Upcoming Events

A brand new music programme is about to be unveiled, with Whanganui musicians Marco Perry and Mana Rauhina forging a new programme of great sounds at the Museum. Blues night at the Museum presents the Blue Veins, Sherman Page, Dave Rogerson and Thomo Thompson in our first After Hours evening of many to come at the Museum.

After Hours runs every third Friday evening at 7.00 pm. All welcome.

General Admission $5.00

Get in early and witness the strength of street knowledge with Wanganui's two up and coming DJ's Stya and Sam-a-lamb pump up the bass mixing back to back its guaranteed to blow the dance floor to pieces

1814 released their 3rd album ‘Relax’ through Ode Records at the end of 2012. A recent review from the NZ Musician said, "1814 are one of the many quality local reggae groups giving the rest of the world a taste of our homegrown produce.

Given the high-quality production values on this sophomore album, it is easy to see why 1814 are enjoying their own international success. Everything about this album screams “good times” – its smile-inducing swagger, its sunny disposition, and the honeyed vocal harmonies from Darren Katene, Neihana Mackey-Harrison and Kalani Marsters.

Reggae music is generally very concerned with being itself; this is no more evident than on a song called Reggae Music. ‘Relax’ derives its strength from its laid-back sultry vibes. The title track leads the way, riding a giant horn section hook into an impossibly smooth groove. 1814 maintain this feel good energy right to the final notes of The Time Has Come.

Make no mistake: this is summer music. The upbeat tone would be a cruel reminder of beach side barbeques and sunny days in the depths of winter, so enjoy it with the season." 

The band's on the road promoting their new album ‘Relax’ so make sure you get out and catch them at a show near you.

Spirit'd bar presents DJ Scott Base for another instalment of I Love Music.

DJ Scott Base worked for over a decade in Auckland's hottest night clubs and has played his signature sounds to pleased audience's at home and abroad.

Now residing in Wanganui Scott Base has been hard at work behind the scene developing Wanganui's dance culture & club scene. Back behind the decks by popular demand, Scott Base seamlessly mixes songs effortlessly injecting his audience with Sub sonic bass-lines & funky hooks guaranteed to make you dance!

With no door charge & a casual dress code Spirit'd Bar's relaxed atmosphere is all you'll need for a great night out.

Music on the night will be an eclectic mix of classic Dance, R & B and Hip-Hop, show casing the very best from the 90's threw to today's club music

Join the Wanganui Greyhound Racing Club for a fun filled night out this winter. Brand new to the region for 2013, Wanganui Greyhounds Mid-Winter Christmas at the Races is the only place in the country you can watch live greyhound racing action while you enjoy the heart-warming festive atmosphere of a Mid-Winter Christmas party. Gather your friends, family or social group and reserve your space today.

Enquire about a Mid-Winter Christmas event by the 14 June 2013 and you’ll go in the draw to win a luxury Queenstown escape. The prize includes return flights for two to Queenstown, two nights at the Hilton (with meal and massage vouchers) and a two day ski experience!

Anthonie Tonnon is bringing Watercolours and his new band on tour around New Zealand in June and July.

Tonnon has confirmed that the long awaited video for Marion Bates Realty, directed by Daniel Alexander, will be his last act with his former band, Tono and the Finance Company. Having just toured Australia under his own name, Anthonie Tonnon has a new live cassette out now, and a single out in June.

The tour will mark the first chance for audiences in Christchurch and Dunedin to see Watercolours - who spent the autumn opening for the likes of Dirty Projectors, Cat Power and Bloc Party, and mixing her highly anticipated album in London.

Shows July 13,14th and 18th - 21st.

Don’t be late, don’t be late, for a very important date!! Follow Alice down the rabbit hole these July holidays as Alice encounters the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the larger-than-life Queen of Hearts, and all things magical in the wonderful Wonderland. Being performed for 8 shows only, Alice in Wonderland is a show you’d be mad to miss!

Running time approx 90 mins plus interval.

Check out the Opera House website for ticket prices.

