Newspaper Article 1977 – Centrepoint 3 Day Sale Starts Tomorrow

CENTREPOINT
SHOPPING CENTRE

CENTREPOINT 3 DAY SALE STARTS TOMORROW

CENTREPOINT
SHOPPING CENTRE

Sale coincides with arrival of “Godspell”

This year Hastings, Centrepoint’s 3 day July sale starting tomorrow celebrates the arrival in New Zealand of the sensational new musical “Godspell”.

This elaborate production is to have its amateur premiere in the Hastings Municipal Theatre on Saturday night.

And just as Centrepoint highlights good shopping, “Godspell” promises to be the theatrical highlight of 1977

Long way

In staging “Godspell”, the Hastings Musical Comedy Company has come a long way since it was established in 1951.

At that time Greater Hastings organised a revue called “Holiday Cruise” and the various people who got together to stage this show decided that there was a need for an organisation in the community to stimulate their artistic, theatrical and musical interests. And so the company was formed.

Two further revues were staged before the company produced its first musical “Sally”, in 1954.

At this time scenery was built wherever room could be found, in spare bedrooms, garages, even a disused bakery; while early rehearsals took place in one of the New Zealand Apple and Pear Marketing Board’s cool stores and later in a tyre retreading plant.

Milestone

A milestone for the company was marked in 1958 with the staging of Jerome Kern’s “Showboat”. More than 20,000 people saw this show in its seventeen performances, figures which cause the eyes of the present committee to open wide in both wonder and admiration.

These were the halcyon days when long lines of people queued overnight to obtain tickets, in much the same way as a later generation queued for Ranfurly Shield tickets.

New hall

By 1960 the company was able to build a fine new rehearsal hall, workshop, storage and wardrobe facilities on a section it owned in Davis Street.

Throughout the 1960’s shows continued to be produced each year, usually in September, to coincide with the blossom festival.

In 1967 the company combined with the Christchurch Operatic Society to build and stage the New Zealand premiere of Irving Berlin’s “Can Can” and five years later the company mounted the First New Zealand production of “Hello Dolly.”

Winds of change

By the early seventies a wind of change was blowing through the theatrical movement and the Hastings Musical Comedy Company was the first to appreciate that change.

The big shows were becoming more expensive to stage, television and ten o’clock closing were providing stiff competition, so accordingly the Hastings Musical Comedy Company decided to convert its rehearsal hall into an intimate theatre-restaurant.

Provision was made to seat 120 people at tables where they, could enjoy either coffee or a meal, and see the show.

This new amenity, the Playhouse Theatre, has proved to be highly successful and the recent production of “Lock Up Your Daughters” was sold out for its two-week season before the show opened.

The company is now returning to the Municipal Theatres in Napier and Hastings for the first time since 1974 because in “Godspell” it believes it has a winner.

CHILDREN’S COLOURING CONTEST

Children have the opportunity to win a transistor radio in a great colouring competition that is being organised by Hastings Centrepoint retailers and the Hastings Musical Comedy Company to celebrate the premiere of “Godspell”.

Children in two age groups – under 12 and from 12 to 16 – are invited to collect their entry forms from any of the friendly Centrepoint retailers, colour in two of the characters from “Godspell” and return the completed form to any Centrepoint store by lunchtime on Friday.

A panel of experts will then judge the entries, taking into account originality and assessing each entry on the talent displayed relative to the child’s age.

The winner in each group will win a handsome transistor radio and two seats to “Godspell”, while the runners-up in each group receive seats to the show.

Photo caption – SHOPPERS throng the street during a recent Centrepoint promotion.