Kawerau Christmas in the Park

Prideaux Park Kawerau - Saturday 17th December 2011

Kawerau's Christmas in the Park is the showcase festive entertainment in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, with up to 10,000 people packing into Prideaux Park for the celebration.

Once again, Kawerau can announce a star studded line up for the annual Christmas in the Park. The day will start with the parade and lead into an afternoon loaded with local talent, which culminates with the main artists and in the big night bonanza. Mr. Lotto, Russell Harrison will be the master of ceremonies whilst Suzanne Lynch will join Russell, new up and coming stars Ria Hall and Anna Hawkins will also grace the stage in another massive Kawerau event and the biggest Christmas in the Park the Eastern Bay of Plenty has to offer!

The fantastic Float Parade leaves the Recreation Centre car park at 11 am on Saturday 17th December for two circuits of the town. Float parade registration forms float parade

Christmas in the Park starts at 1pm, Saturday 17th with the afternoon's line up of our very own talented musicians featuring AS and Tiger Hour, plus many others.

The evening's show starting at 7.00 pm will showcase some of New Zealand's best entertainers and the evening will come to a close with a spectacular fireworks display.

Prideaux Park in Kawerau will be alive with plenty of sideshows, thrill rides, food and attractions for all ages and promises to be another incredible day to remember.

Anna Hawkins

Another excellent inclusion for this year’s line up is the Tauranga based Anna Hawkins.

Anna Hawkins is an exceptional young woman with an enchanting yet powerful voice with an alluring stage presence. Her voice is a unique blend of both richness and purity with an emotive quality that stems from her ability to take her audience on a journey leaving them moved and wanting more.

Anna’s versatility has seen her perform at various high profile events singing at concerts, festivals, fashion shows, corporate functions, to performing on television or leading an anthem at a Rugby Stadium full of people.

Loving the thrill of performing live with an orchestra, Anna has performed with the Opus Orchestra at Hamilton and Tauranga Festivals and on several occasions with the Trust Waikato Symphony Orchestra. This year Anna returned to close the annual Hamilton Gardens Festival at ‘Sunset Symphony’, enthralling a crowd of around 10,000 people.

Last year Anna wowed audiences with her portrayal of the lead role ‘Kim’ in Miss Saigon. In December she performed again at TV3’s ‘Coca Cola Christmas in the Park,’ New Zealand’s biggest outdoor televised event. At the beginning of this year Anna captivated audiences once again at the ‘TSB Festival of Lights’ performing her own concert in New Plymouth’s, Bowl of Brooklyn.

2011 has also seen Anna busy having performed at Taupo’s Flying Proms, Auckland Seafood Festival and Hamilton Gardens ‘Sunset Symphony,’ amongst others as well as several corporate events including singing ‘Pokarekare Ana’ at the Auckland Museum for the opening of the Chinese Airlines.

Anna will no doubt bring a touch of finesse to the stage at Kawerau Christmas in the Park.

http://www.annahawkins.co.nz/

Suzanne Lynch

Suzanne Lynch established a name in New Zealand as the blonde member of the popular 60's duo "The Chicks" and then as a solo performer; Suzanne Lynch was offered the opportunity to fly to London and perform with Val Doonican on his television show whilst touring with him in New Zealand in 1972.

Suzanne toured with Neil Sedaka throughout England in the 1970’s. She also toured England and Europe with Charles Aznavour. Suzanne was a backup vocalist to many English artists including Cat Stevens. The first song Suzanne did for him was "Oh Very Young" on which she got to sing the solo line. Suzanne had the pleasure of performing for Cat Stevens on two world tours.

Through working with Cat Stevens Suzanne met a producer named Paul Samuel Smith and he got her in to sing on some of his artists records including Chris De Burgh and Art Garfunkel...

Somehow in between all this she was also following her own career as a soloist signing to Ringo Starrs label "Ringo Records" recording a single in Nashville for him with "Poppa Don Schroder" called "You Really Got A Hold On Me" which got a lot of airplay in England and was commonly known as a "turntable hit". It was released in New Zealand and Australia and reached No 1 in Perth and No 6 nationally in Australia and made the charts in New Zealand.

Suzanne came home to New Zealand in 1981 and has been very busy as a performer here in New Zealand since that time as a backing vocalist on many artists records including Kiri Tekanawa.

Suzanne is one of the 4 members of The Lady Killers and recently fronted The ConRays with Split Enz’ Eddie Rayner, who produced Suzanne’s 2006 album called "Colour of Summer"

Suzanne will be strongly remembered as the vocal coach for all three series of ‘New Zealand Idol’ and also tipped eventual winner Stan Walker to go onto big things, and she wasn’t wrong.

There is no doubt that Suzanne Lynch will bring absolute class to the stage in Kawerau and this show with Suzanne present will be one in a million!

www.suzannelynch.co.nz

Russell Harrison

Russell will be the MC on the night this year and will bring with him a touch of luck with him, as he is widely known as Mr Lotto!

Russell's musical career has already spanned two decades, and within that time he has shared the stage with some of New Zealand's best, including the late great Sir Howard Morrison, Rob Guest, Tina Cross, Temuera Morrison.

His diverse repertoire, wide vocal range and warm stage presence have guaranteed Russell universal appeal. With his studio quality backing tracks, guitar and sultry vocals, Russell's sounds are soulful and up beat.

With a multitude of television appearances, performances with world class entertainers and tours galore under his belt he is considered by his piers as a seasoned professional. With styles from Frank Sinatra to Stevie Wonder, Savage Garden to George Benson, Engelbert to Will Smith, Russell's diversity gives him the ability to appease the musical needs of everyone. Russell covers music from the 60's through to the 80's, plus more contemporary favorites.

He currently has a set of more than 300 songs to choose from, so his performance will be tailor made for our community.

AS

The organisers are extremely pleased to be able to include the amazing new local talent AS in the lineup for Kawerau Christmas in the Park. Having received a high level of national and local media attention with their new single “I Need your Love”, this band are a must see. Made up with a blend of sultry backing vocals, sweet brass section with sharp lead vocals and a cutting edge reggae-dub-funk sound, AS will certainly make the stage there own.

AS band members have known each other for many years and have crossed paths on many occasions where they have filled in, jammed or helped each other with their individual Gigs but never played together as a band. Respect for each other as friends and the high regard they have for each other as musicians was the lure for the formation of the Band. They have always wanted to form a band and play together and “AS” was formed to fulfill this need. Such is the depth of musicianship here in Whakatane and the Eastern Bay of Plenty that we are able to use a three piece horn section.

The Band has already had several promotional activities. The CD Single and video was officially released on October 17^th with a live performance on TVNZ’s Goodmorning Show. This was the bands first live public performance. The bands music video has been screened on national TV with regular viewing’s on C4’s Homegrown music Channel and recently screening on TVNZ, IAMTV show.

“AS” are a New Zealand based band and they hail from the small coastal town of Whakatane, situated on the Central East Coast of the North Island. Wonderful weather and the easy, stress free life style of this region provides an ideal environment to stimulate the creative flow and activate colourful rhythms and melody lines that typify what Kiwi music is all about. Kiwi music has a special identity and this is captured by original works that the band has written.