Tarnished Frocks and Divas has been and gone for another two years ... and what a success the event was for Tauranga.
The audience were a local lot, but with quite a few who had travelled from afar, including three Welsh men here for the RWC celebrations who thought it looked like a pretty good gig in the REAL festival programme and booked online months ago! They loved it, claiming they will be back for the next one ...
The whole Divas buzz continues on in the city with those that have supported all four shows and the newly converted admirers who will now become part of the loyal diva fraternity.
This review from local journalist Katherine Hoby sums it all up nicely:
I knew it would be an evening worth putting on my new sky-high red heels for. And it was.
I'd never seen any of the previous seasons of Tarnished Frocks and Divas, so I didn't know what to expect. But that's often the best way to go into a show. And that's when they really knock you for a cabaret-style, wine-women-and-song-style six.
Show Director Vanessa Byrnes had done an amazing job pulling together a large group of women, some of whom were all new to the stage. She has clearly worked incredibly hard and worked her team very long hours, and wrought magic from them all. Bravo.
Early on we meet Mistress la Belle Jacqueline (a glittering and slinky Jackie Clarke), who introduces us to the location for this year's show, French restaurant Alouette or Skylark, and it's colourful cast of characters.
From there, each fabulous section of this theatre-fashion extravaganza unfolds around one course of seven in a degustation menu. A love story entwines itself in and around the show and features some stunning vocal and theatrical performances, including by lovelorn chef Mademoiselle Sharon (Sharon Cotter), and Monsieur Chancer (Marilyn Collins-Smith).
And while we prepare for the next course, the Mistress of Ceremonies, Jacqueline, winds her way into the audience, flirting and playing with the men scattered amongst the many women. Are we enjoying the petite treats on offer? Are we? Ah oui!
Musical director Aaron Saxon and choreographer Caterina Laschke have combined to give the Divas - all local women 40 years and over (though you'd never know it from their fabulous figures and foxy footwork) - incredible steps to strut and stride, and music which perfectly fits each section.
Pre-show and during the interval Auckland-based Tracey Collins as Tracie de Talent showed how to make accordion sexy, and in tandem with Mistress Marguerite the Gypsy (embodied splendidly by the fabulous Jan Beets), kept the sell-out crowd entertained.
And by the way, it was so nice to see Tauranga's finest out in their finest.
We shouldn't need an excuse to dress up, but we seemingly do. And this was the perfect excuse. It was a celebration of talent in the Bay, of life, and of women.
The Divas looked all bright and shiny within the glow and applause of the audience, modelling a range of garments, some inspired by Chanel and others floating along the boards in Marie Antoinette-like creations, complete with towering, colourful wigs.
But bright and shiny as they were, Mistress Jacqueline asked us: "anyway, we all like our Divas with a bit of tarnish, don't we?" Ah oui! We surely do.'
Congratulations to everyone involved - a huge team of amazing women who gave it their all - we trust you enjoyed your journey!
Bring on 2013!!!