Hairy moments for musical Maclary crew

By CLAIRE TREVETT

Things have gone horribly wrong for the chief inhabitant of Donaldson's Dairy.

It seems that in the process of going out of the gate and off for a walk, Hairy Maclary stretched those short legs just a bit too far and strained a calf muscle.

The injury could not have come at a worse time for Hairy Maclary's Greatest Hits - just five days before the musical stage show went before the discerning eyes of Auckland's toddler population.

So Gabrielle Cus - a 15-year-old dancer - was given the challenge of standing in for Rochelle Rose, who was injured while rehearsing as the original Hairy in the Maclary Theatre Productions show.

Her new role not only meant taking on the meanest cat in town, Scarface Claw.

Originally cast as dachshund Schnitzel von Krumm, Gabrielle had to transform herself from a low-slung, ground-scraping sausage dog into the scraggly, bouncing, wire-haired terrier.

Three days later and there was another wee hiccup for the team - the van carrying the costumes was stuck on the Desert Rd in last weekend's freezing weather.

It got to the theatre just in time for yesterday's rehearsal, leaving choreographer Paul Jenden breathing sighs of relief that his show could go on in its full glory.

Gabrielle is one of the youngest in the cast and this is her first professional show.

"It's been a bit of a challenge, but it's been fun. It's quite energetic with lots of jumping," she said.

Gabrielle has danced since she was four, and dreams of playing Odette and Odile in Swan Lake.

For the next two weeks the Wellington Girls High student faces the rigours of bringing to life one of New Zealand's best-loved storybook characters for up to three performances a day.

With music from composer Jan Bolton and the vocals of Jackie Clark and Sacha Kilgour, Gabrielle will take to the stage with fellow dancers Blair Wood, Louis Solino, Jane Duncan, Sheryl Robinson, and Rachel Due.

Hairy Maclary's Greatest Hits is at Auckland's Maidment Theatre from tomorrow until July 17. It then moves to Wellington for shows at the Opera House from July 18-20.