LIVE July - September 2015 by Auckland Live

J U LY – S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5

FEATURE

BROUGHT TO YOU BY AUCKLAND LIVE

IN THIS ISSUE

IRISH-FRENCH CHANTEUSE CATS REINVIGORATED A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Camille O’Sullivan headlines The West End hit gets a Shakespeare meets Mendelssohn Auckland’s cabaret season dazzling update with Royal New Zealand Ballet

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

emotion exhilaration excellence

SEASON 2015

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Enjoy the ultimate concert experience of a full symphony orchestra with the world’s top artists. Experience the wonder, the power, the emotion.

N E W Z E A L A N D SY M P H O N Y O R C H E ST R A p r e s e n t s

POWER & PASSION LIZST AND MAHLER

N EW Z E A L A N D SY M P H O N Y O R C H E ST R A p re s e n t s

CATHEDRAL CLASSICAL OF SOUND HITS SIBELIUS AND BRUCKNER

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Vasily Petrenko

C ONDU CTOR

Simon Trpčeski

P IANO

Superstar Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko joins forces with extraordinary Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski for a breath-taking display of classical brilliance in the concert hall.

Simone Young AM Baiba Skride

CON DUCTOR V IOLIN

Simone Young is internationally lauded for her visionary conducting of Bruckner’s symphonies. Controversial, awe-inspiring and ultimately sublime, the 8th is immense in scale and hugely dramatic – a true cathedral of sound. S I B E LI U S

LI S Z T

Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major

Violin Concerto in D minor BRUCKNER

James Judd

CO NDUCTOR

It’s a mouth-watering selection of classical music’s greatest hits when our much-loved NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd returns for this special concert. ROSSINI

William Tell Overture S T R AU S S

Blue Danube Waltz WAG N E R A R R . L A N G LE Y

Die Walküre – The Ride of the Valkyries

Symphony No. 5 in C sharp minor

Symphony No. 8 in C minor (original version)

Friday 17 July 7.00pm

Saturday 5 September 7.30pm

Saturday 26 September 7.30pm

AUCKLAND TOWN HALL

Free pre-concert talk at 6.15pm

Free pre-concert talk at 6.45pm

M A H LE R

AND MORE!

nzso.co.nz FOR TICKET DETAILS VISIT

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

LIVE Picks HELLO

WIN Enter our competitions: Photographer: Steve Winter

aucklandlive.co.nz/comps

Winter is here – it’s time to go out. There’s magic and music and musicals and a whole bunch of family-friendly activities, including two school holiday theatre shows just for kids. There’s fun to be had outdoors, too. Have you seen the polar bears in Aotea Square? They’ll be around for as long as Aotea Square Ice Rink. And don’t worry about polar blasts – the rink is under cover.

WIN

Q&A Read our Q&As:

aucklandlive.co.nz/stories

WATCH Watch our videos and picks:

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DIRECTOR'S PICK

NAT GEO LIVE: MY NINE LIVES WITH STEVE WINTER 5 August | ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

The start of spring is pretty exciting too, with hit-musical Cats coming to The Civic, and Auckland International Cabaret Season returning for a second year, this time featuring glamorous headliner Camille O’Sullivan, our cover star. Check out pages eight and nine for our calendar of everything that’s on this July, August and September, and keep an eye on aucklandlive.co.nz for the latest announcements.

EDITOR Josie Campbell – media@aucklandlive.co.nz

Q&A

BETWEEN TWO WAVES 4 – 15 August | Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre

Q&A

NEW ZEALAND OPERA: TOSCA 17 – 27 September | ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

COVER ARTWORK Paul Everett

NZSO: CLASSICAL HITS

26 September Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall Auckland Live Director Robbie Macrae picks the NZSO’s Classical Hits concert as a great night out for classical music novices.

Every effort has been taken to ensure details in LIVE are accurate at time of publication but some may be subject to change. Individual companies reserve the right to add, withdraw or substitute artists or vary programmes should the need arise. Auckland Live takes no responsibility for any incorrect event information in this publication.

WATCH

DYLAN MORAN: OFF THE HOOK 28 & 29 August | ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

Q&A

PEACE TRAIN 12 September | Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

‘‘The programme offers a selection of the most famous classical pieces that have worked their way into popular culture, and there’s a pre-concert talk for anyone keen to know a bit more about the music they’re going to hear. "I’m certain that even those who have never heard an orchestra live will recognise some of the pieces.”

LIVE NATION & MARNIE FOULIS PRESENT

“BY THE END OF THE SHOW, YOUR JAW WILL HURT FROM LAUGHTER” - THE HERALD

FRI 24 JULY - AUCKLAND TOWN HALL SAT 25 & SUN 26 JULY - BRUCE MASON CENTRE BOOKINGS WWW.TICKETMASTER.CO.NZ FOR MORE INFO VISIT LIVENATION.CO.NZ

