logo
#

Latest news with #LaughingSamoans

Hit Show Mana Moana Returns To Wellington With Signature Choir And NZSO
Hit Show Mana Moana Returns To Wellington With Signature Choir And NZSO

Scoop

time16-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Scoop

Hit Show Mana Moana Returns To Wellington With Signature Choir And NZSO

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Signature Choir are excited to bring back — a spectacular fusion of symphony and songs of the Pacific — to Wellington in July. Mana Moana celebrates two worlds of music, with the 50-strong Signature Choir joining the NZSO for two unforgettable performances at the Michael Fowler Centre on 24 and 25 July. The NZSO will again be led by acclaimed conductor Brent Stewart, and each performance hosted by talented actor and comedian Tofiga Fepulea'i of Laughing Samoans fame. Following 2022's sensational debut in Wellington and a hit performance with the NZSO in Auckland in 2023, Mana Moana has reached new heights this year, including a second show at Auckland's Spark Arena in May. This weekend Mana Moana makes its international debut with Signature Choir joined by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for two sold-out performances at Sydney Opera House. Wellington audiences will again experience an energetic, unique, and emotional celebration, bringing traditional and contemporary songs from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. ' Mana Moana re-imagines Pasifika music by fusing the power of choral harmony, with a lush and grand orchestra, making it a truly magical experience,' says Signature Choir Music Director Helen Tupai. 'Singing our songs in a unique, but still familiar fashion is so surreal and fun, so we are excited for our communities see Mana Moana in person. Partnering with a world-class orchestra to sing songs that are prominent and significant to our Pasifika communities provides a huge sense of pride, so much so that it's hard to not get emotional when performing.' The exciting music selection for Mana Moana 2025 blends beloved favourites from the previous shows with fresh new arrangements, offering an even richer experience for audiences. Expect a stunning mix of traditional and contemporary songs, including the Samoan classic Manu o le Vaveao, Nepituno —written by Queen Salote Tupou III to commemorate the 1953 Royal Tour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's visit to Tonga—an exhilarating medley featuring some of the most iconic Fijian songs, and much more. In 2022 a collaborative journey between the NZSO and Wellington-based Signature Choir to celebrate and promote the languages and stories of Pasifika. Their aim was to create high-quality audio recordings and videos of Pasifika songs in partnership with RNZ. This was then followed by a live performance at the Michael Fowler Centre where audience-recorded videos from the show have accumulated in over 1 million views on social media, highlighting the massive impact Mana Moana had and resulted in an incredible musical experience in 2023 and 2025 at Auckland's Spark Arena. Tickets to Mana Moana in Wellington are on sale now at $45 via or

Two decades on from bro'Town: Oscar Kightley with new gen comedians Joe Daymond and Bubbah
Two decades on from bro'Town: Oscar Kightley with new gen comedians Joe Daymond and Bubbah

RNZ News

time27-04-2025

  • Entertainment
  • RNZ News

Two decades on from bro'Town: Oscar Kightley with new gen comedians Joe Daymond and Bubbah

The mid 2000s were groundbreaking times for New Zealand stage and screen works from artists of Pacific Island descent. The Naked Samoans, with Elizabeth Mitchell brought us hit animated TV comedy series bro'Town in primetime. Film Sione's Wedding and its sequel followed, and were huge, while Toa Fraser's drama No.2 debuted at Sundance. Back in the theatre, groups like the Laughing Samoans and Kila Kokonut Krew were breaking barriers and taking their work overseas. All this before social media even existed - and when being on primetime television was a really big deal At the NZ International Comedy Festival in May the Naked Samoans will reunite for the first time in seven years. They join a new generation of makers and comedians. So on Culture 101 we thought it a good time to talk about what's changed, with a panel. Sieni Leo'o Olo (best known as Bubbah) is a Samoan comedian who started in theatre with Massive Company and, by the Covid years was performing her own show My Ode to South Auckland for gold-coin entry in her backyard (it went on to the Basement Theatre). She's become more widely familiar on screens from Comedy Central's Sis , Taskmaster , the Tiktok friendly I Got You and as the delightful Tina from Turners in the car auction ads. Hailing from Wainuiomata and of Fijian and Māori descent, Joe Daymond is no longer - as he's often been called- a rising star in our standup comedy scene. He's played the Sydney Opera House and Hollywood Comedy Store and has just finished a massive national tour ahead of a 10 date five state tour of Australia in May. And finally, one of the six Naked Samoans: Oscar Kightley. Born in Apia, raised in Tāmaki Makaurau, Kightley is a journalist, presenter, director and actor who was made a member of New Zealand Order of Merit in 2009.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store