Frontseat, this Sunday 15th May, 10.30pm TV One

Frontseat, this Sunday 15th May, 10.30pm TV One

PRODIGAL COUNTRY: Julie Hill reports on the future of homes lived in by writer Janet Frame and composer Douglas Lilburn. The Thorndon house that Lilburn spent most of his life in was a home he loved and according to friends, wanted to gift to the nation as New Zealand's first composer's residence after his death. But now, the executors of his will want to sell the house to a private buyer. Meanwhile, the American couple who owns Janet Frame's childhood home wants to gift it to the district of Waitaki - but the Council says it doesn't want it. Julie Hill investigates.

MAUI VERSUS THE HOBBIT: Tanemahuta Gray’s dream of a De La Guarda-style theatre experience opens in Wellington next week. ‘Maui’ is the culmination of many years, much money, and metres and metres of aerial equipment; and features the talents of top locals like composer Gareth Farr, dancer Taiaroa Royal and actor Tamati Te Nohotu. Jeremy Hansen heads into rehearsals to rate Maui’s chances in the wake of box office stage-flops ‘The Hobbit’, ‘Once Were Warriors’ and ‘Whale Rider’. www.mauitheshow.com

THE FUTURE OF MUSICALS: Go on, admit it, everyone’s a closet musical fan. But where are musicals heading? There are the shows that just recycle popular music: ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Queen – The Musical’, Boy George’s ‘Taboo’. There are the new, fabulous bad taste shows like ‘Jerry Springer – The Musical’. Then there are musicals of films of musicals of films – ‘The Producers’, anyone? Not to mention local attempts at turning unique stories into song-and-dance extravaganzas: ‘Once Were Warriors’, ‘Whale Rider’, and who can forget ‘Braindead – The Musical’? Oliver Driver explores where stage musicals are heading with performer Rima Te Wiata and veteran director Bobby Alderton.

ALSO: Sculptural Vandalism – We report on the latest act of violence towards a public sculpture (Andrew Drummond’s ‘Tower of Light’ near Wellington Airport).

Best regards,

The Frontseat Team TV One, Sunday Nights (repeated 6.30am the following Sunday morning)

PLEASE NOTE: This is a weekly email that lets you know what's on Frontseat each Sunday night. If you DON'T want to receive this email, or you have received it in error, please reply with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

ENDS

© Scoop Media