Showbiz News
Big Shoes to Fill
That is how Sarah Buchanan describes taking on the role of Showbiz Christchurch president following the resignation of Markham Lee about three weeks ago. Having a strong association with the company since 1989, Mrs Buchanan said taking on the role is an exciting new change. Mr Lee has served as president of Showbiz on and…
Miss Saigon Musical Blazes in Christchurch
By Violi Calvert, Australian Filipina Magazine. October 01, 2019. The Miss Saigon musical staged by Showbiz Christchurch at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch opened last Friday (September 27) to a captivated audience. Judging by the number of people up on their feet in [a] standing ovation at the end of the show, it was a huge success. Even during…
Miss Saigon – the refugee story that still needs to be heard
By Emma Dyer Miss Saigon starts in 1975 at the very end of American involvement in the Vietnam conflict, the Fall of Saigon. If, like me, you go to see Miss Saigon with a preconceived idea of the show, prepare to have your expectations delightfully challenged. I had read and heard a lot about both the show itself…
Flipping Fried Eggs
An Eventful Trip Around South Vietnam From an interview with Aircraft Engineer, Corporal Colin Creighton, No. 41 Squadron, RNZAF The New Zealand Government was a reluctant participant in the Vietnam War, and it chose not to commit its air combat squadrons to the conflict. Instead, individual RNZAF pilots were seconded to other air forces. Sixteen…
Bụi đời – the dust of life
They’re called Bui-Doi The dust of life Conceived in Hell And born in strife They are the living reminder Of all the good we failed to do We can’t forget Must not forget That they are all our children, too Miss Saigon [1] Mỹ lai ‘Amerasians’ The children of American GIs and Vietnamese women “Wisps…
Saigon Tea, Bar Girls and ‘Boom Boom’
The jarring reality of life as a bar girl during the Vietnam war The French had designed Saigon to accommodate 300,000 people. By 1972 there were over three million people in the twenty-one square miles of Saigon proper, and another million on the outskirts. It had become the most densely populated city in the world.…
Cold nights and warm theatres go together like the costumes and music of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical
Review by Kate Divett, Backstage Christchurch Cold nights and warm theatres go together like the costumes and music of an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical – you know it’s something very special (possibly technicolor) and you know you’re going to be entertained. Showbiz Christchurch is bringing Broadway sizzle to Christchurch on a cold weekend. The mid-season…
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber: a nice way to finish the week
Review by Patrick Shepherd, stuff.co.nz This was a nice and easy way to finish the week with a well put together show that was just the right length and did a good job of covering the work of one of musical theatre’s most prolific and successful composers. I have to say I’m not the biggest…
The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber is a night full of favourites
By Emma Dyer Showbiz Christchurch’s mid-year concert, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, is as delightful as a box full of chocolates. It is a perfectly sized taster, a wide range of pieces from one of the most renowned composers of musical theatre. If you aren’t familiar with his work, if you are familiar with…
“We have costumes; we have staging; and we have special effects”
When Showbiz Christchurch wrapped up the 2018 season of Broadway Hitmen they knew from audience feedback there was a great desire to hear more music from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. The success of Broadway Hitmen has helped shape the format of the up and coming concert The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Even though the…