Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Wizard a colourful spectacle

Paul Brooks
Whanganui Chronicle·
18 Apr, 2016 08:39 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

All 160 students of the Shirley McDouall School of Dance turned the Opera House into a colourful spectacle.

Staged over two nights, the show celebrated the school's 60th anniversary.

Choreographed by principal Melissa Tate, the production used the soundtrack of the 1939 film that starred Judy Garland as Dorothy.

Lip synching Judy's voice but adding a grace and style of her own was Leila Collinson. The packed Opera House loved her!

Accompanying "Dorothy" and adding a dimension of fun, was Kennedy Tate as Toto.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

We know the story of the Wizard of Oz, but this was about people: the vast range of dancers, from oh-so-cute little ones to gifted, graceful older girls - and a couple of young gentlemen.

Others played adult roles - Carey Knapp, Andrea Harper and Mike Street.

The show started with a hoedown and after a parade of fluffy ducks, little poppies and school children the story began, told in a sequence of dances with bluebirds and a rainbow ballet followed by a dark, dramatic storm that scooped up Dorothy and Toto and deposited them in Oz.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dorothy went on to meet Scarecrow (Hannah Lewis), Tin Man (Anna Durning) and Lion (Niamh Hogan), all superb dancers. Adelaide Hodges (the Wicked Witch) and Elena Forlong (the Good Witch) made appearances throughout. Bunny rabbits, poppies and soldiers made an appearance until everyone gathered for the finale.

The costumes must get a big mention - they were magnificent!

Overall a show that Melissa Tate and Shirley McDouall must be proud of.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

'Just the beginning': New exploration experience launches in Whanganui

19 Sep 10:00 PM
Premium
OpinionGareth Carter

Gareth Carter: Grow your own strawberries

19 Sep 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Done deal: Rural reserve handed to community group

19 Sep 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

'Just the beginning': New exploration experience launches in Whanganui
Whanganui Chronicle

'Just the beginning': New exploration experience launches in Whanganui

It is the latest step in Whanganui's long-term strategy to connect people with the city.

19 Sep 10:00 PM
Premium
Premium
Gareth Carter: Grow your own strawberries
OpinionGareth Carter

Gareth Carter: Grow your own strawberries

19 Sep 05:00 PM
Done deal: Rural reserve handed to community group
Whanganui Chronicle

Done deal: Rural reserve handed to community group

19 Sep 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP