Karen O’Leary, the hilarious star of television comedy Wellington Paranormal, will once again tackle the supernatural when she teams up with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra for its Spooky Symphony concerts in Tauranga and Napier from next week.
O’Leary, who made her acting debut in Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement’s cult-classic movie What We Do in the Shadows, will be the presenter of whānau-friendly performances of Spooky Symphony in Tauranga on 6 November and Napier on 13 November.
Spooky Symphony is a spellbinding experience for all ages, packed with some of the most magical and spooky music ever written. With the audience guided by O’Leary, the fun-filled selection includes French composer Paul Dukas’ unforgettable The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky’s exhilarating Night on Bald Mountain, both made famous in Disney’s animated film Fantasia, and John Williams’ Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
“I am so looking forward to Spooky Symphony,” says O’Leary. “Hearing the NZSO is such a powerful experience and the music they play is inspirational. Being part of Spooky Symphony also helps bring in my other love, which is education and teaching children and families. It hopefully means that classical music and the Orchestra is accessible to lots of different people. That is such a positive thing.”
Wellington Paranormal, a comedy spin-off of What We Do in the Shadows, has been broadcast in 70 countries, including HBO Max in the United States. O’Leary stars as Officer O’Leary, who along with Officer Kyle Minogue (Mike Minogue), investigate supernatural occurrences in the Capital.
The NZSO will be led by Grammy Award-nominated conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya. His previous 2020 concerts with the NZSO were hailed by The Dominion Post as “absolutely first-rate”.
Spooky Symphony is one of three special concerts the NZSO, led by Maestro Harth-Bedoya, perform in Tauranga and Napier in November, as part of the Orchestra’s Immerse 2022 festival.
Fusing roots, soul and hip-hop with powerful vocals in te reo Māori and English, Tauranga-based music star Ria Hall will perform songs from her celebrated debut album Rules of Engagement given a mesmerising orchestral makeover by the NZSO in Tauranga on 5 November and Napier on 12 November.
Napier-born Madeleine Pierard, an internationally acclaimed soprano, performs in Heavenly, a concert featuring music giant Gustav Mahler’s majestic and enchanting Fourth Symphony.
Heavenly, in Tauranga on 4 November and Napier on 11 November, also features Tumblebird Contrails by lauded American composer Gabriella Smith, whose music is inspired by environmental themes.
The NZSO Immerse 2022 festival also includes Open Doors, a series of free daytime family events from 10am on 5 November in Tauranga and 12 November in Napier. Whānau can enjoy spooky face painting sessions, instrument jams with NZSO players, masterclasses and more.
