One week from the next opening night, the cast had packed into the theatre when they received the news that the country had been moved into the “red” level of the Covid response’s traffic light setting and the production once again came to a halt.
Tauranga Musical Theatre president Jeremy Sparrow said it had been an “incredibly emotional” journey.
Many of the cast, creative team and crew members had been unable to stay on as a result of the delays and the theatre held fresh auditions earlier this year. About eight members remained from the old cast.
Sparrow said it felt “quite extraordinary” to have the show finally go on and he was grateful for all the support received along the way from the community and sponsors.
There was a “huge amount of excitement within the cast” to finish what was begun four years ago, but he said they also held a sense of reflection.
“In terms of the show itself, it is the biggest show in the world and it is every musical theatre kid’s dream. It’s the show of shows, the pinnacle of musical theatre.”
Quoting a famous line from Les Misérables, Sparrow said “even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise” – a quote he said was “obviously quite fitting considering the journey we’ve been on”.
He was “incredibly proud” of what each member had achieved and the show was a testament to every member, on and off stage, who had helped bring the show to life.
Harriet Laughton is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty.
