A2meke: August 2016

Wizard of oz You're more likely to see me up the front at a Guns N' Roses concert than at a Royal New Zealand Ballet performance but it's something I can now tick off - and say with pleasure. The ballet came to Rotorua on Saturday night as part of its nine-city New Zealand tour that started on May 4 and will end in Napier on June 12. Rotorua is a city that is often criticised for not supporting the arts - so much so that some touring concerts and plays have previously given us a miss. So it was thrilling to see the sold out sign and the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre chocka on both levels. Sell-out shows for this ballet has been echoed around the country with only a few shows in Auckland this week still with tickets. The calibre of the show is such, it's no wonder they are sold out. The Wizard of Oz was created by the Royal New Zealand Ballet's artistic director Francesco Ventriglia in Florence in 2010.