New Zealand International Arts Festival
27 February - 21 March 2004
In this issue - an overview of current shows
* Win tickets to Foi - but be quick! * The Songmaker's Chair * Geographical Cure * Mahinarangi Tocker * The Untold Tales
of Maui * Young and Rollins * Vivo * The Elixir of Love - opens tomorrow
Nau mai haere mai and welcome
Dominion Post readers will recognise my entry in this week's Festival News. Who has the time to write two columns? It's
been a complete whirlwind the last few days. The rain has whipped across the sky and a whole series of shows finishes as
the next group gets underway. Madness! The dancing and singing artist liaison team, under the direction of logistics
maestro Victoria Wilks, is making many trips to the airport, collecting artists and farewelling others. They're also
singing up a storm of welcome with Te Aroha three times a day.
In addition to artists we welcome to Wellington festival directors from England, Ireland, Holland, France, Mexico,
Belgium and Austria. They are here to see, and hopefully buy, New Zealand shows. After a number of practice runs at 3am
in the Heineken Festival Club, Jonathan and Sarah from the National Theatre in London managed at 9am to sing an old
English song for their waiata - very impressive. They were a little outshone in the singing stakes by the glorious
voices of Christine Leboutte of Foi and Uma Ysamat from The Junebug Symphony. But then they weren't in the club last
night.
Tonight The Junebug Symphony opens and it is a work of pure magic. That magic is supported by New Zealand Post who have
placed red bugs all over town, on billboards and on courier vans. This is a bug you do want to catch. In the past few
days many people have been disappointed not to get into sold-out shows. So get down to the box office or on to our
website (www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz) if you don't have your tickets yet.
Tomorrow Foi opens. The Belgian company decided before they arrived that they would do a Kapiti Island trip. It looked
in doubt due to the weather, but in true Kapiti style the sun shone as they climbed to the top of the island. I've asked
Kapiti Mayor Alan Milne to send some of that sunshine over the hill to us.
Hot tip - if you liked the Spanish ballet make sure you attend the Friday night concert of Carmen Linares, Spain's most
revered female flamenco singer. And on Saturday The Telecom Opera The Elixir of Love will shine with sparkling arias and
bittersweet comedy. Don't miss it.
Carla van Zon, Artistic Director David Inns, Chief Executive
......................................................................................................... THE JUNEBUG
SYMPHONY Catch the bug, the magic starts tonight. 'Absolutely astounding. War may well break out between adults and
children over who gets to see it' DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=4_id=9
......................................................................................................... GEOGRAPHICAL
CURE Last shows - finishes Saturday. 'Their rich textures, subtle dynamics and effective storytelling propel an
excitingly original show.' DOMINION POST http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=10_id=13
...................................................................................................... MAHINARANGI
TOCKER Final show tonight, 7.30PM, Heineken Festival Club. 'A breathtaking singer.' SUNDAY STAR TIMES
http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=13_id=50
......................................................................................................... THE UNTOLD
TALES OF MAUI Final show tonight, 9.30PM, Heineken Festival Club. 'Southpark meets Maori legends and the audience comes
out the winner ... often covulsively funny.' NEW ZEALAND HERALD
http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=13_id=62
......................................................................................................... YOUNG AND
ROLLINS They brought the house down and received two standing ovations at Waikanae Town Hall last night. Tonight Young
and Rollins are Out and About at Masterton Town Hall, 7.30PM tonight. 'Young and Rollins display a shocking breadth of
skills ... Live, they are absolutely riveting.' WASHINGTON POST
http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=58_id=181
......................................................................................................... VIVO Tonight
only, 6PM, Wellington Town Hall. Members of the Auckland Philharmonia, New Zealand violinist Miranda Adams and
Russian-born pianist and accordion player Tatiana Lanchitkova present an eclectic and entertaining repertoire. Works by
Mozart, Khachaturian, Debussy, Wieniewski followed by a series of Tango classics by Piazzolla and Albeniz among others.
http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=14_id=42
......................................................................................................... THE ELIXIR OF
LOVE - OPENS TOMORROW Shelve your preconceptions of opera as the staid and stuffy aunt of the musical family. In the
Telecom Opera - The Elixir of Love the emphasis is on fun. Donizetti's classic is taken from its traditional setting - a
19th Century Italian village - and dropped into a 1980s Californian high school on the day of the prom.
Moonwalk down Memory Lane in a production rich in lycra, fluoro and brick-like cell phones. The NZSO and a stellar cast
will ensure Donizetti's much-loved score is, as one reviewer put it, 'beautiful from start to finish'.
http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=19
......................................................................................................... WIN TICKETS TO
FOI - BUT YOU'LL NEED TO BE QUICK! Win double A-reserve tickets to the incredible Foi (Faith). All the way from Belgium
comes a captivating medieval/contemporary dance opera - a magnum opus about the terrors of war, the absurdity of
violence and the basic human need for companionship. 'The cast are extraordinary, reckless and compelling ... it cuts
disturbingly close to the bones of our current situation' GUARDIAN,UK
To win tickets simply reply to this email with the answer to the following question in the subject line.
Who is the choreographer of Foi?
Tickets are for opening night, Friday 5 March, non transferable. ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5PM TODAY, THURSDAY 4
MARCH.
Conditions of entry: 1. Open to New Zealand residents except employees of New Zealand International Arts Festival and
its sponsors. 2. The competition closes 5pm on Thursday 5 March 2004 and the best entry, decided by our judges, will
receive the prize. The winner will be notified by email. 3. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be
entered into. 4. The prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash. 5. Entries become the property of the New Zealand
International Arts Festival and may be used for promotional purposes.
Congratulations to Amanda Bateman who won last week's prize of two A-reserve tickets to Geographical Cure. Angela
correctly named Dan Adams of Verona as the composer.
NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 27 FEBRUARY - 21 MARCH www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz