We wanted our mayor to be where she was needed most. We wanted to give something back to our community, a community that has supported Waipawa M&D in so many ways for so many years. We wanted to do something to help, using our unique skills and talents. We wanted to make you feel better, in the way that M&D can do, by bringing music and dance and laughter and joy.
Of course when we took our idea to the M&D committee they were absolutely in agreement and we had lots of discussion about how great the people and businesses of CHB have been to us and so The (Not So Royal) Variety Show was born.
The purpose of the show was two-fold; stage a community event that anyone could attend and enjoy … some time away from cyclone stress. We had to ensure that ticket price was not a barrier to people who had been hugely financially affected.
Second was to raise funds to donate to the Mayoral Cyclone Relief Fund. We set our ticket prices low and we added a donate option on the website for those that could. New World Waipukurau stepped up and became our major sponsor for the show with a large cash donation and a donation of all of the supplies that we made our yummy platters with.
The CHB District Council donated the use of the theatre to stage the show and the library printed all our show leaflets that we distributed for advertising.
We had a plan, we had singers, dancers, poets and musicians. We had our wonderful orchestra and we were rehearsing. We had some well-known M&D faces and some fantastic performers that were new to the club and we were having a lot of fun in rehearsals.
We were one week from opening night and the dreaded Covid hit us again! We lost seven performers in four days. Every day we were losing more acts. This was diluting the quality and flavour of the whole show, and it was testing everyone’s resilience.
We were so disappointed when we had to postpone; this was a show that was to benefit people in need and we didn’t want to let anyone down. So it was a really tough decision.
Two weeks later and we were back. It was Saturday, May 20 and we were having our final dress rehearsal that afternoon before opening that night.
And what an opening night it was. Music, laughter, lights, dance, colour, yummy food and joyful emotion. We had raffles, we had spot prizes, we had audience participation. We had the show we had hoped for and planned for, the theatre was full and noisy, the energy from the audience and cast and orchestra was high, and it felt great.
We woke up the next day and did it all again. Audience feedback was immensely positive.
“Loved the format, so much talent in CHB. We are so lucky!’’
“Wow, it was incredible, I didn’t want it to end, the only reason I was happy it ended was that I had a numb behind!”
“One word for it, amazing, well done.’'
“Loved the variety, I enjoyed every single performance.”
A couple of weeks later and the financial results were in and we were overjoyed to have helped raise $8150 for the CHB Mayoral Relief Fund.
What a great result for those in need in CHB. Your donations, and our hard work, and a whole lot of aroha had combined to get much-appreciated support, where it was most needed, and it was a privilege for us to have served our amazing community.
Until the next show, thanks for the memories.
