“It’s about ordinary people that have got some gifts or have been through trauma in their lives, that need to experience love,” Harris said.
“I’m really passionate about it.
“Out of all the writings in my life this is the one that matters the most to me.
“It hurts to see it sitting there in a box.”
Harris, formerly from Auckland, said she has always loved English, and has written short stories, songs and poems since she was a little girl.
One of her songs - called I Met This Man Today - was turned into a musical in the 1970s.
Though they had little or no experience, friends, church volunteers, and acquaintances jumped on board to help out as actors, singers, and costume makers.
They also managed the sound and lighting, and made cups of tea after the show.
The musical, about “what happens when ordinary people meet an extraordinary God”, was performed at Massey High School hall and Remuera Golf Club in Auckland, and in the South Island, when Harris moved there for a stint.
“The halls were packed; there were over 500 to 600 people each time,” she said.
Harris, who moved to Kerikeri three years ago, was diagnosed with chronic lymphoma leukaemia and has been on chemotherapy for 18 months.
She said the revival of the musical came about following a conversation with her grand-daughter Natalia Tebbutt two months ago.
“She said ‘grandma, I just want to ask you one question - is there one thing you want to do before you die?’
“I said if I could just see the musical done once more, I would die happy.”
Tebbutt, a former Whangārei resident who now lives in Invercargill, said she posed the question to her grandmother because she worked in a funeral home for seven years.
“A big part of working there was realising life is too short, and you have to do what makes you happy.
“That’s why I asked her.
“I wanted to make sure she was doing what she wanted.”
Harris has dusted off her old costumes, and has taken her music to a local sound engineer who added instruments and turned them into a CD.
Admission is by koha and all donations will be given to Hato Hone St John ambulance service.
Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7.30pm. Check out Facebook for more information.
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.
