From Whitney Houston, Sci-Fi Epics, To Supernatural Cabaret: C. Penrose Returns Home To Bring Monster Songs To Toitoi
Performing for one night only on Friday 15 August at 7.30pm, Monster Songs invites audiences into a dark and dazzling world of cabaret where Bowie meets Britney and Rocky Horror meets Moulin Rouge—a high-energy and hair-raising musical theatre spectacle, celebrating the misfits of music through explosive pop vocals and theatrical flair.
For Penrose, who grew up in Napier, bringing the production home is a full-circle moment. 'Coming back to Hawke's Bay with a show like this with its killer score of musical theatre hits is a dream come true.' says Penrose (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Rongomaiwahine). 'I performed at Toitoi as a teenager with my school choir, so it feels very special to be returning to the iconic venue with Monster Songs. We made this show as a love-letter to the theatre kids, misfits and of course, the pop iconic of individuality like Gaga and Bowie who lit the way. I can't wait for audiences to feel as exhilarated and joyful as we do on stage.'
Penrose has toured internationally with Showtime Australia singing Whitney Houtston, Lent voice work to the film Dune Part II, and she recently graduated from The Actors' Program. With a growing list of stage and screen credits, including an upcoming Netflix series, her return to Toitoi represents not just a homecoming, but a hometown star on the rise.
Glen Pickering, Presenter Services Manager at Toitoi, says audiences are in for something truly unique.
'Monster Songs is an incredible show and with its powerhouse vocals, big energy and a lot of heart is going to be epic in the Opera House.' he says. 'And having Caitlin return to her home region for this performance makes it even more special. We're thrilled to showcase a local talent making big waves across the globe.'
Monster Songs blends musical theatre with saucy cabaret, featuring everything from freakishly fun showtune bangers to gut-wrenching pop ballads. It's a genre-bending, high-octane show for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider—and everyone ready to howl along.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Drawing From Memory: Auckland-Based Tongan Artist Brings Pacific Nostalgia To Life
Coco Lance, RNZ Pacific digital journalist Auckland-based artist and animator Luca Tu'avao Walton is an emerging voice in the Pacific creative landscape, with a distinctive style rooted in memory, identity, and the 'nostalgia' of island life. In fact, his work resonated so strongly that one woman messaged him directly, saying his portrayal of Pacific women inspired her to cancel a plastic surgery appointment she had made to change her "wide-set nose". Now, Walton's work is making its way to the big screen as part of an upcoming, yet anonymous New Zealand-Pacific feature film. From Tonga to Aotearoa Born in Lautoka in Fiji to a Tongan mother and a palagi father, Walton spent his early years in Mata'ika, a lagoon-side village in Tonga where his imagination bloomed. "We used to live right on a lagoon, which was just the best upbringing, among my cousins and family, swimming and kayaking all the time." It was there that Walton began to dream up the wondrous worlds that now define his art. "I would sit lagoon-side and just imagine all the mermaids that lived there, so I would draw mermaids a lot growing up. "My drawings bring to life a lot of what I imagined as a kid, growing up in Tonga, and a lot of my work is born from this idea of, what did I want to see as a kid? Then filling that gap." At age 10, Walton moved to Aotearoa for school. "Moving there was definitely a switch-up in my pace of life," he said. "I went from island life, which is slow and thoughtful, to being in the city and taking 40-minute buses each way to school." Despite the change in pace and lifestyle, Walton stuck with what he had always been good at - creating. His trajectory began early, nurtured by a supportive whānau. "My family likes to pretend I sprung up out of nowhere, because I draw and illustrate. But all my Tongan family are creative, they're singers, dancers. They make traditional toi (art). I'm the black sheep in that I am the only working creative, but they've all nurtured and rooted for me." Walton's memory is central to the creative process. Drawing on nostalgia, he said, is central to the Pacific island experience. "A lot of my work is about memory…belonging, nostalgia, feminism, recontextualising the past and imagining a new future. When I go into making a piece, I trawl through my memories. I don't try to be relatable, and yet I think when I tap into my realities, our people engage in that art." Family, especially the wāhine in his life, have inspired much of Walton's style. "My mum never put any expectation to be anything other than an I'm just drawing what I know at the end of the day. I think that's what a lot of artists do. "If I were to draw cool race cars, it would be a falsehood, because I was raised with my mum in front of the mirror, doing her makeup, her bangles clunking together, her GHD straightener sizzling her hair." "I was raised in a very feminine environment, I'm a feminine person myself, so my art is an expression of that femininity for me, which happens to be through a Pacific lens." Walton wasn't prepared for the response to his work, but it has been motivating nonethless. "It's always beautiful when you have kids, aunties, other creatives coming and saying, your work reminds me of home, makes me think of my Nana, or 'this looks like my mum back in the day. "Our people are such yearners, such sentimental people, and we're all family orientated. I feel there is a real hunger for work that feels familiar and is made with alofa and 'ofa. People can tell when it's made from within the culture, not just about it. People are craving more than just tokenism as well; we want the depth, the humour, the mamae, a bit of the sadness that comes with, you know, balancing our identities." Now, Walton's vision has led to his involvement in an upcoming film. The project is being spearheaded by Sāmoan-Māori creative Jessica "Coco" Hansell in collaboration with local animation Studio Ki'i'Pili (a Pacific take on Studio Ghibli), and is based out of Ōnehunga's creative hub, Wheke Fortress. Although it is still in its final stages and many details are yet to be revealed, Walton said it involves a collective of talented Pacific creatives, with the kaupapa being a Pacific-centric animated short film. "It has been a dream kaupapa, not just in what we are making, but how we are making it. It's an active experiment in the decolonisation process, working at a pace that honours the people involved. "I've been able to fully lean into my strengths without leaving anyone behind, a communal way of creating," Walton said. Looking forward, Walton emphasised animation as an accessible and important tool for equity in storytelling. "The government's putting big funding into animation right now. Pacific people need to take a big slice. "Individualism isn't natural to our people…being able to make myself useful to something bigger…turned my practice into a life path."