Shows July 13,14th and 18th - 21st.

Don’t be late, don’t be late, for a very important date!! Follow Alice down the rabbit hole these July holidays as Alice encounters the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the larger-than-life Queen of Hearts, and all things magical in the wonderful Wonderland. Being performed for 8 shows only, Alice in Wonderland is a show you’d be mad to miss!

Running time approx 90 mins plus interval.

Check out the Opera House website for ticket prices.

Shows July 13,14th and 18th - 21st.

Don’t be late, don’t be late, for a very important date!! Follow Alice down the rabbit hole these July holidays as Alice encounters the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the larger-than-life Queen of Hearts, and all things magical in the wonderful Wonderland. Being performed for 8 shows only, Alice in Wonderland is a show you’d be mad to miss!

Running time approx 90 mins plus interval.

Check out the Opera House website for ticket prices.

Poly Fonk Productions is proud to present ‘Honour' Matariki Concert Tour which showcases four outstanding female artists.

A Powerhouse Wahine Toa…

Described as the ‘Aotearoa Diva super group’, legends Betty-Anne Monga and Whirimako Black team up with bright young talents Maisey Rika and Ria Hall to perform in this specially arranged collaborative concert.

An exciting and fresh concert tour that honours all that Matariki encompasses in a celebration of community, culture – whanau, respect, growth, change, action and new beginnings!

It will be a dazzling night of live music featuring four of New Zealand’s top female vocalists performing together as a collective. There will be collaboration of new and familiar tunes from each artists’ repertoire including contemporary takes on much loved signature tunes in tribute to Divas throughout the ages.

A truly unique and intimate night of entertainment across 14 different locations around New Zealand and Australia.

Shows July 13,14th and 18th - 21st.

Don’t be late, don’t be late, for a very important date!! Follow Alice down the rabbit hole these July holidays as Alice encounters the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the larger-than-life Queen of Hearts, and all things magical in the wonderful Wonderland. Being performed for 8 shows only, Alice in Wonderland is a show you’d be mad to miss!

Running time approx 90 mins plus interval.

Check out the Opera House website for ticket prices.

Chamber Music Wanganui presents NZ Guitar Quartet.

Artists - Owen Moriarty, Tim Watanabe, Christopher Hill, Jane Curry.

Formed in 2010 at the New Zealand School of Music, the New Zealand Guitar Quartet is quickly developing a following around the country with invitations to perform both locally and overseas. NZGQ members Owen Moriarty, Tim Watanabe, Christopher Hill and Jane Curry have garnered acclaim as soloists on concert stages around the world and in a multitude of international guitar competitions, with each member contributing their individual strengths toward creating an exciting, dynamic and engaging ensemble.

These are programmes showcasing the best and most popular repertoire that the NZGQ have played over the past few years, from arrangements of well-known favourites by Bach and Rimsky-Korsakov, to 20th-century guitar stars Leo Brouwer from Cuba and American composer Ian Krouse. Craig Utting makes an appearance with his Onslow suite, and finally, the chameleon - like quality of the classical guitar comes out in the pieces by prolific Brazilian composer Paulo Bellinati and Afro-Cuban star Carlos Rafael Rivera.

Prince Edward Auditorium, Wanganui Collegiate School, Grey St

Tickets available from Royal Wanganui Opera House 
www.royaloperahouse.co.nz 
Ph: 06 349 0511

Presented by Wellington G & S Light Opera

‘The Gypsy Baron’ by Johann Strauss II is a romantic musical feast of Comic Opera; 
full of great music including various famous dance themes, great arias, ensembles and chorus music.

It matches the appeal of his Die Fledermaus but uses an historical setting enabling a wider range of musical expression. Johann Strauss II was known as the Waltz King, and many of the musical numbers will be familiar as they are frequently used as concert pieces. 
As a romantic work on a greater scale than Die Fledermaus, Strauss calls for a wider range of orchestral forces and this production tours with 36 players from Orchestra Wellington and a cast of 45 singers.

