The cast of In the Heights gathers on stage at Baycourt this week.
The cast of In the Heights gathers on stage at Baycourt this week.
Everyone has a story - and Jason Te Mete wants to take it to the stage.
His latest mission is to shine a light on the “incredible” Māori of Tauranga and Rotorua through the power of theatre as director of In the Heights on stage in Tauranga this week.
But behind the scenes, the Tauranga-born musician and playwright has an incredible story of his own.
In 2021, Te Mete suffered an insect bite while at a friend’s barbecue that resulted in the deadly flesh-eating bacteria necrotising fasciitis.
The bacteria was eating away at the soft tissue on his right arm and causing septic shock, shutting down his organs. Te Mete was put into a coma for 10 days.
Since “the bite”, Te Mete has undergone multiple surgeries to regain the use of his arm - and there are more in the pipeline.
“We are still healing and rehabilitating. There is some continued mahi happening.”
But Te Mete did not want this story to be about him.
Instead, he said his latest project with Stage Right’s production of In the Heights was aimed at bringing “new blood” under the spotlight, particularly Māori and Pasifika performers.
In the Heights will be Te Mete’s first musical in Tauranga since Little Shop of Horrors with local theatre Shy & Retiring Company in 1998.
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, also the writer of the musical Hamilton, and set in the Washington Heights neighbourhood of New York City, In the Heights tells a universal story of a vibrant minority community and celebrates cultural identity, family, and love.
When asked to direct the show, Te Mete said he felt strongly about giving the production the representation, diversity, identity, and authenticity it deserved.
And with special permission from the publishers and performance rights holders to cast Māori and Pasifika characters named in the script as Latinx, he could do just that.
Jason Te Mete is the director of Stage Right's production of In the Heights at Baycourt this week.
“In New Zealand, we don’t have a huge Latin community but we do have Māori and Pasifika cultures who are very similar in character traits.
“They have come from minority communities, they grew up in a culture that is steeped in tradition, family and ancestry.”
Te Mete said he was excited about bringing the show to Tauranga as he felt the Māori community could identify with the struggles faced by some of the characters. That included being the first to go to college or “getting out of the barrio” but being drawn back when family called.
Te Mete said these actors seldom got the chance to play well-rounded leading roles in traditional and contemporary theatre.
“What I am most passionate about is being able to bring my knowledge to the communities here that haven’t experienced Baycourt and the theatre world aka the Māori communities who are incredible performers in their own right.”
The 28-strong cast includes six from Rotorua plus the musical director Dan Ieremia and choreographer Taiaroa Royal.
Te Mete hoped the production would prove “we don’t have to go to Auckland or Australia to see good theatre”.
“Given the opportunities and platforms to really showcase ourselves we can have hugely high standard productions.”
Te Mete, of Ngāti Ranginui and Ngaiterangi, created Tuatara Collective in 2017, which aims to turn Aotearoa stories into art.
He said Māori history was traditionally passed down either orally, or through mahi toi or carving.
“My inspiration behind all of my projects is to try and expand on that.
“If we are learning these stories from one individual and creating that story in a different way with 10 actors and performing that for an audience of 600 people for a week-long season then all of a sudden that one little story has been told to 5000 people in a week.”
His advice to aspiring actors or directors is to: “Be brave and do it”.
“Take every opportunity you are given whether it is paid or not and really enjoy the process.
“Just because you live in Tauranga or Rotorua doesn’t mean you don’t have international quality.”
Taiaroa Royal is the choreographer for Stage Right's production of In the Heights at Baycourt this week. Photo / Alex Efimoff
New Zealand dancer and choreographer Taiaroa Royal said he hoped Tauranga audiences would recognise it was a “universal story” that could be about a community here or Rotorua.
Royal said the music in the show influenced him “a lot” and he has incorporated three dance styles - hip hop, Latino, and musical theatre.
“I also threw in a little contemporary from my career.
“Also the cast being of mixed race, including Māori and Pacific Island, they bring their cultures with them too; not that you will see Pasifika movements in the choreography, just their ‘style’.”
He loves fantasy TV series. He love things that take him into another world.
He would have loved to have lived in the Never Ending Story.
He is obsessed with tuatara.
He has worked professionally for 18 years in Aotearoa and internationally.
His performance and musical direction of the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival season of K’Rd Strip, Okareka Dance Company’s highly acclaimed work, received 5-star international reviews.
He has directed or musically directed more than 40 musicals.
