A perfect storm of circumstances means Act 2 Visual and Performing Arts School artistic director Toni Neve has had to make the difficult decision to cease staging large scale end of year musical productions.
The shows have been a feature on the school’s calendar for years.
In a communication to parents, Neve outlined Moana Jr, being staged in early November, would be the school’s last such production.
Several factors had contributed to her decision, she said.
Rising costs, such as the rights to the musical, hiring the Great Lake Centre and a separate sound technician and equipment, (totalling $27,000 for this show), combined with the current economic climate were working against companies like hers wanting to put on such productions.
“The situation we are in at the moment, and it’s a Taupō problem as well, is people don’t commit until the last minute and so you don’t know if you can cover the costs which is just stressful… It’s a risk I can’t take.”
Normally Act 2 would be able to sell its shows, she said.
“I can’t take a risk on that last minute walk through the door. It’s a stress that I don’t need when I should be completely absorbed by creative stuff.”
Hiring the GLC and sound were her biggest costs she said.
“Most of it is technical really because I’ve got to pay an extra staff member to work the sound, I end up bringing in because their equipment isn’t sufficient. The only give me a staff member, they don’t give me a technician any more at that price. They just give me someone with a key.
“I am not sure how you hire out a theatre without a technician. It’s just got really complex.”
Neve stressed she didn’t want to be seen as being anti the GLC.
“I think the community just needs to know, because part of it is all the people that go ‘O yeah I am going to go and watch that’ and then they don’t buy their ticket until the last minute… because we don’t know what we can pay out to. If I am going to put 54 kids on the stage that are going to play to 50 people, nobody wants that.”
Moana Jr includes five performances from November 7-9, a Friday morning show for schools as well as two evenings and two more matinees.
The Taupō District Council website lists the full day local rate for the GLC theatre including backstage rooms as $720 – around half the commercial rate of $1,350. The multi show day community rate is $935 compared to the commercial rate of $1810.
To cut some costs Neve said Act 2 had already shaved off some rehearsal time in the GLC.
“I couldn’t afford the theatre for the whole week. The only way to save on overheads there was to do two rehearsals instead of four which is never enough for children, but we just have to make it work.”
With 97 students on her books, most of whom “are the kind of kids that have got their fingers in many pies” being able to go on stage at the end of the year and be a part of a big story celebrated their work throughout the year, she said.
With cultural directors, Waimarie Stone and Maria Hunt, as well as choreographers, who have run a traditional Samoan dance workshop with the cast, Neve said the cast have been on a cultural journey.
“They have also learnt Tokelauan and Samoan songs, the cast of 54 often congratulate each other using the Samoan word ‘Mālō’ during rehearsals.”
Looking ahead, Neve said Act 2 would do smaller shows through the year in its own small theatre.
“They will still perform but they will be in much smaller casts… And I will reassess it in a few years to see whether it is something we can afford to do.”
One of her problems, she said, was that Act 2 was a business which meant limited funding available in terms of council or lottery grants.
She was urging anyone who wanted to support the company’s young actors to purchase tickets for Moana Jr through Trybooking Moana JR Tickets, Great Lake Centre Taupo, Taupo | TryBooking New Zealand or on the Act 2 Facebook page.
This story previously appeared on LakeFM Musicals on hold as costs rise and audiences feel the pinch
