It is with great pleasure that ALVA welcomes Angela Ayers to the membership fold. Angela became the Golden girl on NZ television in the 70’s through her actor entertainer television appearances with Peter Sinclair and Craig Scott on TV shows Happen Inn and Sing. By her early 20’s she had 2 hit records and had become a household name. This led to her being named “New Zealand’s Queen of Television” and “Most popular Female Artist”. Shortly after moving to Australia, she won the plum role of Maggie in the Australian Production of A Chorus Line subsequently winning the only scholarship the New York Shakespearean Festival Trust had ever awarded to study ballet / jazz in Los Angeles. A steady stream of significant roles in the musical theatre circuit kept her in Australia throughout the 80’s including West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Cabaret, Chicago, and Guys and Dolls with Anthony Warlow and the late Ricky May.
In the late 80’s Angela had moved to London but was lured back to Australia by Gordon Frost to star in the Australian National Tour of Jerry’s Girls alongside Marcia Hines, Judi Connelli and Jeannie Little. In 1998 she wrote her own one woman cabaret show entitled I Can Cook Too performing with the legendary Jazz Pianist Ray Alldridge. This show worked all over Australia and New Zealand to rave reviews such as: “Never mind that she can cook, this woman can really sing cabaret. Ayers has a rich and true voice, her technique is polished and her articulation superb.” (The Sun Herald, Australia)
In a career of many high lights Angela rates one of them as being singing the New Zealand National Anthem to over 90,000 people at the Bledisloe Cup Match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Angela has appeared on all National variety shows including Don Lane Show, Mike Walsh Show, Ray Martin and Kerrie Ann Kennerley show, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Countdown plus the 2 Ronnie’s Television specials. She was a regular favourite entertainer in the 80’s and 90’s on the Cruise ships and entertained the troops in the Sinai with the late Ricky May.
Returning to NZ she starred in musicals such as 42nd St, Jerry’s Girls, Mums the Word, numerous television credits as Shortland Street, Spin Doctors and Menopause the Musical both in Australia and New Zealand. 2014 Angela played Miss Potts in Hairy Maclary at The Opera House and you may have seen her on several television commercials. Angela’s cabaret show is in demand throughout Australia and is popular with the Senior Citizens Concerts alongside her new show Simple Dreams the songs of Linda Ronstadt. Currently she is working with some fellow jazz musicians and appearing regularly at the Opera Bar and The Golden Sheaf Hotel.
