Thomas & Friends steams past Gwen and Pink!
Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage -- steams past Gwen and Pink!
ThemeSTAR, HIT Entertainment and Pacific Entertainment present
Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage
SIXTY-YEAR-OLD Thomas the Tank Engine has steamed past Gwen Stefani and Pink! as the hottest ticket in New Zealand and due to this overwhelming demand, we are delighted to announce extra show for the Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage area tour. New shows have been added to the itinerary in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
NEW SHOWS
ARE:
(see below for full intinerary and booking
details)
- Auckland Sunday, October 21 10am
-
Wellington Wednesday, October 24 @1pm
- Christchurch
Sunday October 28 @10am
Currently touring the USA and
coming to New Zealand in October, is a 90-minute live
musical adventure based on the delightful stories of Thomas
and Friends™. For over 60 years, millions of children
around the world have enjoyed the stories of Thomas &
Friends through books, the popular television series, toys
and DVDs and now for the first time they can see their
favourite characters on stage.
“Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage is a phenomenal production that the entire family will enjoy,” says Jim Millan, the show’s writer and director. “It has wonderful props, beautiful costumes and scenery and is accompanied by great singing, choreographed dancing and special effects – all the elements that make good theatre. We use a narrator similar to the one on the television series, to make it easy for young audience members to follow the storyline.”
A story of friendship, discovery and cooperation, Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage sees our hero Thomas and his friend Percy having to work together with the other Really Useful Engines to “save the day” when a big storm disrupts the Island of Sodor’s Magic Lantern Festival. By helping each other they manage to enable the Festival to go on as planned.
The trains - three-dimensional models with animatronic faces - move about on stage and interact with each other, their drivers and engineers. “The trains are the most popular characters by far,” Millan continues. “When Thomas first appears on stage, the audience screams, claps and yells ‘Thomas! Thomas!’ It is so incredible to see.”
A company of eight multi-talented performers will bring to life the roles of the Fat Controller, the engineers and townspeople of the Island of Sodor.
Music plays a dominant role in Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage. There are seven popular Thomas & Friends songs in the show, including “Good Morning” and “Really Useful Engine” plus a new tune written especially for the live stage production. Audience members are encouraged to sing-a-long, as well as interact with the trains and cast by clapping and “peeping” their horns at key moments.
Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage has been delighting children and their families across the US and is certain to enchant young and old audiences in New Zealand as well.
“ThemeSTAR is committed to bringing the highest quality live entertainment to families worldwide, says promoter Mark Avery. “We are delighted to be working with Pacific Entertainment on this exciting, interactive and inspiring production that is supreme entertainment for a new generation of Thomas lovers. With three trains and a magnificent huge set, this is exciting leading-edge musical theatre for all children and their parents.”
ENDS
About HIT Entertainment
HIT
Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax
Partners since June 2005, is one of the world's leading
independent children's entertainment producers and
rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as
Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman
Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT acts
as a representative for The Wiggles® in the UK and as
worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company’s
library of classic family brands. HIT also owns the Guinness
World Records™ publishing and television property.
Launched in 1989, HIT’s lines of business span television
and video production (including studios in the US and the
UK), publishing, consumer products licensing and live
events. With a catalogue of more than 1,000 hours of young
children's programming, HIT sells its shows to more than 240
countries worldwide, in more than 40 different languages and
has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan.
In 2005, the Company joined Comcast Corporation, PBS and
Sesame Workshop to launch PBS KIDS SproutSM, a 24-hour
digital cable channel and VOD service for preschoolers. For
more information, visit www.hitentertainment.com.
Thomas &
Friends LIve!
Where & When
Rotorua, Energy Events
Centre, Thursday, October 18, 4pm
Bookings:
Ticketek
Auckland, North Shore Events Centre, Saturday,
October 20, 10am, 1pm, 4pm
Sunday, October 21,
10am
Bookings: Ticketek
Palmerston North, Arena
Manawatu, Monday, October 22, 2pm
Bookings: Ticket
Direct
Wellington, TSB Events Centre, Tuesday, October
23, 4pm
Wednesday, October 24, 10am & 1pm
Bookings:
Ticketek
Christchurch, Westpac Arena, Saturday,
October 27, 10am, 1pm
Sunday, October 28,
10am
Bookings:
Ticketek