SKYCITY Auckland Theatre Guide: April – May 2008

SKYCITY Theatre, Cnr Wellesley & Hobson St, Auckland CBD Bookings: 0800 TICKETEK (0800 842 5385) / www.premier.ticketek.co.nz For photos and/or further media information, email [email protected]

What In brief

NZ International Comedy Festival SKYCITY Auckland Theatre brings you the first and last laugh at this year’s comedy www.comedy.co.nz fest! For photos & media information email [email protected] • The 5 Star Comedy Preview One show only!

Date: Be the first to see the hottest talents in this year’s Comedy Festival in a one-night only laugh fest at SKYCITY Theatre. Thurs, 17 April - 8.00pm For a taste of things to come, head to the SKYCITY Theatre to see 6 of the Festival’s international comedy stars in one Tickets: night! Jason Cook, Paul Tonkinson and John Fothergill from , Neil Delamere from Ireland, Eddie Ifft from the USA Adults $42.50 / Conc. $36.50 / Groups 10+ $36.50 and the first lady of , Julia Morris.

Early bookings essential! • Jeff Green - Festival Host As a best selling author, radio presenter for BBC Radio 2, and having written and performed in his own UK television Dates: specials, award winning comedian Sat, April 19, 8.45pm Jeff Green has established himself as one of the most popular comics working in the UK today. Sun, April 20, 8.00pm Jeff's razor sharp observations combined with an abundant natural charm have marked him out as one of the brightest Tickets: talents on the British scene. $37.50 Adult / Conc. $35.00 "Stand-up's most irresistible rogue" The Guardian UK

www.jeffgreen.co.nz • Angelo Tsarouchas Live! One show only!

Date: Canadian-born Greek man Angelo Tsarouchas is a heavyweight comedian who delivers knockout punch lines. In high Sat, April 19 - 6.45pm demand on the global comedy circuit, Angelo has taken his ‘in-your face’ stand-up style to venues all over the world. He’s also appeared on the big screen in feature films alongside some of the Hollywood greats including Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone and Denzel Washington. Tickets: Adults $49.90 “Non-stop laughs at a rapid pace – very, very funny” - TIME OUT LONDON, UK

www.abpresents.com.au SKYCITY Auckland Theatre Guide: April – May 2008

XXX Tony Lee - Aggressive comedy hypnosis Looks like a wrestler, sounds like a heavy metal lead singer, with the power to make you do unmentionable things in front Dates: of a live audience –its TONY LEE – XXX hypnotist. Over 7 million people have been exposed to the TONY LEE phenomenon Preview: Sat, April 19 - 10.30pm globally with over 5000 sold out shows around the world. Shows: Mon 21 – Sat 26 April - 8:45pm Now for the first time in NZ, crossing so many boundaries we lost count. Tickets: Adult $42.50 / Conc. $37.50 / Groups 10+ $37.50 / Students $32.50 Warning: UN-PC / Adult content may offend! Devastatingly hilarious! Dai Henwood in Dai-namic Scenarios “Dai-Namic Scenarios” won Dai the Festival’s FRED AWARD last year. Winner of the 2007 FRED AWARD Back by popular demand after a total sell out last year, the star of C4 and general larrikin, Dai Henwood, resurrects Dates: 2007’s “Dai-Namic Scenarios”. Full of all the proper nonsense you’d expect from Henwood, this show is described as an Thurs, May 1 – Sat, May 3, 9pm absolute cracker.

Tickets: If you missed out on seeing this show, make sure you don’t let it happen again! Dai is only performing three shows at Adults $32 / Conc. $28 / Groups 6+ $28 this year’s festival, so get in early to secure your seats at this unmissable event. • Jamie Kennedy: from the Jamie Kennedy One show only!

Experiment Before Ashton Kutcher “Punked”, Jamie Kennedy “X’d”!

Date: Following sold out shows around the globe, cult comedy hero and legend of laughter Jamie Kennedy hits NZ shores doing Sat, April 26, 7pm what he does best. The off-beat, high-energy actor is known for his prankster TV show ‘The Jamie Kennedy Experiment’,

but his first love remains stand-up comedy. Kennedy has appeared in numerous Hollywood films including ‘Scream’, ‘As Tickets: Adults $49.90 Good As It Gets’, ‘Son of the Mask’ and ‘Romeo + Juliet’.

www.abpresents.com.au • Jimeoin on Ice “Comedy of the highest order, Inspired ramblings”–INDEPENDENT, UK Dates: Tues, April 29 – Sat, May 3, 7.15pm From the magical world of Jimeoin comes this new, smash hit show. See Jimeoin gracefully skate through brilliantly funny observations on the absurdities of everyday life. With previous sell out seasons in Montreal, Edinburgh and London, you Tickets: would not want to miss out... Get your skates on. Adults $34.90 / Conc. $31.90 / Groups 10+ $31.90 www.alist.com.au One-Man Star Wars Trilogy: Written and performed by Charles Ross Watched all the Star Wars films hundreds of times? Have a Yoda or Princess Leia figurine on your desk? Comedy Festival organisers recommend you hop on your land speeder to catch this non-stop blast through the original Star Wars trilogy as

it makes its NZ premiere. Dates:

Tues, May 6 – Sat, May 10, 7pm In this high energy 60 minute One Man Star Wars Trilogy, Charles Ross plays all the characters, recreates the effects,

flies the ships and fights both sides of the battles! Tickets:

Adults $44/ Conc. $39/ Groups 8+ $39 “A gifted physical comic…near flawless” - THE AGE, “A dazzling physical theatre piece and a laugh-a-minute parody.” - ADELAIDE ADVERTISER

