27 May 2009 - Auckland-based Melissa Nordhaus will play the roll of Kim in New Plymouth Operatic’s October production of Miss Saigon  - click here

26 March 2009 - New Plymouth - Miss Saigon Cast Announced
A very strong local flavour can be seen in the cast for New Plymouth Operatic’s 2009 Production of Miss Saigon.  

Mark Leuthard heads the cast in the role of ‘The Engineer’, the comical pimp from Saigon.  After stints as a professional performer throughout New Zealand,  Mark returned home to Taranaki in 2007, and currently manages the BNZ Hawera branch. Mark’s acting and singing credits for NPOS are numerous and diverse, highlighted by leads as Mickey Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Thenardier in Les Miserables and The Rum Tum Tugger in Cats.   Leuthard won the role over a handful of other contenders.  “His audition was outstanding” commented Miss Saigon director Warren Bates “.   Leuthard has his work cut out for him though – shortly beginning an intensive five month rehearsal programme in the lead up to the show – which opens at the TSB Showplace on October 8.

Anthony Joines has won the role of John. Joines, a member of the New Zealand Men’s choir and a board member of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation, is well know to Taranaki theatre audiences – having starred in numerous lead roles over the past 20 years, most notably as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.  “Anthony’s rendition of Bui Doi during the audition process gave both Shirley [Musical Director Shirley Murphy] and I goose bumps” Bates says.   Dean Mullin will play Chris, while his onstage wife, Ellen, will be played by Idelle Hiestand. Dean juggles his time between performing and triathalons – having competed in triathalons around the world – and was seen last on stage in New Plymouth as Munkustrap in 2007’s Cats. Hiestand beat out more than 20 other candidates for the role of Ellen.  “Being the only lead role a large number of woman could play – to role of Ellen was probably the most hotly contested of all the roles” Bates adds.  

“Miss Saigon will be a massive production” says director Warren Bates “We have an onstage cast of more that 50 on board out of more than 100 who auditioned”.  The cast list will be available from 1 April at www.npos.co.nz – however with one notable exception “We haven’t confirmed who will play the role of Kim yet” said Bates. “We are still searching for the person who is just right for the role.”

Meanwhile tickets for the production go on sale on 8 April at Ticketek and the TSB Showplace Box Office – with a very attractive incentive to book early “This is an A+ show – and our marketing team have come up with an A+ promotion” says Bates “In association with Stars Travel and the Plymouth Hotel we will be giving away a holiday to Vietnam in the lead up to the show – which gives people and even bigger incentive to come and see what will be a spectacular show”.