Capoeira Spectacular Live Stage Show

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NOTE: Warriors of Brazil will be in Auckland and Wellington on 25 & 26 November ahead of the February tour and are available for interview.
MEDIA RELEASE: Monday 16 November, 2009

Capoeira Spectacular Live Stage Show

Presented by Kay & McLean Productions and Michael Coppel Presents

“Packed with muscle, backflips, blistering samba beats… a big hunk of upbeat Brazilian soul. A jaw-dropping performance.”

The Scotsman (August 2009)

For the first time in New Zealand, the world’s greatest Capoeira experts will appear in a spectacular live stage show, featuring inspirational young athletes, dancers and musicians who still live today in the dangerous favelas of Brazil.

Their bodies defy what is humanly possible as they leap, flip, kick and spin at breathtaking speed. Warriors of Brazil heads to New Zealand in February for limited seasons in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Tickets go on sale on Saturday 21 November.

In a show that combines the extraordinary martial art of Capoeira (kah-poh-ayr-ra) with the uplifting music and dance of Carnival, Warriors of Brazil showcases all of the power and the passion that is modern Brazil. From a country which has much to celebrate with its successful bid to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, its soccer prowess, and powerful musical impact on the world, this show represents a positive flipside to Brazil’s street violence which also dominates the news headlines.

The super-fit, young men in Warriors of Brazil have escaped the cycle of gangland warfare in the favelas or ghettos of Salvador de Bahia, former epicentre of the African slave trade. Selected as part of a social development program, they are the undeniable masters of Capoeira, and are now captivating audiences around the world and spreading a message of hope for the youth of Brazil. Prior to its New Zealand premiere tour, the show has had recent critically acclaimed seasons in Edinburgh and Hamburg.

Joining them on stage are the singers, dancers and percussionists of Rhythm Carnival who hail from the favela of Candeal, which famously saved its young people from a life of violence by encouraging them to trade their weapons for musical instruments. Members of Rhythm Carnival have performed with Santana, The Fugees, Ricky Martin, Sergio Mendes and The Black Eyed Peas.

Warriors of Brazil is created and directed by UK-based Toby Gough, a theatre-maker with a thirst for adventure, social justice and a genuine passion for nurturing the many fascinating cultures of the global village on the world stage. As the winner of five Scotsman First Prize awards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and two Festival Lifetime Achievement awards, he has previously created the hugely successful shows Lady Salsa, The Merchants of Bollywood and The Bar at Buena Vista.

As well as directing Kylie Minogue in a Barbados production of The Tempest with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Toby Gough has initiated many theatre-based social programs which bring an empowering sense of joy and celebration to the world’s trouble spots. During the Bosnian war, he entered Sarajevo through a sewage tunnel to co-direct the Opera Europa with composer Nigel Osborne and the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra. Toby spent much of 2005 and 2006 working in Sri Lanka on the Children of the Sea project, running theatre projects and music workshops for victims of the Tsunami and the Civil War.

Warriors of Brazil initially came about through Toby Gough’s friendship with legendary Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown, who featured in El Milagro de Candeal (The Miracle of Candeal). This documentary chartered the area’s transformation from one of Brazil’s most notorious crime centres to a role model for the world, primarily through Brown’s own music school. Carlinhos first introduced Toby to the musicians from Candeal who now feature in the show.

Warriors of Brazil features the world’s best display of Capoeira, the martial art disguised as dance, and also captures the many aspects of Brazilian culture. Join us as we follow the journey from the pain of its African slave past, through the victorious joy of football, to the celebratory sounds and rhythms of samba and carnival.

Warriors of Brazil opens in Auckland on February 13 before touring to Christchurch and Wellington for strictly limited performances. For further information, visit www.warriorsofbrazil.com.

Warriors of Brazil are available for interview in Auckland on Wednesday 25 November and in Wellingotn on Thursday 26 November. High resolution images are available.

For more information and to arrange interviews, contact: Sally Woodfield |Publicist | 021 868 020 | swpr@ihug.co.nz

WARRIORS OF BRAZIL – NEW ZEALAND TOUR

AUCKLAND - 4 PERFORMANCES ONLY!

Civic Theatre – THE EDGE®

13 & 14 February 2010

Bookings: 0800 BUY TICKETS (289 842) www.buytickets.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH – 3 PERFORMANCES ONLY!

Isaac Theatre Royal

16 to 17 February 2010

Bookings: Ticketek 0900 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz

WELLINGTON – 4 PERFORMANCES ONLY!

St James Theatre

19 – 21 February 2010

Bookings: Ticketek 0900 TICKETEK (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz

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