The Production Company 2010

 The Production Company’s three shows this year comprise an Australian premiere, ‘Sugar’, an all Australian musical, ‘The Boy From Oz’, and one of the greatest classics from the Broadway stage, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘The King And I’.

Starring in the 12th season of musicals are many of Australia’s best known names in the musical theatre business and Australia’s leading creative artists will stage the productions.

First up will be one of the all time Broadway favourites ‘The King & I’. Chelsea Gibb will star as Anna, Juan Jackson will play The King, with Silvie Paladino as Lady Thiang. Terence O’Connell directs this new staging and Alana Scanlan choreographs. Musical direction is by Rodgers and Hammerstein specialist Peter Casey. A two week season of ‘The King & I’ was rumoured but the official announcement lists the season as Wednesday 14 July – Sunday 18 July.

Todd McKenney is making his debut with TPC as Peter Allen in ‘The Boy From Oz’. Amanda Harrison returns to the company to play Liza Minnelli. Amanda played Elphaba in ‘Wicked’ for the past eighteen months. David Harris will co-star as Peter’s boyfriend Greg. Robyn Arthur, also of the original cast, moves up to the role of Peter’s mother Marion Woolnough. This new spectacular concert version of ‘The Boy From Oz’, originally created by Nick Enright, is directed by Australian showbiz legend Nancye Hayes. John Foreman is musical director and Andrew Hallsworth is choreographer. Dates are Wednesday 18 August – Sunday 22 August.

The final show of the year is one of the great comedies, ‘Sugar’, based on the classic movie comedy ‘Some Like It Hot’, which starred Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Music is composed by Jule Styne, whose works include ‘Gypsy' and ‘Funny Girl’. Readers of Theatre People with very long memories may recall the Festival Theatre Company production of ‘Sugar’. Helpmann Award® winners Mitchell Butel and Matt Hetherington will play the comic dual roles of Jerry (Daphne) and Joe (Josephine). In the role of the sexy songstress, Sugar Kane, is Christie Whelan fresh from her huge success in the role of Janet in MTC’s ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. Adam Cook, artistic director of the State Theatre Company of SA, returns to direct and Christopher Horsey will choreograph. 'Sugar' plays at the State Theatre Wednesday 29 September to Sunday 3 October.

Subscriptions to the season start from a very reasonable $102 for the three shows. Details are available at www.theproductioncompany.com.au