Less than a week before the big day an Australian show came to the Bruce Mason Centre in Auckland promising festive cheer, music and fun. It had a lot of cuteness, nice enough music and a festive vibe and was clearly aimed at children. For me as an adult, sadly, it didn’t quite live up to its ambitious title of The Greatest Christmas Show.
All the elements of the season were there such as beautifully decorated trees, plenty of smiles, good cheer and a slew of Yuletide carols that are proven family favourites.
Hosting the show and doing all the singing were Cat Hay from Christchurch and Sasha Simic from Melbourne. Their banter was well rehearsed, but didn’t quite have the easy chemistry needed for a live show.
Simic had a relaxed charm and also performed a few magic and illusionists trick. His voice was warm and nice but was often overpowered by the volume of the music.
Hay’s voice was very powerful and she delivered the best moment of the evening with a breathtaking version of O Holy Night.
The duo were joined on stage by a troupe of female dancers who wore a range of gorgeously tailored costumes. One of those dancers also performed a number of cirque-style performances with considerable flair.
Making up the full ensemble was musician Emily Roughton who played the piano in some songs, and delivered a sensational version of Carol of the Bells on the violin while dancers in blue and gold outfits pirouetted around her.
The range of songs from Deck the Halls through to Jingle Bells, Santa Baby and many others was really nice. The aforementioned O Holy Night and a beautifully performed Silent Night (during which the audience was asked to turn on their phone lights), were magnificent.
This show had some really delightful moments but overall it just missed the mark. I don’t think the kids would have noticed and probably many of the parents didn’t either, but the show occasionally fell short of the refinement promised by its title.
THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS SHOW
19-20 December 2025
Bruce Mason Centre
