Emily Burns has been seen as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, Eva Peron in Evita, Little Red in Into The Woods and Sophie in Mamma Mia! Photo / Supplied
Emily Burns has been seen as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, Eva Peron in Evita, Little Red in Into The Woods and Sophie in Mamma Mia! Photo / Supplied
New Zealand's greatest musical theatre performers who returned home from Broadway, West End and other international stages for lockdown are sharing their amazing talents in The Shows Must Go On.
In one amazing production in 23 locations – including Hamilton next week – six world-class artists perform showstoppersfrom your favourite musicals including The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Hairspray, Dreamgirls, The Greatest Showman, We Will Rock You and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
With stunning backdrops and theatrical staging, The Shows Must Go On is a night set to delight.
Akina Edmonds took to The Voice Australia stage in 2019 where she worked with Guy Sebastian and Boy George and progressed through to the Battle rounds. Photo / Supplied
Producer Dave Spark says The Shows Must Go On is a rare chance to see and hear some of New Zealand's greatest proponents of musical theatre.
"The idea sprang from having the artists at home plus having a lot of experienced technical teams out of work because border closure meant international acts could not get here.
If there's a silver lining to Covid, this is it.
The performers included Hayden Tee who has made a name for himself globally with his stunning portrayal of Javert in Les Miserables on Broadway, London's West End, Australia, Dubai and New Zealand.
After beginning her career as a jazz musician, Verity Burgess' love of music and dance drew her to the world of musical theatre. Beginning her journey with a role in The Royal Shakespeare Company/North Music Trust's UK production of West Side Story, Verity has performed in Cats, Children of Eden and the UK tour, West End production and international tour of Evita.
Akina Edmonds has gained recognition across the ditch with her powerful voice, joining the cast of major Australian tours of Buddy Holly the Musical, Avenue Q, Hairspray, An Officer and a Gentleman, Children of Eden, The Lion King, Beautiful; The Carole King Musical and Sister Act the Musical.
With a career spanning three decades, Paul Ross has performed extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia and internationally. He performed in the international tour of Les Miserables, the original Australia, New Zealand and Asia touring production and the 10th anniversary Australian tour of Mamma Mia!, as well as Cats, My Fair Lady, The Pajama Game and SHOUT!
Having performed in musicals since she was 8 years old, Emily Burns tackled some spectacular roles within New Zealand before taking her talents overseas.
She has been seen as Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins, Eva Peron in Evita, Little Red in Into The Woods and Sophie in Mamma Mia!
Paul Ross has performed extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia and internationally over three decades. Photo / Supplied
Jack Fraser has a string of impressive musical theatre credits on his resume both here and overseas. He has performed as Che in Evita, Dr Dillamond in Wicked, Enjolras in Les Miserables and Khashoggi in We Will Rock You.
At the helm of this spectacular cast is New Zealand's leading musical theatre director, Stephen Robertson who has amassed an impressive resume of directing credits throughout the years.
With Stephen's theatrical eye, and these six incredible talents on one stage, musical theatre lovers are in for a treat.
Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to hear these voices unite on home soil before they head back overseas to continue delighting international audiences.
■ The Shows Must Go On is at Clarence St Theatre in Hamilton on Friday and Saturday October 30 and 31. Tickets from Ticketek.
