Committee
Each year in February an Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held to elect committee members who are then charged with looking after the society.
All members and observers are welcome to the AGM, but only current financial members are eligible to cast a vote at the AGM.
The Committee members are responsible for the general running of the society on behalf of the members and each take on different areas of interest and expertise. These are generally divided into subcommittees that members are then welcome to join and contribute to.
The committee is made up of 11 to 13 members being President, 2x Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and 6-8x Committee members. Each year the President, Secretary, Treasurer, 1x Vice President and 3x Committee members must be elected onto the committee.
Keegan stepped behind a followspot for Tauranga Musical Theatre’s production of Chicago—and he’s been immersed in the world of theatre ever since. Over the years, he has taken on a wide range of roles, including performer, lighting operator, technical director, followspot operator, and stage manager, contributing to more than 20 Tauranga Musical Theatre productions. Specialising in audio engineering, Keegan has toured across the Middle East and Europe, operating sound for productions such as Shrek the Musical and The Phantom of the Opera. With a passion for both the performative and technical aspects of theatre, he is eager to support and promote the growth of live performance and production in Tauranga.
Vice President
Hannah Lee
Hannah came to move a couch on crew for a show in 2018 and never left. She is an advocate for wellbeing and fun in our home away from home. And she’s loved the many opportunities to be in roles on and off the stage, especially Production Managing. Theatre is about building a community and being your true self, why not have fun along the way.
Treasurer
Pippi Northfield-Taratoa
Pippi was in love with acting and drama in school but has found in recent years that her deeper passion lies backstage. Understanding what makes a show work and being a part of that magic is a joy. Though her focus leans toward stage management, she's excited to learn any new skills she can while being a part of the community, hence joining the committee.
Committee
Heron Rickard
Heron became involved with TMT when her daughter was cast in a 2023 show, helping with wardrobe and joining the magic of the Thursday Sewing Fairies. Apart from her propensity for sewing poppers on upside down, it has been a joy being involved in selecting, designing, sewing and fitting costumes of all kinds. She's assisted in wardrobe for many shows since and loves the thrill and camaraderie of being backstage. When her son was also cast in a recent show, she was happy to join the Committee and help contribute to the running of a place which gives her family so much joy.
Committee
Justin Ansell
Justin has been involved in theatre since he was 13, taking part in the technical side/ backstage, and he's pleased to be returning home to the dark side of the theatre at TMT after a bit of a break and pleased to be here to share knowledge and help where possible.
Committee
Mark Fowler
Mark was begrudgingly brought to the theatre one day by his wife Gina and was so blown away by what was happening, he is yet to leave. He was drawn in by the theatre's mystic , the professional feel to the productions and blown away by the local talent on the stage. When he is not out the back building sets and maintaining the building you will find him out the front during show season. After being involved in bringing the shows to life, there is nothing better that seeing the reactions of the crowd. Getting the feedback from the patrons as they leave with huge smiles on their faces makes the time commitment we’ll worthwhile.
Vice President
Selwyn West
With an interest in all things technical you will find Sel behind the scenes rather than in the spotlight. His family has been involved in musical theatre for several years and because of them has helped construct sets and break them down again. He is enjoying serving on the committee and looks forward to sharing his skills to benefit the TMT society. He likes coffee, trivia and running to keep fit.
Secretary
Charlene Kitching
Charlene became involved with Tauranga Musical Theatre when her daughter started attending the youth group and also started doing shows. Charlene then got involved with helping initially with Wardrobe for Newsies Jr at the beginning of 2023 and has assisted with most of the TMT shows since then. Charlene loves to be part of the build up to the shows and helping backstage with shows and thoroughly enjoys her time at the theatre. She has met some great people and is happy to be on the committee and to really be part of the theatre community.
Committee
Jenna Irving Glasgow
After years of watching incredible performances at TMT, Jenna finally found the courage to audition for Les Misérables in 2024. That experience sparked a new passion for theatre, and since then, she has been involved both onstage and offstage in several productions. Les Misérables showed her the true sense of community the theatre can offer, where everyone feels like family. Now, Jenna is excited to give back to the TMT community that has given her so much, eager to support this amazing family and help create a space where everyone can experience the magic of theatre.
Committee
Jeremy Sparrow
Jeremy has been involved with Tauranga Musical Theatre since 1996. He has been on Committee since 2018 and was President of the Society 2020 to 2026. Jeremy is also the Honorary Solicitor for Musical Theatre New Zealand. Jeremy has a strong emphasis on future planning for the Society. He is passionate about ensuring the Society thrives and remains strong, and he works hard to achieve that goal. He has enjoyed implementing various policies and procedures for the Society, being involved in show selection, and more recently, youth development. Jeremy remains humbled by the incredibly talented, hardworking, loyal, and inspiring people that come together to form our TMT family.
Committee
Jackson Pool
Jackson has had a lifelong fascination with both music and the art of theatre. But he didn’t combine the two until he was an adult. Now he’s hooked on musical theatre - which he thinks is the holy grail of performing arts! He’s an electrician by day, and a passionate performer in any spare time he can find. Jackson is looking forward to being part of the committee for TMT-and excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the society in a new light.
Committee Youth Rep
Aadit Tandon
At the age of 5, little Aadit Tandon was too scared to blow the candles off his own birthday cake, so his parents threw him into acting classes to ‘improve his confidence.’ This passion only grew and at the age of 8, upon his arrival to NZ, TMT and Tauranga’s theatre community gave him a sense of belonging in this new land. Aadit looks forward to giving back to this community who has given him so much, helping to foster an environment where everyone can find their sense of belonging in this wonderful thing called theatre.