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

MAKING NEW MEMORIES

Cats has awoken from its nap and is slinking our way in a new production. Sarah Illingworth talks to associate director/choreographer Jo-Anne Robinson about reinvigoration, junkyards and sad poetry. AFTER A 15-YEAR HIATUS, THE LEGENDARY musical Cats has returned to the stage, revived and reworked by the original creative team of composer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Sir Trevor Nunn and choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne. One of the longest running musicals to show in both the West End and Broadway, the original production closed in London in 2002 after 21 years, and New York in 2000 after 18. It reopened at London's Palladium in December 2014 to as warm a reception as ever. Now, with a new cast, it is being readied to tour Australasia for a strictly limited season. This may be Cats reborn but, like its feline heroes, the show lands on its feet. From the lithe comedy of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer to the badassery of Munkustrap to the sorrow of Grizabella the Glamour Cat, the tale of the Jellicles continues to entrance and entertain. “We've been reinvigorated,” says associate director and choreographer Jo-Anne Robinson, quoting the show's creator, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. “Those were Andrew’s words to me. All three of them have worked very, very much on this production.” She is referring to the core creative team of Andrew, Trevor and Gillian, who together brought the original production to life and who have remained paws-in throughout its history. The loyalty of the trio to the show, along with that of many members of the wider crew and cast, has done much to maintain its integrity. Robinson has been with Cats since it opened in London in 1981. “When we originally did the show in London there was a little band of us that Gillie would work out a lot of the choreography on,” Jo-Anne recalls. “But of course over the years she has been very much hands on. For this particular version, Andrew and Trevor and Gillie have got back together, and as Andrew said they've basically reinvigorated it.

Impossibly agile, the cast members do their fair share to make the performance magical, slinking, pouncing and prowling their way through the numbers in a way that would impress any cat. The jumbled chaos of the junkyard setting also works to immerse viewers in the world of the Jellicles from start to finish. Robinson attributes this to the unique vision of original designer John Napier. “John created an environment, as opposed to a set. He designed it from a cat's perspective, and I think it enables the audience to get lost in that world. They still have to use their imagination, obviously, but this environment is created for them. They can completely get immersed in it, and do get drawn in to the story.

“IT IS OBVIOUSLY THE PHYSICALITY, THE ENTERTAINMENT, THE CHOREOGRAPHY, THE MUSICAL SIDE OF IT; BUT UNDERNEATH IT YOU'VE GOT THIS WONDERFUL CORE STORY’’ “You get families coming in, you get very young children who just sit so quietly, and are totally, totally absorbed with the storyline. Very young children go, ‘Why are those cats being so mean to that other cat, mummy?’ Then you've got the other side of it, the physicality of it, and the sensuality of the animal, and also how their characteristics can reflect or mirror some people in human society.” Based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, a collection of poems TS Eliot penned for his godchildren, the show actually hinges on a poem

the author chose not to include in the publication. The omitted poem tells the tale of Grizabella the Glamour Cat, who in the show is shunned by the rest of the Jellicle cats but ultimately chosen to ascend to the ‘Heaviside Layer’ and be reborn, all while singing the classic ballad ‘Memory’. In the early days of working on Cats, Andrew and Trevor struggled to pin down a storyline around which to build Eliot’s poems, as opposed to simply presenting them as an anthology put to song. Composer and director were both stunned and grateful when, out of the blue, Grizabella's story was literally handed to them. “It was Valerie Eliot, TS Eliot's second wife, who produced the poem of Grizabella the Glamour Cat,” Robinson explains. “She said TS Eliot didn't want to include it in [Old Possum] because he felt it was too sad for children at the time. Basically, the lost poem gave Trevor the inspiration to find a storyline, and Andrew then got inspired and wrote this beautiful piece for the opening of Act 2, for Old Deuteronomy. “There's a lot of philosophy going on underneath all of that work. It's not just a song and dance. It is obviously the physicality, the entertainment, the choreography, the musical side of it; but underneath it you've got this wonderful core story of this marginalised cat who ends up being accepted and acknowledged. Under the umbrella of Old Deuteronomy's philosophy.” LEARN MORE

aucklandlive.co.nz/cats

CATS From 11 September Live at The Civic

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

THEIR FOND PAGEANT

FELIX MENDELSSOHN IS probably the second most well-known child prodigy in classical music. However, unlike Mozart, who undoubtedly takes out first place, Mendelssohn did not dash off music like a man possessed, and produced relatively little music before his early death at the age of 38. This presents a slight challenge for the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Music director Nigel Gaynor explains: “The incidental music [Mendelssohn] wrote was less than one hour long, and we’re turning that oneact version into a two-act version”. Gaynor’s task has been to decide which of Mendelssohn’s other works will complement the Midsummer Night’s Dream music, originally written to accompany performances of the play. “The other music we’re including is the very famous Hebrides Overture, otherwise known as ‘Fingal’s Cave’.

Photographer: Ross Brown

Creating a new production is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. It’s even more complicated when you only have music for half of the show. By Bronwyn Bent

We’ve got a movement of the ‘Scottish’ Symphony [No.3], a joyous, energised piece which is going to be used as a boy’s dance. We also have a number of pieces from Mendelssohn’s piano music Songs without Words.” This has also meant much work for Gaynor in transforming piano music into an orchestral score. “It’s a pretty big undertaking with this one, as Mendelssohn didn’t write a huge amount of orchestral music, which is why I had to go looking in piano music and orchestrate it. It’s something I enjoy doing a lot; it’s very rewarding.” It’s not just a matter of choosing pieces that sound like they belong together; they also have to tell a story and provide a base for the production’s choreographer, the esteemed Liam Scarlett, to work with. The story is stuffed full of characters, from star-cross’d lovers to tricksy fairies to an amateur drama troupe, and one of the challenges is ensuring the music

matches the characters’ motivations. Gaynor says: “The Hebrides Overture theme I’m attaching to Oberon, the King of Fairies. It’s very majestic, surging and powerful. Puck is supposed to be able to run around the world in 40 minutes, so he’s got this rapid music for whipping around quickly. And there’s a love theme, a pas de deux, for one of the couples, Hermia and Lysander, that’s got passion and drama within it but it could also have comedy, depending on how Liam tackles it.” It’s the richness of these characters that makes this work a favourite of the RNZB’s new artistic director, Francesco Ventriglia. He’s very familiar with the production, having danced multiple roles in it as well as choreographing his own version, so he was pleased to see it in the company’s 2015 season. “It doesn’t matter if it is a drama or a ballet,” he says of the work, “the important thing is how strong the

story is, and with Shakespeare, I think you can’t make a mistake.” For Gaynor, the combination of this charming story and Mendelssohn’s music results in a highly entertaining production – and he is clearly enjoying the challenge of pulling it all together. “New productions are always exciting but when you’ve got this much new music – or new and not new, if you know what I mean – putting it together is really very exciting indeed.” LEARN MORE

aucklandlive.co.nz/ midsummernightsdream

THE VODAFONE SEASON OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM 2 – 6 September Live at ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

