THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY
ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland
23/07/2017 - 23/07/2017
Regent Theatre, The Octagon, Dunedin
26/07/2017 - 26/07/2017
Isaac Theatre Royal, Christchurch
28/07/2017 - 28/07/2017
St James Theatre 2, Wellington
22/07/2017 - 22/07/2017
Production Details
The fascinating tale of the world’s most successful music duo.
Following a sold out season on London’s West End and various cities across Europe, the UK production of The Simon & Garfunkel Story returns to NZ for a four centre national tour. Playing one night only in Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch from 22 – 27 July, the production was a sell-out smash hit in Auckland in 2016 and is back by popular demand.
This acclaimed production tells the fascinating tale of how two young boys from Queens, New York went on to become the world’s most successful music duo of all time. Starting from their humble beginnings as 50s Rock n Roll duo Tom & Jerry, The Simon & Garfunkel Story takes you through all the songs and stories that shaped them, the dramatic split, their individual solo careers and ending with a stunning recreation of the legendary 1981 Central Park reunion concert.
Using a huge projection screen, the show features 1960s photographs and film footage accompanied by a full band performing all their hits including Mrs Robinson’, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, Scarborough Fair, The Boxer, The Sound Of Silence and many more.
The Simon & Garfunkel Story features UK performers Gregory Clarke as Paul Simon and Joe Sterling as Art Garfunkel. Gregory Clarke is an established UK theatre performer across various productions including an original cast member of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White (Palace Theatre). Other productions have included Carnaby Street the Musical, Chess, The Witches of Eastwick and more. Gregory is also an accomplished guitarist and musician and played across various acts and productions including The Runaround Kids, The Experience, Songbird-The Music of Eva Cassidy, Hold Tight It’s 60’s Night, The Elvis Years, The Bluejays, Hot Stuff the musical and MANY more.
Joe Sterling trained with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and most recently played Buddy Holly in ‘Buddy Holly and the Cricketers’, touring theatres across the UK. Other theatre work includes: Pinocchio, Macbeth, Honk!, covered/played Mowgli in The Jungle Book, A Christmas Carol, Based on a True Story, Oliver! and Precious Bane.
Both actors/performers have been performing as Simon & Garfunkel across the European and UK tours for several months and look forward to a successful tour of NZ and Australia with the show.
“Amazing”- Elaine Paige, BBC Radio 2
“Simply incredible”— BBC Scotland
“Spine tingling harmonies”— The Daily Record
WATCH PROMOTIONAL VIDEO HERE
http://www.thesimonandgarfunkelstory.com/
THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY plays:
WELLINGTON:
St James Theatre,
Sat 22 July@8pm.
Book at Ticketek
AUCKLAND:
ASB Theatre,
Sun 23 July @7pm.
Book at Ticketmaster
DUNEDIN:
Regent Theatre,
Wed 26 July @8pm.
Book at TicketDirect
CHRISTCHURCH:
Isaac Theatre Royal,
Thurs 27 July @8pm.
Book at Ticketek
Theatre , Musical ,
Entertaining and moving
Review by Candice Lewis 24th Jul 2017
The UK performers set a holy tone in The ASB theatre (Auckland) by opening with ‘The Sound of Silence’. While there are a couple of shaky moments for Charles Blyth’s Art Garfunkel, he succeeds in pulling off the unique and angelic range that made Simon and Garfunkel’s harmonies so legendary. Sam O’Hanlon’s Paul Simon is incredibly accomplished on the guitar and both actors shine most brightly when performing the bare acoustic numbers that require harmonizing. It’s harmonizing that has an alchemical quality: warm honey in the limbs.
As the lads share the basic story of the duo, O’Hanlon has a Hi De Hi (1980s English comedy) vibe going, like he might call out ‘Hi de ho!’ at any time. In keeping with Art’s awkwardness, Blyth is a little more subdued and I enjoy seeing how he progressively loosens up as we approach the Summer of Love (1967). A large projector screen shows images relevant to the times which covers everything from equal rights to Bugs Bunny.
The Simon & Garfunkel Story is not an in-depth exploration of the lives and times of the most popular folk-duo act to spin on your recent ancestor’s turntables – but it is entertaining and moving nonetheless. The backing band is tight and loud (bring earplugs if you’re sensitive) and each musician seems to be genuinely enjoying himself.
My mum cries and we sing along to all the songs we know. A song we don’t know is ‘Richard Cory’– one that might resonate for the working poor in our own fair land in this day and age. There’s a rousing finish and we vibrate with all the clapping and singing.
As long as people wish for a ‘Bridge Over Troubled Waters’ there will be room for The Simon and Garfunkel Story.
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