Reduced versions of the work have been published to simplify its performance, but this is a rare opportunity to hear Strauss’s original version of Gypsy Baron, performed in English. 
On tour with full sets and great costumes, not to be missed.

A B & C Reserve prices available 
Discounts available for group booking of 5 or more tickets

A tribute to a woman who has long been held as an icon of pop music and vocal ability, The Greatest Love Of All – The Whitney Houston Show starring Belinda Davids will present and celebrate a catalogue of Houston’s most loved songs from the span of her 29 year career.

The 2 ½ hour concert and stage show includes hits such as ‘How Will I Know’, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’, ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go’, ‘Didn’t We Almost Have It All’, ‘I’m Every Woman’, ‘Exhale (Shoop Shoop)’, ‘Step by Step’ and of course, ‘I Will Always Love You.’

Tickets - Early bird until 9 June $44.90. 
From 10 June $54.90.

An Evening with Kelvin Cruickshank 
He astounded people with his incredible ability to communicate with spirit in the hit TV series Sensing Murder. 
Now here’s your chance to witness acclaimed medium Kelvin Cruickshank contacting people in the afterlife in his live show? and maybe even get your own message from someone you’ve loved and lost. 
Kelvin can no longer do private readings, but he tries to read as many people as possible (spirit willing) at his shows. Come and experience his amazing gift for yourself.

In association with Ryman Healthcare Ltd.

Danail Rachev - conductor.

Beethoven - The Ruins of Athens Op 113, Overture 
Beethoven - Symphony No.2 in D major Op.36 
Beethoven - Symphony No.5 in C minor Op.67

Story: 
The first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony comprise one of the most famous moments in the history of music. Just like ‘fate knocking at the door,’ in this concert they signal the arrival of an evening of heroic and exhilarating music under the baton of the talented Bulgarian conductor Danail Rachev. It was in his late twenties that Beethoven began to develop hearing problems - the cruellest of afflictions for such a musical genius. Considering putting an end to it all, Beethoven instead completed one of his sunniest works - his Second Symphony - a work where he looks back to his early triumphs and hints at future glories. In the overture to The Ruins of Athens, the Greek gods return to Athens only to find the ancient city lying in ruins. Composed as a diplomatic celebration of the modern city of Pest, this resplendent overture is the perfect way to start our celebration of Beethoven.

Sound: 
With dark melodies and searching rhythms, Beethoven begins The Ruins of Athens Overture with a tone of despair that transforms into music that is majestic and gloriously optimistic. The Symphony No. 2 in D major has an unwavering freshness, with music that is often leisurely and always richly expressive. Such vital, energetic music is heard again in his miraculous Symphony No. 5. With its insistent ta-ta-ta-TUM, we can well agree with E.M. Forster when he wrote, ‘Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man.’

Chamber Music Wanganui presents 2013 Celebrity Subscription Series, in association with the Foundation Music School, Wanganui Collegiate School.

Antipodes String Trio - Amalia Hall (violin), Nicholas Hancox (viola), Sarah Rommel (cello). With pianist Tom McGrath.

The Antipodes Trio was founded by two of New Zealand’s leading young string players, Amalia Hall and Nicholas Hancox. Formed through connections with the Curtis Institute of Music, University of Michigan and the New Zealand Music scene, they aim to promote the under-utilised repertoire of the string trio, which many great composers throughout music history have contributed to.

Following their successful March 2011 tour, the Antipodes String Trio is excited and privileged to once again perform in New Zealand, this time bringing a new cellist and colleague from the Curtis Institute, Sarah Rommell.

Their programmes feature the masterworks of the string trio repertoire, from Larry Pruden to Mozart; and they will be joining up with pianist Tom McGrath in selected centres for Brahms’ epic Piano Quartet in C Minor.

Subscription available from the Royal Wanganui Opera House box office. Buying a subscription gives you 4 flexi-tickets which can be used in any combination at any concert. A subscription to the 2013 series gives you 4 tickets for the price of 3 as well as 30% discount off any other concerts promoted by Chamber Music Wanganui in 2013.