COME HEAR THE MUSIC PLAY Put down your mobile, your winter-time reading, resist the temptation to hibernate at home because life is a cabaret – or it is in Auckland as the International Cabaret Season gets underway. Dionne Christian finds out more about what we can expect to see and hear.

WITH FRENCH AND IRISH heritage, Camille O’Sullivan grew up in County Cork, Ireland where she recalls dancing in the living room to the music of Jacques Brel and loving every minute of it. At University College Dublin, she joined the drama society and performed in the show Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris but, despite the lure of the stage and her obvious talent, she qualified as an architect and figured that was how she’d make her living. Those ambitions were shattered, along with several bones, in a car accident in the late 1990s when Camille was in her mid-20s. With a year off to learn to walk again, she decided to follow her heart and launch a singing career. A decade and a half later, she’s recognised as one of the very best in her field, a chameleon-like, award-winning interpreter of narrative songs by the likes of Brel, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, David Bowie, Radiohead and Arcade Fire. Described by critics and fans as a storyteller as much as a singer, Camille has performed all over the world. Now she’s returning to New Zealand – she visited in 2009 for an Auckland Arts Festival – to star in the Auckland International Cabaret Season. Featuring music from her album Changeling and by the artists who have long inspired her, she’ll bring eclectic characters to life through song in performances that veer from unbridled passion to tender restraint.

“CABARET IS ALL ABOUT USING MUSIC AND SONG, DANCE, THEATRE AND SOMETIMES SPOKEN WORD POETRY TO CREATE A MOOD OR A FEELING”

“My shows certainly are emotional ones and I choose the songs because they mean something to me and they reveal something in us all that binds us together as an audience,” Camille says on the phone from Austria, where she’s touring and can, as we speak, see snow-capped mountains from her hotel window. “I think I start off looking quite enigmatic but things go from dark to light and back again very quickly so, quite frankly, by the end of it I look at myself and think, You look like you’ve just climbed out of a ditch. It’s all about making people feel something.” Camille balances the more emotionally charged performances with humour and, as such, has won awards and fans all around the world. She reckons Brazil is probably the most exotic country in which she’s performed. “Even in non-English-speaking countries, where the performances feature surtitles, it’s never a problem for an audience to understand. People get it if you’re emotional and passionate and that’s the wonderful thing about music. You can be

completely moved by it without having to understand the words.” Having visited New Zealand to perform and spend time travelling round the North Island – “there were flashes of Ireland mixed with the Amazon” – she’s eager to return, and fellow Auckland International Cabaret Season performers are keen to see her. Speaking from Melbourne, multiaward-winning actor, singer and cabaret maestro Paul Capsis describes Camille as “quite extraordinary”. Considering Paul’s long-running cabaret and musical theatre career, it’s high praise indeed. Regarded as one of the best in the business, he returns to Auckland after an absence of nearly a decade to perform his solo show, where he channels the spirit of divas such as Judy Garland, Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. He says these are the types of performers whose lives and music inspire him, and describes his show as a “dark musical journey of the heart”. It helps to create the edgy, reflective and brooding atmosphere for which cabaret is famous.

“Cabaret is all about using music and song, dance, theatre and sometimes spoken word poetry to create a mood or a feeling,” he says. In Paul’s native Australia, cabaret festivals are firmly established and have grown into large-scale events that attract international performers and audiences. Started in a low-key way last year, the Auckland International Cabaret Season is already attracting some of the best and most diverse artists. This year’s festival mixes traditional and fringe-style cabaret and also sees a move toward more cabaret/theatre. “There are some well-established cabaret acts in New Zealand and we’re seeing increased growth of cabaret as an art form locally,” says Auckland Live’s Melanie Smith. “Auckland now has regular events where artists are testing and developing their work. We hope bringing in overseas artists will offer up a platform and inspiration for our local talent, but it’s important to include local artists as they are representative of our culture and relevant to our audiences. The idea is to bring to the Auckland stage works that create an intimate and engaging experience.” LEARN MORE

aucklandlive.co.nz/cabaret2015

AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL CABARET SEASON 2 – 6 September | Various venues

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

LIVE CALENDAR Mt Smart Stadium MUSIC

AOTEA SQUARE ICE RINK Skate and slide in the heart of Auckland and experience the magic of your own winter playground with themed events including DJs, ice hockey demonstrations, K-pop and fun for little Frozen fans. 11 June – 19 July, until 10pm | $15 – $20† Aotea Square

BIC RUNGA & TINY RUINS New Zealand crowds are in for a treat as two of the country’s finest singer-songwriters join forces to dazzle audiences. 2 & 3 July 7.30pm | $55 – $65* Wintergarden, The Civic

