There might be a few extra seats, a much flasher foyer and fancy equipment, but when you stand on the stage in the Sir Howard Morrison Centre’s main theatre, you can still feel the history of its namesake’s era.
This Saturday, the Morrison whānau will pay tribute to Sir Howard in the theatre that carries his name in a concert that promises plenty of “wow” moments, laughs and maybe a few tears.
The former Rotorua Convention Centre was closed for five years while it underwent a $36.5 million makeover and earthquake strengthening. It reopened in February with a new name: the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
The renaming was announced in September 2014, on the fifth anniversary of Sir Howard’s death, by then Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick.
Morrison was a legendary New Zealand entertainer from Rotorua. In his early years, he was a frontman for the Howard Morrison Quartet and later travelled the world as an entertainer. In 1990 he was knighted for services to the entertainment industry.
Son Howard Morrison Junior said the Morrison family had always wanted to honour his father with a concert in the Sir Owen Glenn Theatre when it reopened. Sir Owen, one of Sir Howard’s best friends, gifted $3 million towards the refurbishment of the centre.
“It’s certainly a huge honour that Dad’s legacy will live on through this building... You can still feel the vibe of those times here and this building holds a lot of happy memories.”
He said his family was proud the centre carried his father’s name and it stood as a symbol of his legacy both on the stage and for what he did for the community.
“We always wanted to come back and perform one more time to tribute Dad in the new, refurbished centre... I’m very excited about the line-up and the fun and the laughter and even the tears that we’re going to share this Saturday.”
Much of Sir Howard’s work involved fostering youth participation in performing arts and Morrison Jr said he had selected up-and-coming talent to perform on Saturday to represent that side of Sir Howard’s legacy.
Singers Nikau Grace, Te Pumanawa Rogers and Tawhao Webster will depict Sir Howard’s first group, the Clive Trio, and then another group of youngsters will re-enact the Howard Morrison Quartet in its early years.
The show will take the audience through Sir Howard’s decades of performing and will feature special guests Morrison Jnr, Ray Woolf, Rewa Ututaonga, the Yandall Sisters, Eddie Low, Gray Bartlett, Chris Powley, Takerei Peck, Scotty Morrison and a five-piece band.
Morrison Jr said his father used to host free annual concerts supported by the local council at the Rotorua Convention Centre, and to remember those times he would hold a shortened version of the concert for one hour on Saturday at 1pm for all senior citizens in Rotorua.
Morrison Jr is distributing tickets to local rest homes this week. A small number of tickets can be collected for senior citizens from the centre on Friday between 10am and 2pm.
Tickets are $69 to $79 but all mothers, nurses and teachers can buy tickets to Saturday’s 7pm show at a discounted rate of $50 at the centre’s ticketbox.
