Toitoi Opera House: Ali Harper pays tribute to Carole King

Christchurch-based, widely beloved singer Ali Harper returns with her band to Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre on Thursday to perform a tribute to famed singer-songwriter Carole King. Photo / Supplied

Ali Harper will transform Toitoi – Hawke’s Bay Arts & Events Centre’s Opera House into her living room on Thursday night as she pays tribute to Carole King’s music.

To celebrate 50 years since the release of King’s bestselling album Tapestry, Harper has created A Natural Woman, a performance that not only showcases King’s well-loved songs but introduces the woman behind the music.

King is widely regarded as a significant and influential musician. She was the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the United States, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100, and won four Grammy Awards.

Hailed as a “national treasure” by Theatreview, Christchurch-based Harper is a performer who knows how to host an audience and leave each person feeling embraced like long-lost friends, as she flirts with and offers fascinating titbits of King’s life to the crowd, in between epic vocal tributes.

Harper said on the radio her pull to perform King’s music is due to its timeless themes and familiar comfort.

“It is so delicious, her music. I love the fact that she writes in such a conversational way about subjects and life stories that we can all relate to,” she says.

“They are a tonic for forgetting what’s going on in our world … and that’s the joy I hope to share.”

Harper helped organise fundraising concert Arohanui – From Christchurch with Love, which raised over $17,500 for those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle, and she looks forward to sharing more of that love with our region on Thursday night

“Hawke’s Bay is a special place for me. My husband and I got married at the beautiful Ormlie Lodge 14 years ago and have family living all over the region,” Harper says.

“We’re looking forward to spending time here with our family, as well as bringing A Natural Woman to the very special Toitoi Opera House, which is one of our favourite venues to tour!”

The Details:

What: A Natural Woman performed by Ali Harper and her band

Where: Toitoi’s Opera House

When: Thursday, May 18, at 7.30pm.

Tickets: From Hastings i-Site or at toitoivenues.co.nz