When you Wish Upon a Star is a trip from way down Memory Lane right up to the present, and the stepping stones are our favourite tunes from films Snow White and Peter Pan right through to The Lion King, Frozen, Mulan and Encanto...and everything in between.
From the shadowy figures of the Seven Dwarves stepping up to open the show, right till the final note, it offers starry moments.
The sweatshirted and jeans-wearing folk from last month’s rehearsals are all scrubbed up, smartly suited and sparkly - I don’t think there’s a blue sequin left in Central Hawke’s Bay, they’ve all been snapped up by Waipawa M&D’s wardrobe department.
Clever black and white costuming for the supporting leads and ensemble makes the leads pop and shine. The lighting sparkles too, washing the audience with starlight before going on to caress the performers in the ballads and bedazzle them in the faster numbers.
The cast uses the whole of the concert chambers at times - strolling players sharing their tunes. It’s a bright, energetic and fun show.
Jhasper loved every moment. “I love this so much,” he said, citing the songs from Aladdin and the Lion King as his favourites, but his top moments were Gabriel Rodrigues playing the saxophone, and David Berry.
“Mr Berry is the GOAT, he doesn’t even really need a microphone,” he declared.
CHB is blessed with much, much talent. Three powerful male leads in David Berry, Brendon Leeuw and Michael Charleton-Jones; four stunning female voices in Rachelle Dekker, Naomi Oram, Madeleine Howard and of course show director Alanna Cutbush. Every one of these performers served up starlight.
And more than once. I started listing the standout solos, duets...and I don’t have room to list them.
And once the ensemble stepped up and added their voices...a wall of incredible sound.
The dancers added a lot of colour and energy. While I don’t have individual names, there was one tiny dancer whose smile lit up the stage, utterly delightful.
Another of the younger performers, Kiara Watson-Hape, the youngest person on the stage, has a voice that belies the fact that she’s still in primary school.
Some highlights: Brendon, Arabian Nights, wow. The female leads, Into the Unknown, I have no words! Michael’s I’ll make a Man out of You...awesome. And the whole cast in The Circle of Life.
Starry moments abound in this show, but the true strength of this cast is...everyone. Thank you cast and crew for putting in the hard yards to bring us yet another standout show from the Waipawa M&D.
When You Wish Upon a Star, CHB Municipal Theatre, Kenilworth St Waipawa.
Friday, October 4: 7pm–9pm
Saturday, October 5: 3.30pm–5.30pm
Sunday, October 6: 3.30pm–5.30pm
Friday, October 11: 7pm–9pm
Saturday, October 12: 3.30pm–5.30pm
Tickets: Eventfinda or 0800 BUY TIX (289 849)