Ruia Te Kakano

RUIA TE KAKANO: HOKIA KI NGA MAUNGA Help Rima save his village! This enchanting, action-packed bilingual show is performed in English and Te Reo Māori, for children aged five and up. 6 – 11 July | $12* Aotea Centre, Auckland Town Hall and Bruce Mason Centre

HOMECOMING: MUSICAL ISLAND BOYS & POLYTONIX CHORUS Join us for a night of world class harmony with the 2014 international barbershop quartet champions Musical Island Boys and Auckland’s very own Polytonix Chorus! 17 July, 7.30pm | $25-35* Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall

PEACE TRAIN Get on board the peace train as Darren Coggan traces the path of Cat Stevens, telling the stories behind the songs the whole world sang along with. 12 September, 8pm |$60 – $70* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

NEIL FINN Playing songs from his entire career, Neil Finn takes the stage at Auckland Town Hall for one truly special concert. 18 July, 8pm | $82.50 – $142.50* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

ISLA GRANT FAREWELL CONCERT TOUR Scotland’s legendary singer-songwriter Isla Grant returns to New Zealand for her farewell concert tour. 15 September, 7.30pm | $69* Bruce Mason Centre

THE KIDS SING 2015: NEW ZEALAND CHORAL FEDERATION – AUCKLAND Primary and intermediate school choirs perform selected repertoire and a variety of entertaining music over two days of competition. 10 & 11 August, 6.30pm | $10 – $17* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall ELVIS – ONE NIGHT WITH YOU Showcasing the man whose peerless talent galvanised rock'n'roll and made him one of the biggest stars the world has ever seen. 14 August, 8pm | $79.90 – $119* The Civic TOMMY EMMANUEL LIVE IN CONCERT World famous virtuoso guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, known for his fingerstyle technique and energetic performances, is touring New Zealand this August. 20 August, 8pm | $79.50 – $99.50* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

The Wiggles

THE WIGGLES: ROCK & ROLL PRESCHOOL TOUR The Rock & Roll Preschool tour will be in New Zealand this July! Join The Wiggles and Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus. 11 July, 10am & 12.30pm | $36* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

Mt Smart Stadium MUSICAL NYTC: SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL A bright, funky adaptation of the best parts of the classic Dr Seuss stories. Woven together by the Cat in the Hat, this tale is a crazy, fun-filled ride. 3 & 4 July, various times | $22 – $35* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

CATS One of the greatest musicals of all time returns to Auckland this September following its triumphant season in London’s West End. Cats is a brilliant song and dance spectacular – you won’t believe your eyes! From 11 September | $69.90 – $129.90* The Civic

CATERPILLARS A hilarious tale of two clumsy puppeteers who attempt to put on a beautiful show about the life cycle of a caterpillar. 15 – 18 July, 10.30am & 1pm | $15 – $44* Bruce Mason Centre

Tommy Emmanuel

Mt Smart Stadium THEATRE BETWEEN TWO WAVES This stirring new play, a romantic comedy, presents the human side of the most pressing issue of our time: climate change. 4 – 15 August, various times | $25 – $35* Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre

ELVIS TO THE MAX – ABSTRACT ENTERTAINMENT Max goes beyond mere impersonation. His recreation of the King's looks, moves, vocal style, impressions and humour is so accurate, it's awe inspiring. 5 September, 8pm | $45 – 69* Bruce Mason Centre

Seussical the Musical

PICK & MIX Inspire your family with Auckland Live’s programme of free performances and workshops every Saturday and Sunday from the brightest stars of New Zealand arts and entertainment. 20 June – 6 September, 10.30am | FREE Aotea Centre, Auckland Town Hall and Bruce Mason Centre

RYAN ADAMS Ryan Adams visits New Zealand for the first time in three years, with his full band The Shining. 14 July, 8pm | $101.30* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

GALA CONCERT: MACLEANS COLLEGE Macleans College presents an evening of melodic delight featuring well-known tunes performed by the school’s award-winning orchestra, concert band, choirs, dancers and soloists. 27 July, 7pm | $15 – $25* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

SOUTH PACIFIC Brought to you by the producer of Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, Oklahoma! and The Pirates of Penzance, this beautiful musical will transport audiences to a Rodgers and Hammerstein war-time romance. 24 September, 8pm | $79.90 – $99.90* Bruce Mason Centre 25 September, 8pm | $79.90 – $99.90* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

COMEDY ALAN DAVIES: LITTLE VICTORIES Following the success of his long-awaited return to stand-up in 2013, Alan Davies returns to Auckland with his critically acclaimed follow up show Little Victories. 24 July, 8pm | $69.90* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall 25 & 26 July, 8.00pm | $69.90* Bruce Mason Centre DYLAN MORAN: OFF THE HOOK The star of Black Books has been labelled ‘the Oscar Wilde of comedy’. Dylan Moran is unpredictable, bizarre, elegiac, often cruel but above all painfully funny. 28 & 29 August, 8pm | $79 – $89.90* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre Mt Smart Stadium CLASSICAL APO: OPERA IN CONCERT – TURANDOT A savage, erotic fairytale; splendid music; an epic concert opera performance. 3 July, 7.30pm | $69 – $120* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall NZ SUZUKI INSTITUTE AUCKLAND BRANCH ANNUAL CONCERT The Town Hall concert is the highlight of the Auckland Suzuki year, where more than 300 children who learn Suzuki method violin, piano, cello, guitar and flute perform on stage. 5 July, 2pm | FREE Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall WALLACE NATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 2015 Four of New Zealand’s top pianists perform 45-minute programmes, vying for a share of more than $20,000 prize money in the grand final of this prestigious competition. 5 July, 3pm | $15 - $29.90* Concert Chamber

