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"MICHAEL HURST'S HI-ENERGY PRODUCTION OF HUMPERDINCK'S HANSEL AND GRETEL . . . IS READY TO TAKE ON THE COUNTRY" (Wm. Dart, NZ Herald)
New Zealand Herald: "Hurst injects a touch of grand guignol panto into this classic fairytale opera and his cast of five play it to the hilt. . . . As a lively, provocative night at the theatre, Hansel and Gretel is a winner."
National Business Review: "Director Michael Hurst has given the opera a freshness and unity, balancing the fairy tale, the cautionary tale and the sinister with a careful hand and an understanding of the links between the dramatic and musical elements of the work."
Listener: "The fact that this is a touring production has limited nothing. In fact, it has spurred Hurst and Verryt to feats of imaginative storytelling and interpretation. . . . The performance in Kerikeri was sold out, so grab your tickets in a town near you while you still can."
theatreview.co.nz: "Director Michael Hurst acquits himself very well with this, his first opera. He works with the grain of the music to present a clear telling of the story with occasional peeks at the dark side of the Grimms tale."
Metro: "It’s director Michael Hurst’s first opera, and under his guidance, the production is energetic and fast-paced."
Michael
directed the Englebert Humperdinck opera Hansel and Gretel for NBR New Zealand
Opera. It
is touring throughout New Zealand (Kerikeri,
North Shore, Manukau, Wanganui, Wellington,
Blenheim, Christchurch, Timaru, Invercargill,
Wanaka, Greymouth, Hastings, New Plymouth,
Rotorua, Tauranga) from 29 June-13 August 2008. Click here for more information and to book.
From
the press release: "Michael
Hurst is no stranger to New Zealand
audiences. He has brought intelligence,
energy and charisma to classical theatre,
fringe theatre, musicals and cabaret,
movies and television dramas for decades. Now, for the first time, he is directing
opera – The
NBR New Zealand Opera’s 15 centre nationwide
tour of Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel
and Gretel." |
The Bay Chronicle: "'We are having a lot of fun. It has been very rewarding for me and I would be keen to do more opera, depending on what it is. This one suits me.' His level of energy and commitment to the art of performance is what is expected to make this production something special and Kerikeri is the first town to see it."
New Zealand Herald: "Hurst is directing Hansel and Gretel straight on the back of his production of Threepenny Opera at the Maidment. 'I thought this would be easier, less people,' he says. 'True - less people, but this sea of music. I am a bit stressed. I am blinking a bit slower than I would normally do,' he adds with a laugh." |
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(photos: Adrian Malloch for NZ Opera) |
infonews.co.nz: "Medlyn says she is loving Hurst's take on the opera and she thinks audiences will too. 'Aficionados will be interested in seeing a man who is a classical actor and greatly renowned for his Shakespearian work and you'll see elements of that in the opera.'"
Michael talked about directing Hansel and Gretel on Upbeat on Concert FM; listen to it here. He also talked about it on bFM on 23 June; listen to it here.
Michael answered readers' questions on The Big Idea website. He talked about the opera, the difference between acting and directing, what he likes about his job, what he would be doing if he weren't acting and directing, etc. Read it here.
Click here for more information and to book.
MICHAEL
AND JENNIFER TO PERFORM CABARET TO BENEFIT WAIHEKE ART GALLERY
Michael
and Jennifer will perform a cabaret, "A Night in Berlin" to benefit the Waiheke Art Gallery on Friday, 25 July 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at Morra Hall in Oneroa. The evening will celebrate the Gallery's 2008 Artist in Residence programme.
Tickets are $140 each and include wine by Man o' War Vineyards and a three course themed dinner by the Great Catering Company. Tickets can be booked by calling the Gallery at 372-9907.
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MICHAEL IN THE SUNDAY HERALD
Michael was the subject of the article "Hurst So Good" in the 29 June 2008 Sunday Herald: "While he loves all genres, he keeps coming back to theatre. 'You get to see the audience going 'Ooo, aah, gasp, shock, chuckle, recognition' right in front of you'." Read the whole article here.
MICHAEL
AND JENNIFER ON YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR ACTORS EQUITY
Michael
and Jennifer are among several New Zealand
actors promoting New Zealand Actors Equity
in a short video on YouTube. Jennifer
is President of the union. See the
video here; see New Zealand Equity's new website here.
MICHAEL
TO STAR IN BITCH SLAP
CAST
INCLUDES OTHER HERCULES/XENA ALUMS
Michael
is starring in the American feature film
Bitch Slap playing Gage, a notorious
underworld kingpin. The
film will also feature Michael's Hercules co-star
Kevin Sorbo as Mr. Phoenix (the most secretive
covert agent the world has ever known), with
cameos by
Xena co-stars Lucy Lawless as Mother
Superior and Renee O'Connor as Sister Batrill.
