(Picture caption: Pacifica The Musical opens on August 19, at The Civid in Auckland.)
Set in the South Seas, and a riot of colour and energy synonymous with the Pacific, Pacifica The Musical is a story of love and legend.
On August 19, the original, large-scale production will open at The Civic in Auckland, featuring hits from New Zealand and Pacific artists including Hinewehi Mohi, Annie Crummer, Sola Rosa, Che Fu, Anika Moa, Hollie Smith, King Kapesi, Nesian Mystik, Brooke Fraser, P-Money, Stan Walker and Six60.
Written and produced by Pak Peacocke, who has worked alongside INXS, Talking Heads, Simple Minds, U2 and Elton John, this musical has been 20 years in the making and designed for a worldwide international audience.
The story begins a long time ago when a curse falls upon an island community and its descendants after a young boy loses a taonga.
Fast forward to modern Auckland where a young man is told the dark secret about his island’s past.
Leaving behind the girl he is falling in love with, he goes on a journey to discover the truth about his heritage, and to confront the challenge of his identity and his past - his life is changed forever.
An all-star cast of New Zealand’s finest entertainers and the best exponents of stage craft are featured in the musical, with vocal direction and cameo performance from the Lion King’s Nick Afoa and musical direction from Stan Walker and Teeks’ MD, Jacob Nansen.
In the lead role of Tanga is Jerry-Moses Roebeck, an island reggae artist and Tik Tok influencer with some 10 million views, and musician who tours with international artists including Fia, Stan Walker, Sammy J and many more.
He will alternate the role with Selevasio Tu’ima (Sio) from the Rangatahi band Tone6.
Alternating in the lead female role of Venus, the love interest of Tanga, will be award-winning performer and the Voice of the Pacific vocal artist, Irene Folau; and Ezra Williams – winner of Best Pacific Female Artist and Best Pacific Soul/R&B Artist at the Pacific Music Awards in 2019.
Performer La KoKo (aka Latoia Sasa-Tepania) will play one of the Aunties, alongside Anna Grahame, while emerging singer-songwriter Anaestasia, Gibson “Gibz” Harris, Valerie Fasavalu, Henry Auva'a and George Kaisala-Hadfield are all part of the talented cast.
Hadleigh Pouesi, whose Sweet and Sour crew brought back New Zealand’s first gold medal from the World Hip Hop Championships, has choreographed this showcase, while dazzling and Pacific-inspired costumes are produced by film industry veteran Eithne Curran.
Pacifica The Musical will take audiences on a magical journey, blending sounds and styles from around the Pacific, until what emerges is a cohesive sound of Aotearoa New Zealand today.
The musical will be showing at The Civic, in Auckland, from August 19-28.
Visit HERE for ticket details.