Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Nobodies meet their favourite somebodies

By Rebecca Mauger
Bay of Plenty Times·
23 Aug, 2018 12:25 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Nobodies meet their favourite somebodies in Ali Harper's solo show. Photo / Danielle Colvin

Nobodies meet their favourite somebodies in Ali Harper's solo show. Photo / Danielle Colvin

The show poignantly explores the uncanny influence that chance encounters, both directly and indirectly, play in our lives.

Singer and actress Ali Harper plays five superstars and their adoring fans when "nobodies" meet "somebodies" in her one-woman show.

And there's a little lesson in happiness too.

Songs for Nobodies starring Ali Harper is about five ordinary people who meet their idols from yesteryear. The nobodies meet Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday and Maria Callas, and after some interaction come to the realisation that maybe their lives are pretty good.

Harper believes the show has a strong message about recognising happiness or what we perceive happiness to be.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

For example, character Bea Appleton is a ladies lavatory assistant in 1961 in Manhattan and her idol Judy Garland walks in after performing at Carnegie Hall.

"They have this beautiful conversation and Judy touches Bea emotionally," Harper says.

"The tragic lives of the stars are touched on in a subtle way, but Songs for Nobodies doesn't give a history lesson as much, a lot of people who will come to the show will know of their fate, but it is subtly touched upon. And these nobodies outlive the somebodies."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Harper says the show has been physically tiring for her, but emotionally tiring as well.

"I have researched these stars — and I was told we are not going to impersonate these women — but what has happened is the more you do it, the more you grasp their pain and hardship."

Harper still thinks of Patsy Cline every time she travels away from her own family (Cline died in an aeroplane crash in bad weather, choosing to fly because she wanted to return home to her young children). Harper feels the sadness for child stars such as Judy Garland who were given diet and sleeping pills by the studios who employed them.

"What does come through is these stars are famous for being amazing singers and actresses, not for what they wear or how many Twitter or Instagram followers they have.

"It's for pure talent and that's why people watched them. That is why the show is important — it makes us never forget them and we are reminded that we are inspired by meeting these somebodies. That was the time of good old-fashioned talent."

Harper uses her varied talents to play the wide-eyed nobodies as well as the stars who are vocally very different from each other. Harper went back for singing lessons to nail the vocal range of Maria Callas.

The show is written by Melbourne playwright Joanna Murray-Smith.

"In my 25-year career, there have been a handful of scripts that have come my way and have felt like a gift. Songs for Nobodies is one of those gifts," Harper says.

"I love the way the show poignantly explores the uncanny influence that chance encounters, both directly and indirectly, play in our lives."

The event includes songs such as Crazy, Come Rain or Come Shine and Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Harper, from Christchurch, has performed the show more than 80 times. She is touring New Zealand and will be taking Songs for Nobodies to the United Solo Festival in New York.

Harper has starred in several musicals and plays throughout her career. Highlights include Mary Poppins, Blood Brothers, Mamma Mia, Legally Blond, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, A Shortcut to Happiness, Side by Side by Sondheim, Jacques Brel is alive and well and living in Paris, Jerry's Girls, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Tell Me on a Sunday.

The fine print
What: Songs for Nobodies
Where: Baycourt
When: Sunday, September 9, 7.30pm.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times

Nine Lotto players win nearly $31k each in Second Division – where tickets were sold

06 Jul 05:31 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

05 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Nine Lotto players win nearly $31k each in Second Division – where tickets were sold

Nine Lotto players win nearly $31k each in Second Division – where tickets were sold

06 Jul 05:31 AM

Lotto First Division Powerball was not struck and has jackpotted to $10m on Wednesday.

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

'He's just scared of me': Teen's Māori wards challenge to PM

06 Jul 03:55 AM
Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

Region's first learning hub for migrant parents a 'transformative step'

05 Jul 06:00 PM
'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

'God-given right': Family defends largely unconsented homestead on rural land

04 Jul 08:45 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP