New Zealand International Arts Festival News

New Zealand International Arts Festival

27 February - 21 March 2004

In this issue - an overview of current shows

* Win tickets to Foi - but be quick! * The Songmaker's Chair * Geographical Cure * Mahinarangi Tocker * The Untold Tales of Maui * Young and Rollins * Vivo * The Elixir of Love - opens tomorrow

Nau mai haere mai and welcome

Dominion Post readers will recognise my entry in this week's Festival News. Who has the time to write two columns? It's been a complete whirlwind the last few days. The rain has whipped across the sky and a whole series of shows finishes as the next group gets underway. Madness! The dancing and singing artist liaison team, under the direction of logistics maestro Victoria Wilks, is making many trips to the airport, collecting artists and farewelling others. They're also singing up a storm of welcome with Te Aroha three times a day.

In addition to artists we welcome to Wellington festival directors from England, Ireland, Holland, France, Mexico, Belgium and Austria. They are here to see, and hopefully buy, New Zealand shows. After a number of practice runs at 3am in the Heineken Festival Club, Jonathan and Sarah from the National Theatre in London managed at 9am to sing an old English song for their waiata - very impressive. They were a little outshone in the singing stakes by the glorious voices of Christine Leboutte of Foi and Uma Ysamat from The Junebug Symphony. But then they weren't in the club last night.

Tonight The Junebug Symphony opens and it is a work of pure magic. That magic is supported by New Zealand Post who have placed red bugs all over town, on billboards and on courier vans. This is a bug you do want to catch. In the past few days many people have been disappointed not to get into sold-out shows. So get down to the box office or on to our website (www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz) if you don't have your tickets yet.

Tomorrow Foi opens. The Belgian company decided before they arrived that they would do a Kapiti Island trip. It looked in doubt due to the weather, but in true Kapiti style the sun shone as they climbed to the top of the island. I've asked Kapiti Mayor Alan Milne to send some of that sunshine over the hill to us.

Hot tip - if you liked the Spanish ballet make sure you attend the Friday night concert of Carmen Linares, Spain's most revered female flamenco singer. And on Saturday The Telecom Opera The Elixir of Love will shine with sparkling arias and bittersweet comedy. Don't miss it.

Carla van Zon, Artistic Director David Inns, Chief Executive ......................................................................................................... THE JUNEBUG SYMPHONY Catch the bug, the magic starts tonight. 'Absolutely astounding. War may well break out between adults and children over who gets to see it' DAILY TELEGRAPH, UK http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=4&activity_id=9

......................................................................................................... GEOGRAPHICAL CURE Last shows - finishes Saturday. 'Their rich textures, subtle dynamics and effective storytelling propel an excitingly original show.' DOMINION POST http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=10&activity_id=13

...................................................................................................... MAHINARANGI TOCKER Final show tonight, 7.30PM, Heineken Festival Club. 'A breathtaking singer.' SUNDAY STAR TIMES http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=13&activity_id=50

......................................................................................................... THE UNTOLD TALES OF MAUI Final show tonight, 9.30PM, Heineken Festival Club. 'Southpark meets Maori legends and the audience comes out the winner ... often covulsively funny.' NEW ZEALAND HERALD http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=13&activity_id=62

......................................................................................................... YOUNG AND ROLLINS They brought the house down and received two standing ovations at Waikanae Town Hall last night. Tonight Young and Rollins are Out and About at Masterton Town Hall, 7.30PM tonight. 'Young and Rollins display a shocking breadth of skills ... Live, they are absolutely riveting.' WASHINGTON POST http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=58&activity_id=181

......................................................................................................... VIVO Tonight only, 6PM, Wellington Town Hall. Members of the Auckland Philharmonia, New Zealand violinist Miranda Adams and Russian-born pianist and accordion player Tatiana Lanchitkova present an eclectic and entertaining repertoire. Works by Mozart, Khachaturian, Debussy, Wieniewski followed by a series of Tango classics by Piazzolla and Albeniz among others. http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=14&activity_id=42

......................................................................................................... THE ELIXIR OF LOVE - OPENS TOMORROW Shelve your preconceptions of opera as the staid and stuffy aunt of the musical family. In the Telecom Opera - The Elixir of Love the emphasis is on fun. Donizetti's classic is taken from its traditional setting - a 19th Century Italian village - and dropped into a 1980s Californian high school on the day of the prom.

Moonwalk down Memory Lane in a production rich in lycra, fluoro and brick-like cell phones. The NZSO and a stellar cast will ensure Donizetti's much-loved score is, as one reviewer put it, 'beautiful from start to finish'. http://www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz/home/page.aspx?page_id=19

......................................................................................................... WIN TICKETS TO FOI - BUT YOU'LL NEED TO BE QUICK! Win double A-reserve tickets to the incredible Foi (Faith). All the way from Belgium comes a captivating medieval/contemporary dance opera - a magnum opus about the terrors of war, the absurdity of violence and the basic human need for companionship. 'The cast are extraordinary, reckless and compelling ... it cuts disturbingly close to the bones of our current situation' GUARDIAN,UK

To win tickets simply reply to this email with the answer to the following question in the subject line.

Who is the choreographer of Foi?

Tickets are for opening night, Friday 5 March, non transferable. ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5PM TODAY, THURSDAY 4 MARCH.

Conditions of entry: 1. Open to New Zealand residents except employees of New Zealand International Arts Festival and its sponsors. 2. The competition closes 5pm on Thursday 5 March 2004 and the best entry, decided by our judges, will receive the prize. The winner will be notified by email. 3. The judge's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 4. The prize is not transferable or redeemable for cash. 5. Entries become the property of the New Zealand International Arts Festival and may be used for promotional purposes.

Congratulations to Amanda Bateman who won last week's prize of two A-reserve tickets to Geographical Cure. Angela correctly named Dan Adams of Verona as the composer.

NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL 27 FEBRUARY - 21 MARCH www.nzfestival.telecom.co.nz

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