquakes on New Zealand’s LGBTQ community.
‘‘It is a story that would make Brian Tamaki turn green. We have decided we are not going to invite him. It is a tale of love and friendship and acceptance. These are the concepts that are incredibly important to our society and he doesn’t quite get that.’’
In September next year, the company will stage a production of the musical Sister Act. The show is based on the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg film, was first staged in 2006 and has been performed on Broadway and the West End.
The songs were written by composer Alan Menken, best known for scoring 1990s Disney musicals The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.
The show, which was performed in Wellington and New Plymouth this year, will be directed by Sara Brodie, who was last year named a New Zealand arts laureate.
The third show in the company’s 2017 line-up is a concert featuring songs written by Rodgers and Hammerstein from musicals Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, The King and I and Carousel.
‘‘This has something we have wanted to do for a long time,’’ said Bayly.
‘‘They are one of the most famous songwriting teams of the 20th century. They have written some of the best-loved shows of all time.’’
Showbiz staged three musicals at the Isaac Theatre Royal this year, with a total of 45,000 tickets sold for their productions of Mamma Mia!, Hairspray and Evita.
The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra also announced a night of musical songs this week. Broadway to the West End will feature musical hits with a full orchestra on April 29 and 30.