There is a bit over a week left until the star-studded grand opening celebrations for Rotorua’s newly refurbished Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
On February 16 and 17, the venue will host performers and musicians - both local tangata whenua and others from across the motu - in the grand opening gala.
Then on February 18, the venue will host a free-to-publicRā a Whānau[whānau open day], where all are welcome to enjoy performances, workshops, live music, behind-the-scenes tours and food trucks.
Choreographer and artistic director Taiaroa Royal (Te Arawa, Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Raukawa), who was born in Rotorua, is directing the gala event and choreographing a special dance work for the show, which will be performed by young local artists.
Anika Moa and Rewa Ututaonga are two of the many performers who will be taking to the stage for the grand opening celebrations.
Moa thought Rotorua deserved this new facility and it would be a wonderful asset.
She said a resource like this was needed to bring people together and was something everyone could enjoy as a community.
Rotorua’s Rewa Ututaonga said she felt privileged and thankful to be part of the Sir Howard Morrison Centre’s grand opening.
She said this would be her first time in the new building since it had been open and she was looking forward to both meeting other artists she had never met before and catching up with artists she did know.
Ututaonga said she used to sing there when it was the old Regent Theatre, before it became the Civic Theatre. Being involved in a production at the Regent Theatre was one of her earliest memories of the building, she said.
“It [the centre] will be fantastic. There are a couple shows coming up I already have tickets to. I’m looking forward to seeing shows that would have otherwise bypassed us.”
Rewa Ututaonga. Photo / Supplied
Janelle Bish, Sir Howard Morrison Centre performing arts director, previously said the grand opening gala - Whakatuheratanga Nui - on the Thursday and Friday would be “a once-in-a-lifetime, magical moment”.
She said the Rā ā Whānau on the Saturday was a free event, and was focused on the whole whānau having the opportunity to either passively watch, or actively participate in the performing arts.
“There’s a huge range of talent performing across our stages, and it’s a very relaxed drop-in event, so parents with young tamariki are encouraged to move around freely.”
She said many artists, companies and industry folk were incredibly excited that an asset of this scale and scope was going to be available to the artists and audiences of Rotorua and beyond.
