Rotorua bursting with artistic talent

SHOW TIME: Performers at Celebrate 75, celebrating 75 years of the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre, showed the wide range of talents available in Rotorua. PICTURE/SUPPLIED

As the saying goes 'fame's the star' and the celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of what's now the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre confirmed it.

For more than three hours locals claimed the stage, engraving their however many minutes of fame on it.

Joint Masters of Ceremonies, Lizzie Marvelly and Tom Poata, did a grand job introducing a programme totalling 150-plus performers, opening with Rewa Ututaonga and Leon Wharekura.

Who knew the city had so many dance groups of such diverse genres.

From ballet to break dancing, from jazz to hula, belly button popping moves of the mystical Middle East to the Do-Si-Do of all-American square dancing, each was represented by proud participants.

Toss in the pipes and drums of the city's Highland Pipe Band, the ukulele-strumming and singing Thermaleles, shake it all about with a bracket of opera from rising star, Ellis Carrington, and the cocktail's coming along nicely.

Garnish with the divine voice of Timua Brennan plus that of the lead performer of many locally-produced musicals, Evelyn Falconer, and, to borrow from the title of her signature song, who couldn't have danced all night?

The answer's probably the Edward brothers, thanks to the sound system letting them down, as it did the square dancers.

The brothers, well known to anyone who's lived in the district more than a millisecond for their card game "happy families" collection of professions, have been the backbone of many concerts of this calibre.

On a higher note inviting Howie Morrison Junior and his show band to bring down the curtain was a fitting tribute to his dad whose name the building's carried since last September.

That's just one of many changes since its official opening on July 24, 1940.

Seventy-five years on, Rotorua continues to salute this institution that's become the city's entertainment heart.

Happy birthday big building - can your next major milestone be celebrated any better

Jill Nicholas