Iconic Musical Marching In To Auckland Concert Spectacular

Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre
12 – 15 October
On sale this Wednesday | Ticketmaster

One of the most beloved musicals ever written, The Music Man, is marching in to Auckland this October as a concert spectacular.

Following on from last year’s hugely successful semi-staged season of Chess, The Music Man will be performed live by our finest singers and musicians, sharing the stage with the Royal New Zealand Navy Band to create a wall of sound.

Featuring 24 big band songs, including the hit Seventy-six Trombones, this is an experience not to be missed at Auckland’s Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, from 12 – 15 October. Pre-sales begin today and all remaining seats will be available to the public this Wednesday.

Produced by the Amici Trust and G&T Productions – a collab responsible for recent musical hits including Mary Poppins, Jersey Boys and Kinky Boots – this four-day music extravaganza is a premiere event delivered in association with Auckland Live.

The Music Man was an instant smash hit when it premiered on Broadway in in 1957, running for 1,375 performances and winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. The cast album won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album and ranked on the Billboard charts for 245 weeks.

Its 2022 Broadway revival starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster achieved extraordinary success, playing 374 regular and 46 preview performances by the time it took its final bow.

As the best-known work by Meredith Willson, The Music Man follows the tale of brazen swindler Professor Harold Hill who arrives in River City, Iowa, promising uniforms, instruments and lessons for a new town band.

The locals are thrilled but in reality, Hill plans to leave River City as soon as he closes the sale. But those plans change when Hill meets Marian Paroo, or "Marian the Librarian," and finds himself falling for her. Soon Hill must follow through on his big promises or else lose out on his chance at love.

In the role conman cum Casanova is one of our most in-demand leading theatre actors, Nic Kyle, who has won rave reviews for his performance as Charlie Price in the New Zealand premiere season of Kinky Boots.

He has recently finished a tour of Shrek the Musical in New Zealand and Dubai as the conniving Lord Farquard, Nic’s other credits include Monty Python’s Spamalot, Star Wars, The Producers, La Cage Aux Folles, Anything Goes, Cabaret; Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, Ladies Night, Rent, Blood Brothers and Sweeney Todd.

Playing Professor Hill’s love interest is Jess Rogers whose most recent credits include the New Zealand premiere and National Tour of Shrek The Musical and Madagascar The Musical. She is also a member of the vocal trio The Madeleines.

Amici Trust chairman Mike Alexander says he’s thrilled to be announcing such an iconic title for the second “in concert” series.

“We were so pleased with the reaction to Chess that it encouraged us to seek out a second, yet very different, title that we know Auckland will love. There’s nothing like those big band sounds, together with some of most amazing voices. Can’t wait to see you there.”

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