A bit of velvet, a bit of rebellion, and a whole lot of heart.

Velvet Rebels is a celebration of the music and style our kaumātua (elders) grew up with — that golden era of Māori showbands, Rat Pack swagger, and smooth jazz lounge vibes. But this isn’t a throwback — it’s a modern take. We’ve curated the classic style with fresh eyes, keeping the humour, the glamour, and the music we know and love, while making sure the conversation feels current.

I made this show because I wanted to create a space where our old people could sit alongside their tamariki (children) and mokopuna (grandchildren) — laughing, singing along, and sharing in the experience together. It’s an intergenerational meeting point, where the timeless charm of the past meets today’s voice and values.

It’s stylish, it’s cheeky, it’s warm — and it’s made with aroha (love).

- Rutene Spooner

  • Rutene Spooner

    PRODUCER / PERFORMER

  • Shea Kokaua

    MUSICAL DIRECTOR / PERFORMER

  • Holly Chapelle-Eason

    COLLABORATOR / DIRECTOR

  • Kira Josephson

    CHOREOGRAPHER

  • Naomi Ferguson

    MUSICAL ADVISOR

  • Spencer Earwaker

    TECHNICAL OPERATOR

  • Metro Māori Productions Ltd

    PRODUCER

  • Laura Kokaua

    PRODUCTION ASSIST

  • Sash Stejko

    HERO IMAGERY

  • Jinki Cambronero

    PRODUCTION PHOTOS

  • Benj Brooking

    TRAILER FOOTAGE

  • Kaitiaki Rodger & Andrew Farrant

    ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:

Lighthouse Casting, Vanessa Immink, Jennifer Fraser, Rhohil Kishore, Tim Shacklock, Tom Eason, Kate McGill.


The Velvet Rebels was developed with support from Auckland Live.

Luck Be A Lady

Frank Loesser

Me and My Shadow

Al Jolson, Billy Rose, Dave Dreyer

The Birth of the Blues

Lew Brown, Ray Henderson, B.G. (Bud) De Sylva

Brat Pack Medley

Strangers in the Night

Eddie Snyder, Charles Singleton, Berthold Kaempfert

Volare

Franco Migliacci, Domenico Modugno

Candy Man

Leslie Bricusse, Anthony George Newley

Scat King Cole

Original Parody

Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)

Bart Howard

Aotearoa Medley

Poi E

Maui Dalvanius Prime, Ngoi Kumeroa Pewhairangi

Sway

Bic Runga

Slice of Heaven

Dave Joseph Dobbyn

Blue Bayou

Joe Melson, Roy K. Orbison

Mambo Italiano

Bob Merrill

Woe Is Me

(Original composer unknown)

For Once in My Life

Orlando Murden, Ronald Norman Miller

Ain’t Nobody

Carolyn Ann Franklin

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