Producer's Notes
The Combined College Productions are always popular with audiences, and get tremendous support from the whole performing arts community in Marlborough.
The roll-call of local directors who have produced the show over the years reads like a who's who of performance art in Marlborough – Pam Logan (The Sound of Music), Duncan Whiting (Saturday Night Fever, Jesus Christ Superstar and many others), Mariette Dodd (Chicago, Hair and Beauty and the Beast) and now current director Denise Moran who, after the very successful production of High School Musical in 2014, is directing this year's show – Hairspray!
The show has already been cast and is in rehearsal. Denise is delighted with the large cast she has assembled:
"We have some outstanding talent and experience in the casting of the lead actors, and I am thrilled with the quality of singing the company is giving us already.
“I know Blenheim audiences will appreciate the soulful sound of our many Pacifica, Māori and Filipino students. This cast is as good as we have ever assembled. The show is enormous fun, and this is going to be a marvelous production – just you wait and see!”
Amy Potts, who starred in last year’s Combined College production of Saturday Night Fever returns to play the delightful and vivacious role of Tracy Turnblad. Tracy’s dream to dance on the ‘Corny Collins’ show comes true much to the displeasure of her rival Amber Von Tussle, Claudia Mark.
Both Amy and Claudia have established themselves as top dancers on the Marlborough scene. Joined by the comedy duo of Jack Lankshear and Jack Rainbird, who play the housebound Edna Turnblad and the eccentric Wilbur from the ‘Har De Har’ joke shop, this company of students are bringing an energy and musical vitality that suits this humorous and fast paced show.
Many successful careers have had their start in our Combined College productions, including Rachelle Pike and James Rodgers who are both returning to perform in the Cavalcade season in February.
Other names that come to mind are Spencer Kingi, Emma Logan – who now has a contract with Universal Records, and Olivia Sheat – who is completing her masters at the NZ School of Music for Voice. There are musicians, including Sam and Josh Logan, actors such as Dan Musgrove and Lawrence Sam, and filmmaker Jacob Buellens.
So what you will see when you come to Hairspray in August is not just a wonderful musical, but also Marlborough's talent nursery.
Robin Sutherland