Wallace National Piano Competition

Mt Smart Stadium FAMILY

APO: THE SPLENDOUR OF ORGAN Let the power of the Auckland Town Hall organ blow you away. Part of the New Zealand Herald Premier Series. 9 July, 8pm | $26 – $125* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall DAVID BRIGGS PLAYS THE TOWN HALL ORGAN Playing transcriptions of famous orchestral music, this international virtuoso presents a programme of extraordinary beauty with mesmerising skill. 12 July, 2pm | Koha Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

BOOKING TICKETS

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Online: www.ticketmaster.co.nz | Phone: 0800 111 999 or 09 970 9700 In person: Ticketmaster outlets including Aotea Centre and Bruce Mason Centre

Go to aucklandlive.co.nz for information on venues, parking and where to go for pre-show refreshments or call us during business hours on 09 309 2677.

*Service/booking fees will be applied when purchasing tickets. †Aotea Square Ice Rink tickets available on site.

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

July – September APO: INSPIRED BY EXOTICA Enjoy the allure of the exotic with music by Nielsen, Body, Sculthorpe and Khachaturian. 27 August, 8pm | $26 – $125* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

NZSO: POWER AND PASSION Superstar Russian conductor Vasily Petrenko joins forces with extraordinary Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski for a breath-taking display of classical brilliance in the concert hall. 17 July, 7pm | $33 – $110* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

CLIK THE ENSEMBLE Leading NZ musicians John Chen (piano), Natalie Lin (violin) and Edward King (cello) perform a programme of solos, duos and Schubert’s first piano trio. 30 August, 5pm | $10 – $65* Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall

MORNING MELODIES Join us once a month on a Monday, when Morning Melodies fills the Bruce Mason Centre with easy-listening music that is perfect for all ages.

VIVA VOCE: HANDEL'S MESSIAH Auckland choir Viva Voce presents the drama and beauty of this best-loved work in a lively semi-staged performance, with a cast of fine soloists and a Baroque-style orchestra. 9 August, 5pm | $10 – $65* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall APO: UNWRAP STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD Listen, laugh, learn and enjoy with presenter/conductor Richard Gill and the APO in an entertaining narrated concert. 13 August, 6.30pm | $15 – $25* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall APO: FRENCH TWIST A concert of contrasts, with multi-award winning pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. Part of the New Zealand Herald Premier Series. 20 August, 8pm | $26 – $125* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall BACH MUSICA: NZ ORGAN SPECTACULAR Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Poulenc Organ Concerto. Haydn Great Organ Mass. Lauren Bennett, Timothy Noon, Gina Sanders, Stephen Diaz, Iain Tetley, Nicholas Dinopoulos, Rita Paczian. 23 August, 5pm | $10 – $65* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

NZSO: CATHEDRAL OF SOUND Music will soar above and swirl around you when the NZSO presents a powerhouse masterpiece of the repertoire, Bruckner’s mighty Symphony No.8. 5 September, 7.30pm | $33 – $110* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall INDRA HUGHES IN CONCERT In a varied programme including Bach, Elgar and others, well-known organist Dr Indra Hughes displays the grandeur of the Town Hall organ. 9 September, 7.30pm | Koha Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall APO: UNWRAP BRUCH'S VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 Listen, laugh, learn and enjoy. Concertmaster Andrew Beer takes centre stage in an entertaining narrated concert. 10 September, 6.30pm | $15 – $25* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall FROM BROADWAY TO LA SCALA Opera meets Broadway in this special concert featuring star bass baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes, cabaret performer Jennifer Ward-Lealand and living legend Dame Malvina Major. 15 September, 8pm | $99 – $179* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

SLEEPING BEAUTY Beautiful full-length performance of one of the most cherished classical ballets of all time, performed by Russian National Ballet Theatre. 12 August, 7.30pm | $59.90 – $79.90* Bruce Mason Centre

MELBOURNE BALLET COMPANY: INFINITE SPACE Melbourne Ballet Company comes to Auckland for the first time with its celebration of beauty and hope. “…lyrical, generous, and optimistic” – The Age 20 & 21 August, 7pm | $39 – $59* Bruce Mason Centre THE VODAFONE SEASON OF A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM RNZB presents a spectacular new production of Shakespeare's iconic play set to music by Mendelssohn, choreographed by Liam Scarlett and designed by Tracy Grant Lord. 2 – 6 September, 6.30pm & 7.30pm | $25 – $111* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre Mt Smart Stadium FILM NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Every winter the NZIFF brings the best and brightest of world cinema straight from the international circuit to the giant screens of New Zealand. 16 July – 2 August | $12.50 – $18.50* The Civic RIALTO CHANNEL 48HOURS GRAND FINAL 2015 has been another huge year for Rialto Channel 48HOURS, NZ’s biggest filmmaking competition, with 700 teams entered from around New Zealand. The grand national final is where we find out which teams take out the awards. July 4, 7pm | $20 The Civic Mt Smart Stadium EXHIBITION DIGITAL ART LIVE

From Broadway to La Scala

APO: RUSSIAN PICTURES Revisit the music of Shine in this concert of great Russian classics. Part of the Bayleys Great Classics Series. 6 August, 7.30pm | $26 – $125* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

Natalie Lin

Royal New Zealand Navy Band 24 August & 14 September, 11am | $5* Bruce Mason Centre

ASO FREE FAMILY CONCERT: JAZZ! Featuring jazz masterpieces performed by orchestra. Including Russell Garcia's arrangements of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, originally made for Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. 26 July, 2.30pm | Koha Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall 2 August, 2.30pm | Koha Bruce Mason Centre