Other concerts in the subscription series: 
Pointsett Piano Trio – Thursday 16 May, 7.30pm 
Jason Bae - piano – Tuesday 18 June, 7.30pm

Complete with wedding dress and cobwebs! With Helen Moulder as Claudia and directed by Sue Rider, with piano music recorded by Richard Mapp

Claudia lives in rural Canterbury. Her husband is a farm accountant and her son Ben plays in a band. When an eccentric Irish film-maker arrives in NZ to make a film of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Claudia is keen to audition for the role of Miss Havisham as she sees it as a way out of her humdrum existence. As she prepares for the role, Claudia finds her own life takes on the twists and turns of a Dickens novel.

 A work of unexpected visual richness, Playing Miss Havisham unfolds with mystery, music and surprise. Music by Bach, Chopin, Schubert, Granados, Debussy and Gareth Farr. “I implore you: if there is one show you must see, it is this one.” Theatreview “Demonstrates what the art of acting is all about.” The Press 

No Interval

Stan Walker will well and truly hit the road this year, taking on an extensive national tour that will see him travel from Whangarei to Invercargill, playing 23 shows across the country through September and October.

Stan Walker's World Tour of New Zealand may well be the longest anyone has attempted in recent New Zealand Music history, and there are some compelling reasons as to why Stan is just the man to do it.

One of the country’s most popular artists, Stan has sold over 170,000 singles and close to 100,000 albums to date, collecting 5 New Zealand Music Awards along the way.

Stan made his acting debut in February this year, playing the lead role of Turei in the feature film Mt Zion. Mt Zion debuted at #1 at the NZ box office, quickly taking over $1 million, and securing a successful Australian release. Mt Zion also won the NZ Box Office Achievement Award for Highest Grossing New Zealand Film for 2013 and the Flicks People’s Choice Award for Movie of the Year. Take It Easy, Stan’s single from the film, also held a number one New Zealand chart position and gained platinum sales.

From there, Stan moved to his role as a judge on the debut series of The X Factor New Zealand, where he is currently gracing primetime TV screens in the high-rating show.

Stan as also recently released The Complete Collection – a limited edition package combining all three of his albums with a bonus Take It Easy single - and will release a new track Bulletproof on May 31.

Commenting on his upcoming tour, Stan says "New Zealand - if you’ve got some people and a hall with power, I’m coming to you! It's going to be heaps of fun and I promise you'll get a great show. I can’t wait“

Tickets to all shows on sale Monday May 27.

Featuring opera singers Susan Boland, Geoffrey Hughes, Derek Hill, Matthew Landreth and Elisha Fa'i-Hulton.

Join us for an evening at the opera as six professional singers and accompanist introduce you to the world of opera.

Perhaps you have fancied experiencing the wonder and thrill that opera brings but have been afraid to dip your toe in the water. Opera is made accessible to all with some light hearted explanations when appropriate!

This concert promises to bring this genre alive to both opera aficionados and novices with a glittering program of famous arias and ensembles from Lakme, Rigoletto, Don Giovanni, Marriage of Figaro and Tales of Hoffman to name but a few.

Please contact us for bookings, enquiries or to request a free brochure. 
P: 0508 266 237 (toll-free). 
E: bookings@operatunity.co.nz 
www.operatunity.co.nz

Door sales available.

Riotously funny! An all new comedy creation from the twisted mind of Strassman. 
Alternate realities? Parallel universes? 
Strassman's side-splitting new show tumbles down the rabbit hole -- a mind-bending journey where nothing is as it seems.

Chuck and Ted E. Bare are back, transformed by a strange 'wish’ into bizzaroalternate selves.

The road home may be scary for Strassman… but an hilarious scream for us! 
What have the critics said? At the Edinburgh Festival, The List said ‘Absolute genius. The writing is truly superb and the performance – or should that be performances? – breathtaking in linguistic and ventriloquistic dexterity. Takes the ancient art of ventriloquism up several notches.’ 
Finish approx 8.40pm

Restricted to Persons 12 and Over