| 7 T T Sue Russell Curtains open for Hamilton’s new theatre State-of-the-art theatre technologies have been seamlessly incorporated into the building. BNZ Theatre “This is a real treasure for the city and something we’re all very proud of.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The technical prowess behind events in the Waikato. rentals@aclx.nz 07 847 6150 2/29 Clem Newby Rd, Burbush, Hamilton aclx.nz For Michael Gilling, manager of Hamilton’s BNZ Theatre, the city’s newest jewel in the crown, welcoming the theatre open for business brought up an array of feelings. “I started off at Founders Theatre, the iconic place all Hamiltonians identified with, which closed in March 2016, deemed a significant health and safety risk. This started a long process to determine whether it would be rebuilt on site or whether a new theatre to better serve the growing city was needed and to determine where that might be. I hold fond memories of Founders Theatre and its place in our history, as I know many people do,” says Michael. To start raising funds for a new theatre, the ‘Momentum Waikato’ Trust explored ways this could be achieved. While council provided a significant boost to the funding pool, to the tune of $25 million, much more was needed. Eventually the total funds raised amounted to around $82 million. Once the new site was found and confirmed, Charcoal Blue (Theatre, Acoustic and Experience Consultants), along with prominent architecture company Jasmax, were engaged to bring the design to life. As manager, Michael is employed by Live Nation, the company charged with operating the theatre, which opened its doors on in January this year. “When the designing process was underway, I was there in more of an advisory capacity, given my years of experience in theatre, so you could say I’ve worn a number of hats. Its an absolute thrill and delight to now be managing this wonderful venue, right in the main street of Hamilton, overlooking Waikato River.” The theatre sits on the site of the old Hamilton Hotel which had graced the city’s main street since 1865. The hotel sustained two fires, in 1892 and 1922 before being rebuilt in concrete in 1923 and closed in the 1980s, subsequently sitting idle for many years. A key feature to the design of the BNZ Theatre was retaining the neoclassic façade of the hotel, and a key element in the new construction was its meticulous strengthening and complete restoration. “Retaining the facade was such a good thing to do, along with repurposing as much timber from the hotel that was possible, seen in the wonderful staircase visitors are greeted with when they enter the building from Victoria Street.” Michael describes BNZ Theatre as an incredibly flexible venue, capable of accommodating large-scale touring shows with full auditorium seating to a flat floor mode. State-of-the-art theatre technologies have been seamlessly incorporated into the building and Michael says feedback to date is that people just love the size and ambience of the main theatre, especially the intimacy of the space, given the curved tiered seating layout. “It’s a really intimate theatre and groups we’ve hosted so far have been blown away with what it feels like to perform.” Best of all, Michael reflects, is a strong connection to the Waikato and the values of the city and region. Retaining elements of the old Hamilton Hotel, including salvaging parts of the suite in which Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh stayed on December 30, 1953 have created a unique connection between the old and the new. “The design process ensured significant input from iwi and the importance of the Waikato River, flowing to the rear of the venue has been celebrated. All in all it’s just a wonderful venue and we have some wonderful events scheduled this year.” Those events include internationally renowned acoustic guitar master Tommy Emmanuel, the NZSO and Royal New Zealand Ballet, a local production of Matilda by the Hamilton Operatic Society, Urzila Carlson to name just a few. While serving as a theatre and event space, BNZ Theatre is also home to a restaurant and bar bistro proving popular with locals and visitors to the town. “I’d suggest to anyone visiting this city to include a visit to BNZ Theatre, just to see what can be achieved when history and exceptionally creative design meld. This is a real treasure for the city and something we’re all very proud of.”
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