Mt Smart Stadium DANCE

LORD OF THE DANCE: DANGEROUS GAMES The world’s most successful dance show storms into Auckland with a spectacular new staging of Michael Flatley’s masterpiece. 18 – 23 August, various times | $79 – $119* The Civic

Kumeu Brass Inc 20 July, 11am | $5* Bruce Mason Centre

APO: FROM LEIPZIG Music of master composers Mendelssohn and Bruckner, under the baton of master conductor Lionel Bringuier. Part of the New Zealand Herald Premier Series. 23 July, 8pm | $26–- $125* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

NZSO: CLASSICAL HITS It’s a chocolate box selection of classical music’s greatest hits when our much-loved NZSO music director emeritus James Judd returns for a special national tour. 26 September, 7.30pm | $33 – $110* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

NZ OPERA: TOSCA Tosca is the opera that conquered the world. This passionate story of lust, revenge and sacrifice is one of the most successful and beloved operas in the repertoire. 17 – 27 September, Various Times $49.50 – $189.50* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

Tourmente An interactive video installation by internationally recognised digital artist Jean Dubois. On the screen there is a series of portraits from central Montreal residents whose faces are transformed by your breath. Until 21 August | FREE Aotea Centre Still An interactive memorial inviting the audience to explore the duality of war: the destruction of lives and the construction of a collective future. 3 – 26 September | FREE Aotea Centre

2015 (12TH) NEW ZEALAND CHINESE ARTS EXHIBITION

Organised by Pacific Culture and Arts Exchange Centre, the exhibition is a unique opportunity for Aucklanders to see spectacular artworks by New Zealand Chinese artists. 3 July – 2 August | FREE Art Gallery, Bruce Mason Centre Mt Smart Stadium MORE INDIANCE PRESENTS THE ARRANGED DIVORCE You’ve all heard of an arranged marriage, now find out how an arranged divorce works as Ishaan and Aditi’s worlds collide. Will it end happily ever after? 25 July, 7.30pm | $20 – $50* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre NAT GEO LIVE: MY NINE LIVES WITH STEVE WINTER Trek into some of the world’s most remote locations with intrepid explorer Steve Winter as he tracks down big cats. 5 August, 7.30pm | $49* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre AN EVENING WITH WAYNE DYER In his first visit to New Zealand in more than 30 years, internationally renowned author and speaker Dr Wayne Dyer shares his wisdom and guidance as we contemplate life’s biggest questions. 27 August, 7.30pm | $115 – $195* ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL CABARET SEASON Auckland International Cabaret Season returns for five nights of sumptuous live performance from a collection of the world’s brightest cabaret stars. 2 – 6 September, various times | $25 – $85* Concert Chamber & Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall & Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre

Paul Capsis

APO: INSPIRED BY JAZZ Experience the raw emotion of jazz and the blues, transformed for orchestra by Copland, Gershwin and Bernstein. 16 July, 8pm | $26 – $125* Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall

BAND OF MAGICIANS James Galea (AUS), Ben Hanlin (UK), Brett Loudermilk (USA) and Adam Mada (AUS) are the hottest faces of modern magic. Together they have created a show loaded with outstanding illusions, dazzling deceptions and astounding artistry. 9 – 13 September, various times | $49.90 – $74.90* Bruce Mason Centre COSENTINO Join Cosentino, 'International Magician of the Year' – as he performs never before seen death-defying escapes that will thrill your senses, mind-boggling stage illusions and cutting-edge street magic that twists your view of reality. 29 August, 1.30pm & 7.30pm | from $59.90* The Civic

TALK TO US

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

ALL IN THE FAMILY Comedian Alan Davies returns to New Zealand in July. He talks to Richard Betts about life, death and missing his kids.

Twelve shows in 14 days is tough going but there’s a reason for his haste: his family. Allan’s married with two young children, and he arranges his work life so he won’t be away from them for more than two and a half weeks at a time. “That’s why it’s such a tight schedule,” he says. “I’m [performing] virtually every night, whizzing round on a whistle-stop tour; it’s a bit of a shame because it’s such a beautiful country you could spend months going round.” While his family won’t be joining him on this trip, they’ll be here in spirit – not least because they’re the subject matter for his new show, Little Victories. The title, for instance, refers to a small triumph the young Alan scored over his father, while other parts of the performance focus on marriage and parenthood. He says Little Victories is a better show than his sold out 2013 production, Life is Pain, which was his first stand-up tour for more than a decade. Any rustiness caused by his absence from the comedy scene is long gone, and Alan’s clearly proud of his new set. “[Little Victories] is a more personal show [than Life is Pain], there’s better content and the subject matter is the big stuff: births and marriages and death and illness.” If that sounds a bit heavy, Alan emphasises that ‘Little Victories is above all else a comedy show. “It’s not a misery memoir; I’m out to be as funny as I possibly can for two hours,” he says. “But it’s nice to be able to touch on subjects that mean something to people rather than just trying to be frivolous for the whole show.”

