Friends not foes in the musical theatre scene

A nun, two dancing girls, a stressed out New Yorker, an angsty teenager with a murderous boyfriend, and a freedom fighter struggling for the right to relieve himself all walk into a theatre…

Sounds like a bad joke, right? But truth is stranger than fiction, with not one, not two but five musical theatre productions jiving across Wellington theatre stages in the month of September, each involving an utterly unique set of stories.

“If you love musicals, September is your month; you can go out almost every night to a different show. If you aren’t so familiar with musicals, now is the time to get a taste for the variety of musicals out there,” say Shannon Tubman, production manager for Urinetown: The Musical.

This unofficial Wellington musical season offers a wide variety of experiences, from the dancing nuns of Sister Act to the most intimate of shows, Ordinary Days, with a four-person cast. For those who would rather look at the dark side of life, Heathers provides a delicious and deadly dose of 1980s glam while Smokey Joe’s Café explores the upbeat music of the songs of Leiber and Stoller. Urinetown: The Musical pokes fun at authority, capitalism, big corporations, populism and often itself. Two musicals, Heathers and Ordinary Days, are New Zealand premieres.

“Having all these shows on at once is not a negative thing, it’s a fantastic opportunity for people to see such a wide range of theatre. From professional to students embarking on their journey in this awesome genre these shows are going to be stunning,” says Kate Marshall, director of Smokey Joe’s Café.

Such a diverse group of shows could have led to rivalry but instead, the Wellington musical theatre community has banded together to help each other out.

“It takes monumental effort to put together a show; months of rehearsals juggling their lives and their passion shows the level of commitment required to put something worth watching," says Ivy Padilla, publicist for Sister Act for Wellington Musical Theatre.

The theatre groups are sharing promotional activities, talent, musicians, props, and even wardrobes to put on all five musicals.

“The Wellington musical community is close knit and we’re all friends,” says Caryl Illana, publicist for Ordinary Days.

“Ultimately, we all love musical theatre and we are in this together,” says Karen Anslow, director of Heathers. “At the end of the musical theatre season, a giant party will be held for the cast and of all five shows.”

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