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The Umbilical Brothers in ‘The Rehearsal’ Combining outrageous physical comedy, clever sketches, the dexterous use of a video camera and projection screen for Dates: close-up facial silhouettes and, most inventively, puppets The Rehearsal is not so much a show, as an experience. Its Tues, May 6 – Sat, May 10, 8.45pm about suspending belief & creating a world that exists separately from reality – our reality that is, not theirs…. Curious fans often ask, "Where do those guys come from?" and then "Can they go back there?" – Don't miss “The Rehearsal”... Tickets: Adult $34.90 / Conc. $29.90 / Groups 10+ $29.90 www.umbilicalbrothers.com The Last Laugh Festival Awards & Closing Event Sold out for the past two years – limited seats on sale, so book early!

Date: Celebrate with the comedians as we bid farewell to another fantastic Festival. Hosted by one of ’s most Sun, 11th May 2008, 7.00pm respected stand up comedians, Mr Jeremy Corbett, the show eatures performances from our nominees for the 2008 BILLY T AWARD and THE FRED. Final judging for both awards, takes place on the night, plus we announce a host of festival Tickets: awards. Adults $45.00 / Conc. $39.50 Recommended Age : 16+ Always a laugh and sometimes a tear, LAST LAUGH is the most hilarious and unpredictable awards night ever - a fitting end to 3 weeks of total mayhem!

One show only! th Gray Bartlett: 50 Anniversary Tour Celebrated guitarist, concert promoter, star-maker, musical director. New Zealand’s most favourite guitar legend, Gray Date: Sun, May 4, 8.00pm Bartlett, celebrates 50 years of showbiz and over two million record sales. Gray is joined by a stellar ‘who’s who’ line-up of New Zealand musicians including Patsy Rigger, Shane Cortese, Brendan Dugan, Jodi Vaughn, Annabel Fay, Martin Tickets: Crump, Chet O’Connell and Elizabeth Marvelly. Adults $69.50 As a further celebration milestone, EMI Music will release a 2-CD commemorative album, featuring Gray’s signature tunes as well as a selection of songs from some of New Zealand’s best-loved artists.

NZ Music Month Bringing it to you live and loud from SKYCITY Auckland – the home of NZ Music Month! www.nzmusic.org.nz/

For photos & media information email [email protected]

Dragon One show only! Dragon’s legendary hits April Sun in Cuba, Rain and Are You Old Enough? bring back great memories of good times for all

Kiwis and are some of the nation’s best-love rock anthems. Join Mark Williams and Dragon for a rocking good time at Date: their SKYCITY concert for NZ Music Month. Fri, May 16, 9.00pm

http://www.dragononline.com.au/ Tickets:

Adults $70.00

Katchafire, with support from House of Shem One show only! New Zealanders must love reggae due to the huge success of Hamilton’s Katchafire, who have emerged as one of the Date: most popular bands in the country. Their catchy debut album, the prophetically named Revival, sold in excess of 30,000 Wed, May 21, 8.30pm copies (double platinum) and they scored massive hits with songs like Giddy Up, the biggest selling single of 2002. Don’t miss this incredible band, as they will have you dancing to their reggae beats all night! Tickets: Adults $55.00 www.katchafire.co.nz and http://www.houseofshem.com/ 3 SKYCITY Auckland Theatre Guide: April – May 2008

One show only! One of New Zealand’s most successful singer- is performing her beautiful brand of haunting popular music for Date: one night only at the SKYCITY Theatre for NZ Music Month. Bic’s first solo album, Drive, which includes crowd favourites Thurs, May 22, 9.00pm Sway, Good Morning Baby and Bursting Through, as well as the title song, debuted at number one in the New Zealand charts and she has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists of all time. Tickets: Adults $70.00 http://www.bicrunga.com/

Nesian Mystik plus Che Fu and the Crates One show only! Date: Formed in 1999, at Auckland's Western Springs College, Nesian Mystik, has become one of the biggest names in New Thurs, May 29, 9.00pm Zealand music. With a string of hit songs including: It’s On, For the People and Unity, as well as four-times platinum album Polysaturated and the gold-selling Freshmen, Nesian Mystik’s beats and rhymes continue to strike a chord with Tickets: audiences. Adults $55.00 www.nesian-mystik.com and www.che-fu.com

Hollie Smith One show only! New Zealand's most exciting soul singing sensation, Hollie Smith, will be performing live at the SKYCITY Theatre, finishing Date: off an incredible month of New Zealand music on May 30. Hollie stole the hearts of the nation with her breakthrough hit Fri, May 30, 9.00pm Bathe in the River and her stunning debut album Long Player stormed into the charts at No.1. Book your ticket to one of the biggest events on the NZ Music Month calendar and be swept away by a soul/jazz sound so breathtaking you'll want Tickets: to hear it again and again. Adults $70 www.holliesmith.co.nz

Also performing live and loud from SKYCITY Auckland in free, non-ticketed NZ Music Month events:

Bar3 Nathan Haines - A month of Sundays with Nathan Haines, plus special guests Vanessa Freeman and Mike Patto - Sun May 4, 11, 18 and 25 from 10.00pm. Sarah Brown - Thurs 1 May from 10:00pm Donald Reid - Thurs 8 May from 10.00pm Lewis McCallum - Thurs 15 May from 10:00pm

Atrium Bar Malcolm McCallum - Mon 5, 12, 19 and 26 May from 7.30pm.

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