Alan has plenty of other opportunities to be as frivolous as he wants. He makes occasional guest appearances in TV series such as Lewis and Agatha Christie’s Marple; his soccer podcast has been downloaded more than 8 million times (he’s a huge Arsenal supporter); and he’s currently filming another series of his chat show, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled. However, Alan is still best known as the title character in the hit TV show Jonathan Creek (Sherlock Holmes with magic tricks, essentially), and as a panellist on the quiz show QI, where he plays village idiot to Stephen Fry’s learned scholar. Given that QI goes out of its way to make Alan appear foolish, are people surprised by how observant and clever his stand-up is? “I don’t know what expectations people have of my stand-up,” he says. “Many people don’t know I ever was a stand-up, though that’s less true now the second time around of touring. But certainly people come out of curiosity, and they find themselves having to recalibrate their expectations because I’m not the genius sleuth or the dim-witted quiz competitor.” He may be neither sage nor simpleton, but he does have a PhD – an honorary one, granted by the University of Kent, where he studied drama. “Yes, they gave me an honorary doctorate that I’m very proud to have received. My father was quite cynical about it.” Alan pauses before letting out a vindictive cackle. “But then that’s one of the reasons he gets so much attention in the show.” LEARN MORE aucklandlive.co.nz/alandavies

ALAN DAVIES: LITTLE VICTORIES 24 July | Great Hall, Auckland Town Hall 25 & 26 July | Bruce Mason Centre

Pick & Mix

ALAN DAVIES IS IN A HURRY. ON HIS forthcoming blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tour, the English comic covers the country from top to bottom in just two weeks, including three Auckland shows, one at the Town Hall (24 July), and two at the Bruce Mason Centre (25 & 26 July).

MORE ON THE SHORE

Auckland Live’s Winter performance and workshop series Pick & Mix is expanding to Takapuna, with the free events that are in the city each Saturday receiving an encore performance each Sunday at the Bruce Mason Centre. These events feature some of the most exciting performers you can imagine!

PICK & MIX Saturdays from 20 June – 5 September 10.30am | Aotea Centre and Auckland Town Hall Sundays from 21 June – 6 September 10.30am | Bruce Mason Centre* LEARN MORE

aucklandlive.co.nz/pickandmix2015

CATERPILLARS 15 – 18 July Bruce Mason Centre

MELBOURNE BALLET 20 & 21 August Bruce Mason Centre *Atamira Dance Company Bruce Mason Centre performance Friday 17 July, performance 11.30am workshop 12.30pm.

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

A MAGICAL LIFE Ben Hanlin is one quarter of the world’s first magic supergroup, Band of Magicians. LIVE asked him about his career highlights, and how it all started. Tell us a little about your working life as a magician – where did it begin and what have been some of the highlights? I got into magic at school. [Celebrity magician] David Blaine had just done some TV specials and I thought his magic was the coolest thing I had ever seen. So I got some beginners’ books of magic, learnt a few tricks and it went from there. I used to get yelled at by teachers for doing tricks to the kids at the back of the classroom. One of my highlights was making a YouTube series called ‘magic boy finds’. A mate and I used to track down celebrities using social media, then I would perform tricks to them. We went on a few strange trips and even ended up going to LA and meeting

people like Quentin Tarantino and Mickey Rourke. People in the TV industry saw this and it led to me getting my own TV show, Tricked. And I performed to Kim Kardashian on a yacht in Cannes. Not something that happens every day.

How does a show like Band of Magicians work with four performers? Do you perform each other’s tricks? There are two elements to the magic in this show. First, we all have some time to perform our own material. These are amazing tricks that we have all been performing in our own shows. The other element is the magic that can only be done when all four of us perform together. The show has already had two sell-out runs, which is great, because that group material has already been tried and tested and got amazing responses.

You’re a band of magicians, a bit of a supergroup. Tell us about the other three guys in the group. Let’s start with Adam Mada. He’s a great magician from Australia. He’s spent most of his life doing shows or one-off bespoke illusions for some of

the biggest corporates in the world. James Galea is a good friend of mine and we first met on set of a TV show we both starred in, Breaking Magic for Discovery Networks. He’s got a great sense of humour and has had millions of views on YouTube for possibly one of the greatest card tricks I have ever seen. Brett Loudermilk’s take on magic is completely different to anyone else’s in the show. He is a really funny guy and can do things with his body that should be illegal. And yes, that is his real name.

What can audiences expect from Band of Magicians? Amazing magic performed in a fresh, fun way. The four magicians on stage are able to create illusions that

audiences have never seen before. We can’t wait to share it with them.

What do you know about New Zealand? It is nearly the same size as the UK but only has the population of London. I don’t know why I know this fact, but I have been waiting for years to dispense it. LEARN MORE aucklandlive.co.nz/bandofmagicians

BAND OF MAGICIANS 9 – 13 September Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna

Auckland Live presents

THE WORLD’S FIRST MAGIC SUPERGROUP!

TIME OUT

WILL RESTORE YOUR SENSE OF WONDER DAILY TELEGRAPH

9 – 13 SEPT Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Tickets from $49.90 ticketmaster.co.nz A Soft Tread, James Galea and Barbara Meyer production. *Service fees apply.

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

The Game Changer Irish dancing can be divided into two periods: before Michael Flatley and after Michael Flatley. Josie Campbell spoke to Lord of the Dance’s Tom Cunningham about working with the man himself. TOM CUNNINGHAM REMEMBERS THE MOMENT everything changed for Irish dancing – when Michael Flatley took to the stage in Riverdance. “I remember being a young lad watching that on the TV and he burst out on to the stage and I couldn’t believe what he was doing. It was Irish dancing but to me it was unrecognisable. “When I was a kid I’d practise Irish dancing in my local parish hall in Ireland and it wasn’t cool. After Riverdance came out, after Lord of the Dance came on the scene, it was the cool thing to do. “Now it’s a worldwide phenomenon. People in South America and across Asia want to be involved in the highest level of competition. From that perspective, [Flatley] completely changed things; it has absolutely gone into the stratosphere.” Tom soon heads to Auckland with Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, which has been described as the Hunger Games of Irish dancing. “It’s loosely based on Irish folklore, a story of good versus evil and love versus lust. It’s really a magical journey – the power of the dance, the music, the elegance of the girls dancing.

