Main Production
Since 1957, with our first show “Bendigo Hotel” Alexandra Musical Society has delivered high class productions to the people of the Central Otago region and beyond. Local theatre for and by local people.
The earlier shows were often written by our own Society Members and people are still talking about them. In later years Performance Rights were paid for well known shows, such as our 2019 production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat”. In 2020 we were affected by Covid 19 restrictions and had to delay our performance dates, rehearse under distancing restrictions and take special precautions in the planning of our show. “A Musical Degustation” was presented to appreciative audiences and covered songs from 14 different shows - most that we will probably not have the opportunity to perform in their entirety on our Alexandra stage. Our 2021 planned production was also interrupted part way through rehearsals when Covid again saw us locked down and the show postphoned due to Government restrictions. Instead we planned on a Christmas show. “A Christmas Cracker” was held in early December 2021, in the former “Fat Badger Venue” under level 2 of covid restrictions and then under the new Orange traffic light system for the last two shows. Front of House quickly learnt to be adaptable, changed the way they took bookings and seating the audiences and for the first time scanned our audience’s Covid passes!
When we returned to planning for “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” in early December we found that the momentum had been lost for many of the production team once we learned that more than 50% of our cast were no longer available for a 2022 season. Casting had been difficult in the first place and a leading man was not presenting himself… the decision was made, in the best interests of the Society, to leave “Chitty” parked in the garage for the time being and to reconsider alternatives.
In September 2022 we celebrated 65 years in Musical Theatre with our show “Stars on Stage” which welcomed people back into the theatre space following a difficult couple of years due to covid restrictions.