NZ Herald
8 hours ago
- NZ Herald
UB40 to headline Kingston Calling 2026 at Bay Oval on Waitangi weekend
'We've been talking to Kelvin [Jones, Bay Oval manager] working out how we could make it happen. Now we've got it!' The Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Photo / Photosport Burrows said Bay Oval was an iconic venue and he wanted the event 'to be something special'. It had to be a summertime show but also something that fitted in with Bay Oval's cricket schedule. 'It's a major part of the Mount with a beautiful backdrop and an international cricket ground that's hosted big events. It's our home city. 'It's where we're based – so we thought it would be incredible to put an international artist like UB40 with Ali Campbell at such an iconic venue on a long weekend in summer.' Bay Oval general manager Kelvin Jones said the facility had not hosted a music event before. 'This is very much a first for us – and something we've been strategising that we'd like to add to the oval's repertoire for many years, so it's great that we've worked with Toby and his team to make it a reality.' Jones said Bay Oval's biggest event so far was this year's Anzac Day Chiefs game, which 'a tick over 12,000' people attended. Bay Oval general manager Kelvin Jones and Tauranga-based Toby Burrows, who is director of Fabrik NZ and Trademark Live can't wait for 'Kingston Calling 2026' at Bay Oval on February 7. Photo / Brydie Thompson 'We're unashamedly a cricket ground first and foremost … but we're funded by the community and it's a multimillion-dollar facility so the more things we can do to get the community to value and use it, the better.' Jones said Bay Oval was run by its own trust 'so making it pay and covering our costs [for core cricket offerings] is always a key factor too. Being as diverse as we can helps that'. With Kingston Calling 2026 within the cricket season, Jones said the event would be a learning curve: 'We don't know what we don't know but we haven't done it lightly. We've done our research and these [swapping activities at a venue] happen the world over – the key for us is the cricket pitch is protected.' Jones said Bay Oval wants to be a viable venue option for non-cricket events but won't be hosting many due to the nature of the venue. Kingston Calling 2026's headline act is UB40 featuring Ali Campbell. Photo / Supplied 'So we're focusing on quality rather than quantity.' Burrows said Kingston Calling 2026 would not just be a concert but a music festival. 'We have support acts which we'll announce soon – it will be a full afternoon and evening of music.' Burrows said while it's always a big deal when international artists come to New Zealand, when they perform in regional cities it's massive – 'that's what my team specialise in'. 'UB40 has sold 70 million records worldwide – so they're right up there [in terms of status]. 'Often these types of artists only play indoors in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. So to bring them to an outdoor setting, in summertime, on the grass on a long weekend – it's the perfect recipe. 'It will be the biggest summer music event in our region for sure.' Formed in 1979, UB40 became one of the UK's most successful and influential reggae groups. Since departing the original line-up in 2008, Ali Campbell has led his own world-touring ensemble. Burrows said UB40 featuring Ali Campbell would play all their big hits, taking people who love their sound and vibe on the ultimate journey. As a result, he expected Kingston Calling 2026 tour dates to sell out, and advised those interested to secure tickets quickly. 'We also hope to announce another extremely exciting concert for this summer at Bay Oval very soon,' Burrows said. Tickets are on sale at:
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Scoop
Clovr - Returns With Buoyant Euro Dance Collab 'complicated'
Meanjin/Brisbane-based producer Clovr has just returned with ' complicated ' - a vibrant single made alongside fellow producer Sam Atlast. Ethereal vocals, floating synths and punchy basslines lay the foundation for an emotionally charged summer anthem, moulded by invigorating builds and euphoric highs. More than just a dancefloor cut, 'complicated' threads heartfelt nostalgia through a shimmering euro-inspired groove - another substantial addition to Clovr's evolving sonic identity. Clovr talks about the inspiration behind the track: "It's a fun Euro summer track, for people to let their hair down and enjoy the small or big moments. A chance to celebrate change and embrace the unknown. Aiming for that staple anthem that will always remind them of a good time shared with lifelong friends - it's not a filthy floor-filler but an emotionally fuelled hyper dance groove." Rooted in a love of early Flume, Jai Paul and Skrillex, Clovr's style balances futuristic production with nostalgic textures. Through this track and previous singles ' get sum ', ' Friends ', ' Pink Salmon Seats ', ' Say So ', ' Cold ' and ' Skin ', Clovr exerts his versatility and emotive pull. "My mum was always blasting Fleetwood Mac in the living room when I was a pup - it ignited a curiosity for music," Clovr explains."From that I learnt the drums and dabbled between other instruments before I was hooked on the production bandwagon." Clovr has performed alongside artists such as Lime Cordiale, Go-Jo, Bag Raiders, Luude, Wongo, Example, and Hermitude, and has featured on festival lineups including Be Social Fest, Sugar Drop, and Rhythm and The Reef.
