Blast from the past

Remember these girls? I'll give you a hint: Glad I'm Not a Kennedy, Escaping, See What Love Can Do... Maxine.

God I loved that song Maxine, circa 1983. Well, actually I was 10 and I remember my older cousins singing along to it in front of the bathroom mirror, hairbrush in hand, frizzy perm loud and proud. I loved it too. Sharon O'Neill was a goddess and then she all but disappeared.

But she was back last week at SkyCity Theatre along with other female icons from New Zealand's music history in a six-night showcase displaying some legendary Kiwi songs.

The Give it a Girl gig featured an iconic line-up of names from singer/songwriters Shona Laing, Shazza, Margaret Urlich, Julia Deans, Annie Crummer and Debbie Harwood performing their all their hits.

Also performing this week, albeit not that well, was a very enthusiastic Jason Gunn, who has apparently always had a lifelong ambition to appear in a musical. Who knew? But not exactly known his singing and dancing abilities, it's fair to say, Jase has often been overlooked... until now.

Check out these photos.

The Kiwi showman plucked up all his courage and trialled out for the hit show Mamma Mia in Christchurch on Wednesday.

He plugged the stunt on his Classic Hits radio show the following morning. Though don't go expecting to see Gunn in the cast line-up anytime soon.

The dance captain reckons he had "good moves" but the musical director said he "could do with some singing lessons".

Mamma Mia opened in Christchurch last night and travels to Wellington and Auckland over the following two months.