“It’s very energetic from start to finish and the audience gets on its feet to dance along with us in the aisles by the time the show comes to an end and the curtain drops.” Michael Flatley may have announced his retirement from Irish dancing, but he continues to bring innovation to the genre he transformed. Dangerous Games, which opened at London Palladium in September 2014, is a reworked version of his masterpiece, with new staging, costumes and choreography, as well as fresh music by composer Gerard Fahy. For Tom, working with Michael Flatley is a dream. “He works on a day to day basis with us, he pushes us to our limits, he wants himself to be the best and he sets very, very hard targets for everyone he works with. But you know, we’re all rewarded with respect.” As the dark lord Don Dorcha, Tom leads the bad guys, who all wear heavy, helmeted costumes that look like something from the wardrobe department of a science fiction movie. “Michael had a hand in a lot of these things and he was very careful to create costumes that weren’t

overly restrictive. We were able to get that really intense and overpowering look that he wanted but still be able to dance and move freely.” Auckland is just one stop on a 200-date, 15-country tour spanning the next 18 months. Tom’s aware that neither his own career nor a show of that scale would be possible without Michael Flatley’s influence. That international success also appeals to Tom’s sense of national pride. “One of the things I most enjoy about being in the show and being on tour is that I get to bring that little bit of Irish culture around the world. When I perform the Irish jig and I see a stadium or arena of people going crazy, it makes me happy.” LEARN MORE

aucklandlive.co.nz/lotddangerousgames

LORD OF THE DANCE: DANGEROUS GAMES 18 – 23 August | Live at The Civic

www.peace-train.nz

LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

Conducting The Kid Two Charlie Chaplin classics head the movie-with-orchestra Live Cinema screenings at this year’s New Zealand International Film Festival. Metro magazine film writer David Larsen speaks with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra conductor Marc Taddei.

MARC TADDEI DOES NOT WATCH movies the same way you do. “Conducting gets into your eyes after a while. It’s a funny thing. You find yourself focusing in on these odd little details. Oh look, she nods her head three times and then there’s an abrupt cut, and then you’ve got half a second before the bell rings!” Maybe she was nodding her head because she’s just agreed to marry someone, and the audience knows she’s making a terrible mistake, but Marc is not thinking about that. “You’re thinking, I can use this, this will stop me being late with that bell.” Silent cinema provides the most basic and obvious answer to the question: what are conductors for? Marc grew up in New York, and as a high school kid he used to play trombone in the Juilliard School’s Saturday morning orchestra. That was where he first saw the difference really inspirational conducting

can make. “We had this conductor who completely transformed the way everyone played; I couldn’t believe the sound he got out of the orchestra. I’d never seen the correlation between gesture and sound writ so large.” But with silent film the conductor is doing something even more crucial than inspiring the orchestra and interpreting the music – the conductor is the only member of the orchestra who can see the screen. If a bell rings 41 minutes and 15 seconds into a 90-minute film, only the conductor can make sure the orchestra gets to the bell precisely on time. “The first time I ever saw someone conduct a silent film I was really impressed – I couldn’t conceive how one could stay with a film so accurately over the course of an hour and a half.” Repeat engagements as the conductor for the New Zealand International Film Festival’s Live Cinema have allowed Marc to learn the tricks of the trade.

This year he conducts two Charlie Chaplin masterpieces: the 1917 short The Immigrant, and Chaplin’s first full feature, 1921’s The Kid. The music for the latter was written by Chaplin himself. “The cuts are the really challenging bits with these movies. With movies today you can usually feel the cuts coming, but sometimes these silents don’t have the same kind of rhythm, because the visual grammar of editing was still being worked out in this period, so if you’re not alert the visual cues can arrive before you’re ready for them. I always watch the film three or four times to get a sense of where the tricky bits are before I really go to work. But having said that, it’s great to watch something like The Kid over and over again. For me what’s really exciting about this year’s programme is that one of the consummate artistic geniuses of the 20th century wrote his own score to what’s arguably his greatest movie.” LEARN MORE

aucklandlive.co.nz/nziff

THE KID 2 August | Live at The Civic

NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 16 July – 2 August | Various venues

AUCKLAND LIVE PRESENTS

MELBOURNE BALLET COMPANY INFINITE SPACE ESSENTIAL AND COMPELLING VIEWING – THE HERALD SUN

20 & 21 AUG Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna Tickets* $39 – $59 ticketmaster.co.nz

* Service fees apply. Student price valid only for secondary students with ID. Choreography by Simon Foy. Image by Ron Fung.

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LIVE | JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015

Photographer: Michael Bradley

Get on the ice!

You know it’s really winter when the ice rink pops up in Aotea Square. This year Aotea Square Ice Rink has a two-lane ice slide as well as all the skating fun you can handle. The rink opened with a super-cute Frozen themed party, with tiny princesses, princes, snowmen and reindeer taking to the ice. The rink and slide are open until 19 July. For more information and the programme of themed weekends and special events, visit aucklandlive.co.nz/aoteasquareicerink.

PARADICE ICE SKATING PRESENTS

NOW

11 JUNE – 19 JULY Open daily until 10pm Tickets from $15 | Slide from 7.50 aucklandlive.co.nz Photo by Ross Brown

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THE WORLD’S NO.1 DANCE SHOW!

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34 DANCERS LIVE ON STAGE!

18-23 August • The Civic

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