Once On This Island has been on show this week at the Rotorua Girls' High School Performing Arts Centre and finishes tonight.
News of the show's return hasn't been widely publicised with limited seats being available each night, with level 2 restrictions only allowing 100 people, including cast and crew.
It's lucky there wasn't a full house. I didn't want to blubber in front of a large crowd but that's what these students' performance reduced me to.
In a nutshell, Once On This Island is a love story set on a small Caribbean island with poor peasants on one side and rich landowners on the other.
Naturally, you guessed it, a boy from the rich side falls in love with a girl from the poor. Their tormented love and fight for life has many twists and turns, including the unexpected ending (cue tears).
Director Bridget Donovan, choreographer Janaye Biddle-Kite and musical director Laura Falconer must have felt honoured to hit the jackpot of talented cast members.
It's stacked with some of New Zealand's best performers - be it acting, dancing and singing.
Then there was the perfect casting of Dee Jay Selwyn to the lead role of Ti Moune.
She's only Year 10 but had the audience gripped, from those knife-edge fast-paced scenes to the emotional love-struck moments.
Then, she opened her mouth to sing and by jingoes where does that huge voice come from?
She was the perfect on-stage match with Matiu Boynton-Rata who played a solid male lead role, not putting a foot wrong.
His preferred love interest, Andrea from the rich side of town, was played by Nikau Grace Chater.
Grace Chater is arguably one of the best singers in the country for her age and her professionalism to nail the notes shone through. It was a shame her character didn't have more songs (but that's not something the directors of the show could change).
And a review highlighting the highlights can't go without a nod to the performance naturals themselves, the Webster whānau.
Paretoroa Webster-Turei played one of the gods, making the role his own with his mischievous facials and cheeky movements. He needs his own show.
His sister, Ngatahi Webster-Tarei, didn't have a lead role as such but you can't take your eyes off when she dances. An absolute pro.
Then there's their cousin, Alyssa Webster, who nailed her role of Erzule, particularly with her poise and beautiful singing tone.
Shoutouts to Khatana Pohoiwi playing the scary Papa Ge and the sassy Riahn Le Compte for bringing some spark to the role of Asaka.
Kendra Cotterill-Konui and Marangai Wainohu-Savage played convincing parents of Ti Moune and special mention to Hinerangi Kairau, a 7-year-old from Malfroy Primary School, who won the hearts of the audience playing little Ti Moune. What a future on the stage she has.
These students did a fine job with what I believe was a tricky task staying in tune having to sing almost every line of the script.
I was left feeling like I'd just witnessed pros.
What: Once On This Island presented by Rotorua Girls' High School featuring Rotorua Boys' High School
When: September 28 to October 1
Where: Rotorua Girls' High School Performing Arts Centre