It's
described as an exploitation film--with a healthy
dose of comedy; a "thinking
man’s
throwback to the “B” Movie/ Exploitation
films of the 1950’s-70’s as well
as a loving, sly parody of the same. . . . Bitch
Slap will mix girls, guns, outrageous
action and jaw-dropping visuals with a message… don’t
be naughty! . . . What
makes Bitch Slap different is a complicated
'B' story device that runs throughout the film
to illuminate character, backstory and relationship
histories not previously revealed. . . . Bitch
Slap also
employs a mysterious Female Narrator who comments
periodically on the folly of humanity, the
plight of the human condition and the vagaries
of life and love through quoting the likes
of Dostoevsky, T.S. Eliot, Sun Tzu and even
Buddha. (Bet you never heard THAT in
Jailbait Babysitter!)" Read
the full synopsis here.
The
cast also includes Julia Voth, Erin Cummings,
America Olivo, Ron Melendez, William Gregory
Lee, and Minae Noji.
Stunts
are being coordinated and performed by Xena stunt
double Zoe Bell, and the film is written and
produced by Eric Gruendemann and Rick Jacobson;
Jacobson is also directing. Gruendemann
was Co-Executive Producer of Hercules, Xena, Young
Hercules, Jack of All Trades,
and Cleopatra
2525, and
Jacobson directed two episodes of Hercules and
twelve of Xena. Anticipated release
date: late 2008/early 2009.
See the official
site (updated 10 May 2008); see images from Bitch Slap here. Read an interview with Rick Jacobson on Zoe Bell Fans on LiveJournal.
ON TV AND DVD
MADDIGAN'S QUEST BEING RE-SHOWN ON TV3
Family tv show Maddigan's Quest is now being shown on TV3 in New Zealand on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. Michael plays the cyborg Maska. See our Maddigan's Quest page.
THE
TATTOOIST RELEASED
ON DVD IN
THE U.S.
24 JUNE
2008; IN THE U.K. 29 SEPTEMBER 2008
The
Tattooist was released in the
US on region 1 DVD
on 24 June 2008 and will be released in the UK on region 2 DVD on 29 September. It
is already available
on region 4 DVD in
New Zealand and
Australia.
Michael
plays Crash in the New Zealand
film The Tattooist from
Eyeworks Touchdown Productions,
MediaCorp Raintree Productions,
and The New Zealand Film Commission.
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Click here to
go to our Tattooist page
for review, pictures, etc.
In
June 2008, The
Tattooist will
be one of five films to be shown
at New Zealand's first
solo film festival to be
held in China. See the
New Zealand Herald for
more information. |
Michael
with Rodney Hide |
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WE'RE
HERE TO HELP NOW AVAILABLE ON REGION
4 DVD IN NEW ZEALAND
Michael
plays the major support role of Rodney
Hide in the New Zealand film We're
Here to Help directed by Jonathan
Cullinane and produced by South Pacific
Pictures.
See
our We're
Here to Help page for more information,
pictures, reviews. etc.
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MURDER ON THE BLADE? NOW AVAILABLE ON DVD
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Michael
played a defence lawyer in the 2003 tv documentary Murder on the Blade?, written, directed, and produced by Keith Hunter, which received a New Zealand Screen Award for Best Documentary 2003/04. It is now available on dvd from Hunter Productions.
See our Murder on the Blade? page for additional information and images. |
TREASURE
ISLAND KIDS II NOW AVAILABLE IN THE US
Michael
as the ferry captain in Treasure
Island Kids: The Monster
of Treasure Island
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Michael
directed the second and third
films in the Treasure Island Kids series, The Monster of Treasure
Island (in which he
also briefly appears) and The Mystery
of Treasure Island.
The Monster of Treasure Island is now available Region I dvd (US and Canada).
The
films are also available
on dvd in Australia and several European
countries.
See
our Treasure Island
Kids page. |
HERE
TO STAY NOW AVAILABLE
ON DVD
Documentary
tv series Here to Stay is
now available in New Zealand
on region 4 dvd's. This six-episode
series features a different
Kiwi celebrity as presenter
and star of each episode as
it explores the contributions
to NZ life of various ethnic
groups that settled there. The
presenters introduce segments,
interview people, participate
in activities indicative of
their group, etc. Michael's
episode is about the English;
others in this first season
include the Irish, Scotch,
Chinese, Germans, and Croations. The
series has good pacing and
high production values, making
it fun to watch as well as
informative. |
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See
our Here to Stay page for
images from Michael's episode.
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Future
Projects & Appearances
Michael
in