Press Release – Chris Sanders
Hana the Glowworm – 26 September to 3 October 2026
A cast of 40 young performers is preparing to bring an ambitious original New Zealand children’s musical to the stage when Hana the Glowworm premieres during the September school holidays at Centrestage Youth Theatre in Ōrewa.
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Written by award-winning children’s songwriter, performer and author Chris Sanders, featuring music from Auckland Philharmonia, Hana the Glowworm brings together music, storytelling and some of Aotearoa’s unique native creatures – along with a few pesky invasive species.
At its heart is the story of Hana (which means “to shine” in Te Reo Māori), a curious glowworm with big dreams and a fascination with the world beyond her cave. Despite warnings from her family, Hana longs to discover what lies outside. But after an encounter with a cave Weta leaves her in trouble, an unlikely friendship with an eel leads to an adventure filled with music, humour, danger and discovery.
With its large youth cast, original score and full-length theatrical production, Hana the Glowworm is believed to be among the largest original children’s musical productions developed in Aotearoa.
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The musical first appeared in 2025 as an abridged 45-minute production featuring 13 young performers at the Dame Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre and Bruce Mason Centre as part of the Tunes 4 Tamariki series. Its original five songs and overture were recorded at the Auckland Town Hall, with the project subsequently nominated for a 2025 Tūi Award at the Aotearoa Children’s Music Awards.
For the new full-length production, a further five songs have been recorded with musicians from Auckland Philharmonia’s aspiring musician programme, bringing the total to 10 original songs. The score ranges from uplifting numbers including “World of Wonderful” and “Shooting Star”, to comical songs such as “I Am the Stoat” and “It’s Our Turf,” alongside the emotional father-daughter ballad “Precious.”
For the 2026 production, Bella Whitaker (10) takes on the title role of Hana, while Milla Rodrigues Birch (17) plays Eel. Milla recently featured as the lead vocalist in a viral video from Takapuna Grammar School’s performance of “Te Iwi E.”
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Joining them are four performers from the original Tunes 4 Tamariki production: Boston Davis (14) as The Stoat, Ethan Heke (13) as Lumi, Gabriella D’Aguiar-Sanders (12) as Ruru and Elise Chapman (15) as The Possum.
A cast album featuring all 10 songs will also be released alongside the premiere on 26 September. Samoan actor and singer Katie-Rose Pemberton, who originally performed the role of Eel, returns to the project to perform on the cast album. It also features cameos from Th’ Dudes member (and music producer) Rikki Morris and writer Chris Sanders.
For Sanders, the project is about more than simply creating another show.
“We are incredibly excited to be creating an original New Zealand children’s musical of this scale and ambition,” says Sanders. “There is a major shortage of New Zealand stories for our tamariki to perform. Schools and community theatres regularly license well-known international children’s musicals, but there is virtually no New Zealand-produced content available. We have amazing stories, incredible young performers and world-class musicians in this country. Our children deserve the opportunity to perform in musicals that reflect their own environment, creatures, humour and stories.”
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Alongside the stage production and cast album, Hana the Glowworm is also a children’s picture book, illustrated by Natalie Conaty.
“This is only the beginning for Hana,” says Sanders. “We have created a world that can continue to grow through theatre, music and books. But for now, we are incredibly excited to invite audiences to experience the full story for the very first time.”
Show Dates:
Centrestage Theatre. 60 Centreway Road, Ōrewa, Auckland
26 September – 3 October 2026
Tickets: $25
Family Pass: $22.50 per person for groups of four
AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
2025 – FINALIST: Recorded Music NZ Best Children’s Artist Tūi Award
2023 – WINNER: Global FKR Audio Story of the Decade
2022 – WINNER: Global FKR President’s Award
2021 – WINNER: 2020 International Songwriting Competition
2020 – NZ Honour ‘Order of St John Priory Vote of Thanks’ – presented by NZ Governor General
2020 – FINALIST: Recorded Music NZ Best Children’s Artist Tūi Award
2020 – FINALIST: NZ Children’s Music Awards – Best Children’s Music Video
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
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