Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
Kia pepehangia e ahau, Rotorua hau matangi rau!
Ka tika hoki tāku e kī nei, kāore i ārikarika aku kupu whakateitei mō te whakaaturanga whakaari a 8 Scott Ave The Sequel. He rawe hoki ki ahau te mea tuatahi engari anō tēnei whakakitenga ka piki anō he taumata i te kamupene Te Haumako Black Box Theatre i tū ki te poho o te tiata o Tā Howard Morihana.
He waewae tapu hoki ahau ki taua wāhi rā, engari, ka hoki anō ahau ki taua whare ataahua.He mōhio hoki nōku ki ngā tini waiata, e kī rā he mōhio hoki nōku ki te nuinga o ngā tangata e tere rā i te ia o te kōrero. Engari anō aua whaea nē hā e hoa mā?
Kua hui tahi māua ko Krissie Knapp e whia kē ngā wā engari anō māua ko Rewa Ututaonga, e hika, kua nanakia rawa te wā ki a māua.Me te ora hoki o tēnei ngongorotangiwai o Te Arawa
Ko te wā ati ki a māua ko aku taringa te rongo atu i a Bobby Howard me Katerina Pihera Ridge e whakaari ana ka riro i a ia te tūnga o Aunty Maymay.
A takitahi nei mō te waiata, huakina ana te whatumanawa ki te reo rō reka engari anō takirua, warea katoatia te iwi ki te wehi o ngā korohī mako. Ko te tino tangata ki oku whakaaro ko te tuakana o ‘ngā whaea’, a Jimmy.
Ko Jack Grace te tangata whakaari. Engari me whakaaro hoki e ahau ki ngā tamariki e ngana ana ki te whakakotahi anō i ō rāua matua a Jimmy me Lillian.
Ko taku hoa a Kelly Makiha te wahine e whakaari ana i a Lillian. Me te ahuatanga o te wāhi whakaari he ahakoa he tari Māori rikiriki e tū ana ki Owhata, nā ngā pou whakaari i piki ake ai te wairua o te wāhi.
Nā te rawe o te tiata me te tata hoki o ngā pou whakaari ki a koe e noho, e mātakitaki ana, nā reira i uru atu ai te wairua o te hunga mātakitaki ki te ātamira. Ka whakahaua te hunga mātakitaki e ngā pou whakaari ki te waiata, ki te kanikani ki te aha noa atu. Engari rā he whakaari rangatira hoki.
Ko Moana Jr hoki kai te tiata e tū ana tae noa ki te wiki.Nā te Lakes Performing Arts Centre tēnei i Whakaaraara, ā, e toru tekau ngā pou whakaari rangatahi e kawe ana i ngā wāhanga whakaari. Nō ngā kura huahua o Te Rotorua nei.
Kai te tiata o Casablanca ko Rent he whakakitenga nā Rotorua Musical Theatre ka oti ā te rāhoroi ā te wiki hou. Ko Te Ao Tahana-Prangnell te ringatohu. I kōrerongia tēnei whakaaturanga e ahau i ngā wiki ko pahemo.
Whai muri i taua kaupapa, ko tā Hato Paora kaupapa ko Jesus Christ Superstar. Ka tāti a te tuarima o Mei tae ki te kotahi tekau mā whā o Mei ki te tiata o Thurston. Ā te tuaono o Mei kai te pōwhiringia te whānau o Tā Morihana te hāpori whānui tonu ki te whakanui i tō rātau rangatira ki te tiata nui e kawe ana i tōna ingoa. Me te tini hoki o ngā rangatira ka puta mai. Ko Ray Wolf, Rewa Ututaonga, Yandall Sisters, Gray Bartlett, Nikau Grace, Te Pumanawa Rogers, Stacey me Scotty Morrison, Temuera Morrison, Chris Powley me Takerei Peck.
— Na Raimona Inia i whakamaori
OPINION
What a feast of musical talent we have in Rotorua — and such a variety.
I have to say straight out that I loved 8 Scott Ave the Sequel. I loved the original too but this time my experience was enhanced by the intimacy provided by the Te Haumako Black Box Theatre in the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
It was my first time at the centre but will certainly not be the last.
I knew all the songs because the show is set in the era in which I got out a lot socially. I even knew most of the people referred to in the dialogue.
How about those aunties, eh?
Krissie Knapp and I have reconnected untold times since I returned home but it is the first time since the 70s that I have heard Rewa Ututaonga.
Wow, if anything she is better now than all those years ago.
It was the first time I had heard Bobby Mihi Howard and Katerina Pihera Ridge who played the cool and flirty Aunty Maymay.
Individually their singing was great but when their voices blended it was sublime.
The pivot for all the action at 8 Scott Ave was the aunties’ brother, Jimmy, who, under all that curly wig was played by Jack Grace.Then there were the kids whose sole ambition was to reunite their estranged parents, Jimmy and Lillian.
My friend and colleague Kelly Makiha was Lillian and looked to relish her role.
Life in a small Maori Affairs house at Owhata was made more believable by the theatre which invited audience participation.
It was almost as if you could reach out and touch the players. Or pull out a smoke, pour a glass of your favourite tipple and join the party.
The audience was encouraged to sing, dance or jig, and it was great entertainment.
More shows
Playing at the Centre until Sunday is the Disney Moana Jr.
The show has been put together by the Lakes Performing Arts Centre and has a cast of more than 30 young people aged between 10 and 18. They come from a number of schools around Rotorua.
At the Casablanca Theatre until next Saturday is Rent presented by Rotorua Musical Theatre.
Directed by Te Ao Tahana-Prangnell, the show is a rock musical about a group of poor young artists struggling to survive in New York’s East Village when HIVAids was rife.When I spoke to Te Ao about the show she said her take was how could she make connections to our community through this kaupapa.
She connects it to current serious issues in our community — homelessness, addictions, and mental health.
The following week, John Paul College will present its production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
That season will run from May 5 to May 14 at the Thurston Performing Arts Centre Theatre.
On Saturday, May 6, the Morrison whanau invite people to join them in a tribute to Sir Howard Morrison in the centre bearing his name.
Special guests include Ray Woolf, Rewa Ututaonga, Yandall Sisters, Gray Bartlett, Nikau Grace, Te Pumanawa Rogers, Stacey, and Scotty Morrison, Temuera Morrison, Chris Powley and Takerei Peck.
Walker mentors six jade carvers in Rotorua.