Christmas shows in Christchurch
It’s summer and Christmas, a time when lots of Christchurch artistic and cultural groups put on end of year extravaganzas.
Here’s to creative cheer.
Love Actually in Concert
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Richard Curtis’ cherished Christmas film Love Actually.
“In concert” means the film is projected onto a giant screen in the Christchurch Town Hall and the dialogue and sound effects come out of speakers, but the soundtrack is played by a live orchestra.
The promoters didn’t describe the orchestra, but The Press has confirmed that the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra has been hired for this one-off gig.
“Live to picture” productions of Love Actually have been staged in the UK and Australia in recent years and now its New Zealand’s turn. Sunday, December 17, 4pm. Tickets cost $101 to $151 from Ticketek.
Christmas improv at The Piano
Impulse Theatre, a long-form improvisation troupe, has hired the the Chamber room at The Piano for a show called A Very Impulse Christmas.
It promises “spontaneous cheer”, “heart-warming holiday tales” and “hilarious Yuletide mishaps”.
Impulse likes to “challenge people’s ideas of what improvisation can be”.
The Chamber seats about 80 in theatre mode and Impulse has sold it out previously.
Friday, December 8, 7.30pm. Tickets cost $10 to $15 from Impluse Theatre.
Physics Room fundraiser exhibition
The annual Physics Room fundraising exhibition and sale returns. It will feature works by the 2023 exhibition artists and others. Proceeds from each sale will be split 50-50 with the artists.
The rest will go directly into the 2024 programme.
Prices range from several hundred dollars to many thousands.
The exhibitions runs from December 12 to 16. Entry is free. Download the 40-page catalogue from the Physics Room website.
The Flight Before Christmas
The Little Andromeda annual Christmas show (in conjunction with Tusk Puppets) is a present-wrapping, toe-tapping, finger-snapping musical extravaganza featuring Penguin Air flight 0303 and the all-powerful Christmas Penguin. Note, this isn’t a kids’ show. It’s R16.
Shows will be held between Tuesday, December 12, and Saturday, December 23, 7pm to 8pm, with a matinee on Friday, December 15, 3pm to 4pm. Tickets cost $20 to $35 from the Little Andromeda website.
Best of Come Together
Over the past three years, the Come Together super group has performed 11 albums live in their entirety. They’ve also done separate sets of deep cuts and greatest hits, all to a total audience of more than 40,000 people.
This is a “best of” concert covering Elton John, Bowie, Dire Straits, Tom Petty, Neil
Young, Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles, and the Stones.
The players include Jon Toogood, Julia Deans, Sam Scott, James Milne (Lawrence Arabia), Dianne Swann and a bunch more. Thursday, December 14, from 8pm, in the Isaac Theatre Royal. Tickets $109 and up via the Isaac Theatre website.
Arts Centre events
Carols around the Piano: A traditional Christmas sing-a-long around the piano with Arts Centre creative director and pianist Chris Archer, accompanied by vocalist Petrina Chisholm.
Wednesday, December 6 and 13, 12.30pm to 1.5pm. Free. First-in, first-served seats. Great Hall.
Woolston Brass: All three Woolston bands - junior, concert and senior - will gather for a relaxed Christmas celebration.
Sunday, December 10, 3.30pm to 4.15pm. Free. North Quad or Great Hall if wet.
A Christmas Fandango: Philip Aldridge and Juanita Hepi present a selection of Christmas writings to amuse and edify from Dylan Thomas. Carols by the Christchurch Girls Choir.
Sunday, December 10, 5pm to 6.30pm. Tickets $20 to $35 from the Arts Centre website. Great Hall.
A Very Jazzy Christmas: Jazz band Symposium Dectet will take you on a musical journey through the most beloved Christmas songs, infusing them with soulful interpretations with a twist.
Wednesday, December 13, 7pm to 8.30pm. Tickets $25 to $35 from the Arts Centre website. Great Hall.
Voices Co. carols concert: Festive music and traditional carols, featuring lots of Christmas favourites and a few sing-along carols. All woven together with pop a cappella harmonies.
Saturday, December 16, 5pm to 6pm. Tickets $18 to $25 from the Arts Centre website. Great Hall.
Toi Toi Opera - A Christmas Carol: isan abridged version of renowned Ōtautahi composer Philip Norman’s operatic telling of the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, with an all-local cast and creative team.
Sunday, December 17, 5.30pm to 7pm. Free. North Quad or Great Hall if wet.
Sumner container art show
Remember the monumental art that was hung from the shipping containers on the approach to Sumner after the quakes? That project was founded and curated by Sumner artist and galley owner Bryan LEstrange.
Ever since, LEstrange Gallery in Sumner has mounted annual container artists group shows featuring the same artists on less monumental scale.
The next one opens Tuesday, December 12 and runs for two months.