History
This ensures there will be representatives elected on the trust by those who have a long standing affiliation with MTNZ at all times. If the trustees elect to appoint interest to loans the Early Contributors as at 2023 ( or whenever the trust is first established) will be exempt from this interest allocation for the 9 years following.
Key People
Kevin Murphy
Kevin’s contribution to musical theatre at both a local and national level has been significant.
Kevin has been a member of New Plymouth Operatic for over 45 years working primarily in administration but also has been an active backstage helper for many of the major shows. He is a Life Member and served as NPOS President from 1991 to 1996. On a national level Kevin served on the Executive of MTNZ as Vice President from 1997 – 2001 and then President 2001 – 2004. He was awarded Life Membership of MTNZ in 2006 for his outstanding service and contribution to MTNZ. Kevin was also part of the management committee, that formed the first society consortium in 1994 - staging Les Miserables and continues his involvement with the Consortium to this day.
Kevin, has had a very successful career in banking working for TSB Bank for 38 years where he rose from a shop floor teller position to the role of CEO/ Managing Director a position he held for 8 years. He now works as a Professional Director serving on several boards.
Kevin met his wife Carolyn, at Operatic and their family involvement has continued with all three of their children being involved with the society over the years.
Kate Ghent
Kate’s debut on a stage was when starred in a ballet panto as a tree. Unfortunately, composers of shows don't write roles for "leading altos" and her greatest onstage claim to fame was playing the nude Japanese prostitute in Ken Russell's Madam Butterfly for the 1994 Festival of the Arts - dress rehearsal took on a whole new meaning.
Aside from various fabulous onstage roles over many years, Kate has also worked behind the scenes – in community theatre mainly directing, production management, committee, crew and dressing roles. Professional theatre - assistant production/project manager for Miss Saigon, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Kinky Boots and Mamma Mia! and is currently the touring Wardrobe Manager for Jersey Boys and Kinky Boots. Kate has been HOD dressing on large productions including dressing Tim Minchin and his band and has dressed on WOW.
She is a Patron of Kauri Theatre Company, was awarded Life Membership of Musical Theatre NZ in 2020 and received a Merit Award in 2015 for her services to the New Zealand theatre and arts community. Professionally she has worked across sport, Government and arts organisations in executive assistant, project and event management roles (most recently event managing the national public apology event to abuse in care survivors) and was the General Manager for Musical Theatre New Zealand for 19 years. Kate is now with G&T Productions working on & Juliet as production/project assistant – touring NZ in 2026
Zac Johns
Zac is a pianist, conductor, and award-winning Music Director whose work spans over a decade of youth theatre, cabaret, recording, concerts, local productions, and large-scale touring musicals.
His credits as Music Director, Conductor, or Assistant include Priscilla, We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Les Misérables, The Last Five Years, Richard O’Brien’s The Kingdom of Bling, Sister Act, Evita, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Legally Blonde, Godspell, and the NZ premieres of Kinky Boots and Dogfight. As a keyboardist, Zac has performed in the pits of The Music Man, Chess, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia!, In The Heights, and with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in commercial projects such as Synthony in the Domain and Art of the Score: The Music of Hans Zimmer.
Zac is also passionate about contributing to the theatre community and beyond with involvement in the NAPTA Charitable Trust, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ, and works in the Fundraising team at the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
Allan Nagy
Allan has been a member of the Palmerston North Operatic Society for over 45 years. During this time, he has filled just about every role you could think of in theatre, from sweeping the stage to stage management, production management, Board/Committee member, Chairman and President. Allan is currently the President of the Society (trading as ACT THREE PRODUCTIONS), a role Allan has held on several occasions over the past 15 years.
Allan has previously served as the Zone Three Representative on the Musical Theatre New Zealand (MTNZ) Executive and is currently the Logistics Co-ordinator for the MTNZ Consortium, managing and looking after the set movements. In 2006 Allan was awarded an MTNZ Merit Award for outstanding service to musical theatre and in 2011 Allan received a Civic Award from the Palmerston North City Council for services to community theatre.
In his ‘non-theatre’ life, Allan has been a general and national manager for some of New Zealand’s largest trucking companies and, as such, is no stranger to the world of finance, budgets and forecasting. Currently he is the Fleet & Supply Manager for the Palmerston North City Council, managing Council’s fleet and equipment their procurement, maintenance and storage, along with assisting in developing the long-term plan for the Council.
Chairperson
Cheryl Simpson
Cheryl became involved in theatre as a musician through the '90s up until the present. She has performed on French Horn from the Sydney Opera House to Beijing and been involved in top quality orchestras, bands and operas for many years. She plays Trombone in a big band and is learning tenor drumming. She has played keyboard for various shows and was a keyboard/percussion player for a (more than - with several extra showings add in last minute) sold out season of Mamma Mia. Her most recent role was the production manager for Noises Off at Papakura
Cheryl did her law degree in 2 ½ years, working several jobs and taught music at high school and in her spare time for years. She taught at and ran Papakura Music School for 11 years and 5 years respectively, and while in charge bringing the roll up from 120 to 550 kids introducing a wider range of instruments, expanding the orchestra, band and combined instrument programmes and giving out scholarships to students from Papakura Intermediate. When told no Cheryl will try to create a solution that flips to yes rather than give up, when there was no budget to teach French horn she took the student for free in her own time then had a class with horn in one corner and keyboards in the other, working around shared custody issues (like children attending only every second week) rather than . She is the kind of person who would frequently dip into her own pocket to buy books or reeds or gear for students who couldn't afford to pay and she had a staff of over 40 part time teachers and young adult assistants.
Cheryl now manages a law practice in Mt Eden, is on the board of Papakura Theatre Company, trying to slow down a bit in middle age but has been given a puppy and a kitten recently so that might have to wait...