Tarnished Frocks & Divas

Yesterday I went along to my first Tarnished Frocks and Divas show.  Those of you not from Tauranga will be wondering what the heck this is?  Those of you from the Bay will be saying “where have I been?” And they will be right!
What began with a group of women wanting to celebrate life after losing a good friend to cancer is now a truly amazing production which highlights the wealth of talent in our community.  The mission of the trust that put on this biannual extravaganza is “to inspire women, to continue to challenge themselves, create new goals and to be a positive influence on their families, their friends and the wider community.”

This year’s show, the 4th since its inception in 2005, was held at Mills Reef Winery.  We arrive at the beautiful Mills Reef and are directed downstairs to the cellar where we then wind our way back to the surface through fairy lit marquees to be greeted by a French themed scene.  This is getting us in the mood for the performance of revamped retro clothing intertwined around the story of a magical restaurant in a small town  in France called Alouette.

We are in for 8 courses of fabulous outfits brought together by music, dance and laughter.  Jackie Clarke has been part of every Tarnish Frocks and Divas shows to date and this year her mix of comedic and singing talents make her the perfect person to bring the show together as La Belle Jacqueline.  Between courses Clarke entertains the crowd, often getting up and personal!  Split Enz, Dave Dobbyn and even a good old group sing-along to 10 guitars add a great kiwi twist to the French themed show.

The entire cast, from the saucy waitresses to the models and dancer were stellar!  But special mention need to be made about Tracey Collins who played the accordian, an instrument you don’t expect is high on many people’s musical lists.  In fact she played the accordian so well and with such ease, even beside the contemporary songs, that we spent some time debating if she was actually playing it, until we read the programme to discover she is the only female professional accordian player.  And then the amazing voice of Sharon Cotter, who played the chef which was stand out!

Although the revamped clothing was fabulous and a true testament to the creativity of the designers, the show would have been enjoyed by most, even those not interested in fashion.  As I sat watching the sell out crowd find their seats it was obvious many women had taken the time to look into their wardrobes and revamp some classics.  The outfits were great and made me realise that this show really has become an event in the local calendar.

http://www.tfandd.co.nz/ourstory.php