Video: 92 Munchkins and a pig called Pumpkin

Good on Jesse Peach for being brave and creating work for talented actors. Hopefully he'll continue with 3 News though, as he is a welcome relief from David Farrier's self-involved pretentious ramblings.

Yeah I concur. I doesn't sound like Mr Noshow has seen it. I'd also say that David Farrier's piece, if anything, completely undersells the show. As for a story of national interest, I guarantee a fair amount of the country is interested in hearing about a play based on an incredibly beloved movie that featured 92 kids, a pig and an impressive slew of veteran actors.

I politely disagree: a musical put on at the grand Civic by a young theatre director with huge vision, an amazingly talented cast and at huge risk (NZ’s not massively supportive of theatre at the best of times, let alone during RWC) should be a story of national interest. Also, considering NZ is so small, it’s incredibly hard to get publicity from someone you don’t know, in some way or other, when you’re in the media business. I don’t think it’s fair to discredit what is an extremely entertaining production merely because the interviewer knows the interviewee. What should be important is whether or not the Wizard of Oz achieves what it set out to do – granted this ‘article’ has no grit, but having seen the show myself on opening night, and having been a theatre reviewer in the past, I offer this: Peach theatre Company's Wizard of Oz is an extremely fun, colourful, well considered, brilliantly sung, acted and rendered version of the classic. The children in the audience went insane over the animals; they loved the fright, the smoke, the drama and the magic of the set. The parents too seemed rather overjoyed. I for one have never heard so much unsolicited clapping – it happened at the end of songs, midway through acts, and then in spadefuls at curtain call: A spontaneous & genuine need to congratulate a collection of really great theatre moments. If you’re thinking of going, I’d say go. But here’s the link to theatreview’s thorough review for further consideration http://www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews/review.php?id=4171

Nice bit of shameless free publicity for a 3 News reporter (Peach) by another. I seem to recall the same happened with his last production too. Perhaps the producers could leave these segments till the end of the real news, or not at all. It doesn't really do a lot for the credibility really, two reporters sitting next to each trying to concoct a story of National interest...