Meet the brassy Kiwi drag queen blowing her own trumpet, quite literally
Saturday, 19 July 2025
Kiwi drag icon Anita Wigl'it is more used to others blowing her trumpet for her.
After all, the diva has been named Miss Congeniality on not one, but two iterations of the ever-expanding RuPaul Drag Race ‘Ru-niverse’. She also has a nomination for New Zealand Television Personality of the Year lying around.
What is perhaps less well known is that Wigl’it is an accomplished musician, and now it is time for her to blow her own trumpet, quite literally.
In what is believed to be a New Zealand first (not to be confused with the other New Zealand First), a trumpet-playing drag queen will be accompanied on stage by a full brass band.
Auckland’s SkyCity Theatre will play host to Brassy Broad next month, featuring Wigl’it and Waitakere Auckland Brass.
When the frocks and wigs are off, Wigl’it transforms back to Nick Hall, co-owner of legendary K’ Rd institution Caluzzi, and he told Stuff his love of playing the trumpet came by chance.
“In 2004, my school music teacher put the call out for anyone interested in learning the trumpet for the school jazz band. Being an overly keen person, I put my hand up in the hope of a good school report.
“Prior to the trumpet, I had dabbled in a few instruments but something about the trumpet just clicked and I've played it ever since.”
Two music degrees followed before he joined the Royal New Zealand Navy Band, a time he called “wonderful”.
At one stage, he even played for a future US president.
“When Joe Biden was vice president he visited New Zealand and I played the Last Post for him and John Key as they paid their respects at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. It was a scary one! Not only two very important people but a huge amount of press, snipers pointing down at us and security helicopters.”
Another sombre and hugely emotional performance for Hall was playing the Last Post at Gallipoli: “An incredible opportunity to go to where New Zealand's most famous battle was fought, but tragic to see a place where so much sadness was created.”
Over the years the trumpet has taken a back seat to the sequins, but Hall said it is “becoming part of my life again more and more”.
The gig at SkyCity came about through his friend Jamie MacKay, a member of Waitakere Auckland Brass.
“I met Anita’s alter-ego Nick when he was a music student at the University of Auckland,” MacKay told Stuff.
“After Nick returned to New Zealand and Anita started her rise to superstardom, I would bump into her at events over many years and would always say ‘wouldn’t it be fun to do a concert with you and the band’.
“Last year I finally got organised enough to get the band and Anita to sign up to the idea, but couldn’t find a venue so we had to postpone until this year.”
MacKay describes Waitakere Auckland Brass as a “traditional British-style brass band” with “soprano cornet, cornets, flugelhorn, tenor horns, baritones, euphoniums, tenor trombones, bass trombone, tubas, and a lot of percussion”.
He will duet with Wigl’it at one stage, playing the sousaphone.
Asked if he has witnessed any diva behaviour from the drag star, MacKay laughed: “I’ve probably been the one most guilty of diva behaviour while hassling Anita for publicity material and persuading her that a sousaphone and trumpet duet is a great idea.
“I feel like Anita is probably too nice for diva behaviour behind the scenes, but I also feel that once she is on the stage, all bets are off.”
For Hall/Wigl’it the performance will be a “wonderful” chance to combine his current performing life with his first love, while guaranteeing “exciting music, ridiculousness, fun and sequins”.
Brassy Broad at SkyCity Theatre, Auckland, August 9. Tickets available here.