Cast members give their all during rehearsals for In The Heights, a story about young Latinos in New York.
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See below for English translation
Hūtia ake ai te kahu ātamira ā te pō nei i te kura tuaroa o Raukura mō tā rātou whakaari, In the Heights.
Kua itiiti noa te taimā ki te rōpū ara, ngā mema me te pēne ki te whakarite i tēnei whakaari.
Ka pau ngā hararei rātou e parakitihi ana, ā, kua ea ngā taumahatanga. Ka tū tēnei whakaari mō te kotahi wiki anake. Ka tāti a te pō o Hūrae te rua tekau mā iwa tae noa ki te tuaono o Akuwhata.
'He taumaha rawa ngā parakitihi kua oti i a mātou, he kotahi tekau mā rua o ngā hāora te roa i ngā hararei, me te whakaū kaha āhua whā, āhua rima o ngā rā i te wiki kotahi he heke toihau te take'.
Hai tā te mātanga whakahaere me te ringatohu a Cameron Hay.
E toru tekau mā rima ngā mema o tēnei whakaari. Tokowaru o rātou he mema o te pēne, tokorima o rātou he ringa hāpai. E rua ngā rōpū whakaari nō reira me kaha patapataingia ko tēwhea rōpū e tū ana mena kai te hiahia mātakitaki koe i tō hoa i tō whānaunga rānei kia mōhio pū koe hai āhea ia tū ai.
Kātahi tēnei rōpū hoki.
He mana nui, he ihi matotoru, hai tāna. Nā Lin Manuel Miranda tēnei whakaari i tuhi nānā hoki te whakaari Hamilton. Ko te aronga o te whakaari ko te oranga o tētehi pahi Latino e ora nei i ngā tiriti o Niu Ioka i Washington Heights. He waiata Salsa, he waiata Hip-Hop, whaihoki he wāhanga Soul Music hoki.
Ko te kōrero tēnei a Usnavi he whakarehu nei ki tōna whenua tupu ki te Dominican Republic. Ka whakaranungia tōna oranga me ētehi tangata harikoa pēnei i a Vanessa, i a Benny, i a Nina, i a Sonny me Abuela Claudia me ō rātou ake moemoeā, he ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke o te wā kātahi nā ia ka mātau ai ko te oranga kai ōna ake ringaringa kai te takiwā nei In the Heights.
'He wā tēnei tuku ki ngā tauira ki a waia ai rātou ki te tū ātamira mena kai te ihu o te ātamira, rānei kai muri e mahi ana', hai tā Cameron.
'Ko te pirangi tuarua kia tukuna te wehi o ngā tauira kia kitea ai e te mārea wheoi anō kia tū hoki ai rātou hai rangatira hai pou mataaho mō te hunga rangatahi ka tae mai ki te mātakitaki i ēnei tūāhuatanga'.
Ko Kararaina Walker te ringatohu , ko Elisha Hulton te mātanga waiata, ko Marisol Pengelly te mātanga whakaniko nekehanga.
Atu i ēnei mātanga he āhua tokowaru, he kotahi tekau o ngā pou awhina ki te whatu pūeru, ki te waihanga kame, ki te mahi toi, ki te whakatika makawe me te panipani i ngā ngutu.'
He kura whakahīhī iti nei a Raukura ki te kawe i ngā whakaari me te kura o ngā kōhine hoki he ahakoa he wā nui ngā mamaetanga ko te painga o ēnei āhuatanga ka māoriori anō ai ngā kare-ā-roto o ngā tauira ki a koke whakatemua tonu ai ngā tauira'.
Hai tā Cameron hoki, ' whati ana te tāhūhū o ētehi o ngā tauira i te māuiui urutā he ahakoa tēnā i ū kaha nei rātou ki te kaupapa, nā tēnā kua whakaritea e rātou he rautaki. ' He rua ngā tangata ki te tūnga kotahi, nā reira mā tētehi mātanga tētehi pō, mā tētehi atu tangata tētehi atu pō ka nui te uauatanga ka pā ki te reo waiata me te mahi whakaari hoki nō reira tēnei rautaki, ka rua, ka hinga pea mātou i te māuiui urutā he ora iti kai te pae tata, engari anō he painga me he tangata matakitaki koe ki a hoki tuarua mai ia, he rerekē te wairua o tētehi i tētehi.'
E ai hoki ki a Cameron, 'Ko ngā hua o tēnei whakaari he rau noa atu. Mō te hunga whakaari he mea ka pōwhatungia ai ki te ngākau mō ake roa atu, ko te whakaari ake ki tētehi huinga mātakitaki he mana nui, ko ngā hua hoki mō ngā poumahi he rau noa, mātua ko te kite ake i te pakaritanga o ā rātou tauira e kawe ana i te mana o te kura ki te wahatieke o te hāpori e mana hoki ai te hāpori'. Kai te pae tukutuku o te kura o Raukura ngā tīkiti.
Kia kamakama.
— Na Raimona Inia tenei purongo i whakamaori.
Tonight the curtain goes up on the Raukura production of the musical In the Heights.
The Team — Cast and Band have had a relatively short timeframe to put this on — rehearsing throughout Term Two and in the holidays.
It will run for one week, tonight July 29 to August 6.
"We have had a very intensive schedule of rehearsals — basically running some 12-hour days within holidays and rehearsing four to five times a week."
That's the word from production manager and musical director Cameron Hay who said they had a team of 35 cast members, eight band members and five backstage crew.
They have two alternating casts and whanau should check which team is performing if they want to see someone in particular.
It's a big and awesome team, he said.
In the Heights was written by Lin Manuel Miranda who also wrote the musical Hamilton.
The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Latino neighbourhood of Washington Heights. Featuring Salsa, Hip Hop and Soul Music, it tells
the story of Usnavi who dreams of a life back in his homeland — the Dominican Republic.
His life intertwines with Vanessa, Benny, Nina, Sonny and Abuela Claudia who all have their own dreams. However, ultimately through the different events that happen and through friends and family, he realises that all he ever needs is right there In the Heights.
"We want to give an opportunity for all of our students to experience being on stage in a musical — whether it be onstage, singing, dancing and acting, in the band or backstage," Cameron said.
"We also want to share out amazing students talents out to the wider community and for them to be role models for younger students from contributing schools who will attend our sold-out matinees."
The show's director is Kararaina Walker, the vocals director is Elisha Hulton and choreographer is Marisol Pengelly.
As well, there are another 8 to 10 staff helping with costumes, set design, props, hair and make-up.
"We have a strong and proud tradition here at Raukura of putting on good musicals along with Rotorua Girls' High School so it was important even in these challenging times to have some normality and challenge ourselves to keep doing these co-curricular actiites for our students."
Cameron said covid had impacted on auditions but they perservered and even now have plans in place.
"We have double cast our lead roles and they will alternate shows as it is a very demanding show both vocally and movement wise. That way if we have a covid impact we are covered.
"But this also adds intrigue for audiences if they want to come along twice — each cast put these own spin on their characters as well."
Cameron said there are multiple benefits from the production.
"The students involved have an experience they will never forget — performing an amazing show to audiences.
"It is very rewarding for our staff to see the students flourish and we get the school out there in the community, so the community benefits."
■ Tickets can be bought on the Rotorua Boys' High School website.