Here’s the latest news in the Weekly Wrap!
CURRENT SHOWS
NEW SOUTH WALES
Hayes Theatre: MELBA
–
QUEENSLAND
Centre of Contemporary Arts (Cairns): Joh for PM
–
VICTORIA
Her Majesty’s Theatre: Aladdin
The Princess Theatre: The Book of Mormon
–
WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND AUSTRALIAN THEATRES?
Evita
Don’t cry any longer Australia!
Hit musical, Evita will open at Sydney’s Opera House in September 2018. Coinciding with the work’s 40th anniversary, it is the first time it has played at the Opera House. No casting has been announced yet.
–
High Fidelity– full cast announcement
The cast of Neil Gooding Productions and Highway Run Production’s High Fidelity was announced on Sunday, August 13th. Portraying Rob Gordon, a record shop owner will be Toby Francis (Kinky Boots). Joining him on stage as his ex- girlfriend Laura will be Teagan Wouters (Kinky Boots). Dash Kruck (Little Shop of Horrors) will play nerdy music expert, Dick and Joe Kosky (Kinky Boots) will play rock God wannabe Barry. Rounding out the cast are Erin Clare (We Will Rock You), Denise Devlin (Rent), Bronte Florian (Kinky Boots), Zoe Gertz (Georgy Girl), Anthony Gooley (Calamity Jane), Alex Jeans (American Idiot), Jenni Little (Kinky Boots), Matthew Predny (Kinky Boots), and newcomer Madison Hegarty.
For further information and dates head to http://www.theatrepeople.com.
–
Memphis– full cast announcement
Monday, August 7th saw the announcement of StageArts production of Memphis- The Musical. The Australian Premiere of the Tony Award winning show will open at Chapel off Chapel on October 6th and will run until October 22nd.
James Elmer (ABC 3 and MTV host) will lead the cast as white DJ Huey Calhoun who is passionate about African-American rock ‘n’ roll music and is determined to bring it to a mainstream audience. He starts to fall for the incredibly talented and beautiful star on the rise, Felicia who will be played by Elandrah Erimiha- Feo (In the Heights).
The show is loosely based on the story of Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips, one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s.
For the full cast list and further details head to http://www.theatrepeople.com.
–
Casting of Muriel’s friend, Rhonda announced
Thursday, August 10th saw the announcement of Madeleine Jones (Ladies in Black, Once) as Rhonda, Muriel’s BFF in Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Muriel’s Wedding.
The show opens at the Roslyn Packer Theatre, Sydney on November 6th, 2017. This is the show’s World Premiere.
–
Theatre People Industry Night – cast announcement
Theatre People have announced the cast for the September edition of Industry Night to be held at Melbourne’s La Di Da on Monday, September 11th at 7:30pm. It is a one night only event with a fabulous cast of Australian theatre performers.
Tickets can be purchased from http://www.theatrepeople.com.
–
Underground Broadway- cast announcement
Brisbane get ready for a night of fun and festivities as Underground Broadway celebrates their 1st Birthday on Monday, September 4th. With special guests from the visiting cast of Kinky Boots it will be an amazing night. Please note the new venue : The Broadway Basement in Paddington. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.trybooking.com/
–
Joh for PM – Opening Night
August 4th saw Joh for PM open in Cairns. The show runs in Cairns at JUTE Theatre, Centre of Contemporary Arts. The show is a take on controversial QLD Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen and his political career.
The final performance is on August 19th.
–
Rehearsals for Beautiful begin
Rehearsals for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical began today ahead of their first shows next month at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. Esther Hannaford (Little Shop of Horrors) will play Carole King in the musical about her early life and career which has spanned 59 years and has included 25 solo albums.
Tickets for the show are on sale now at http://www.sydneylyric.com.au/
–
Aladdin celebrates 400th performances
Congratulations to the company of Aladdin, currently showing at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre on reaching the milestone of 400 performances on Wednesday, August 9th. Aladdin will play in Melbourne before flying into Brisbane from February 28th ,2018 and Perth from July 2018.
–
Final Kinky Boots tickets on sale now
Final tickets have been released for the Australian season of Kinky Boots. The final show will be held at Brisbane’s QPAC Lyric Theatre on Sunday, October 22nd.
To purchase tickets to the Brisbane season head to https://ticketing.qpac.com.au/
–
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – tickets on sale
Tickets are on sale now for the Australian production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The show begins on January 21st, 2018 in Melbourne before heading to Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.
To keep posted on casting news bookmark http://priscillathemusical.
–
Lola Montez – Pre Production Fund
A call from the team at Lola Montez, get behind this campaign to support this great Australian theatre initiative.
LOLA MONTEZ is the greatest and most successful original Australian musical with an original score ever written. It has also NEVER been professionally revived since 1958. The original composer, Peter Stannard is a forgotten hero and melody genius of the Australian voice. He is the last surviving original author at 86 and I am asking you to help me, Meredith O’Reilly and The Follies Company get this done before he passes.
This is no trip down nostalgia lane. LOLA MONTEZ is more relevant than when it was written – the TRUE story of a strong woman who invented her life and challenged the repressive Victorian age as Lola Montez the Spanish Dancer – refusing to submit to the “straightjacket” men demanded. The lover of Franz Liszt, Alexander Dumas and wielding political power with paramour King Ludwig I, she defied convention and inspired greatness with her own. And she danced on the goldfields of Ballarat. Our revitalised script/ score brilliantly tells this incredible story for mainstream audiences across the country.
We have an incredible team including Paul Mercurio, Debora Krizak, Ian Stenlake, Scott Irwin, Stef Jones, Caitlin Marie Berry, William Zappa, Rob Johnson, Kaeng Chan and Lindsay Partridge.
There are three other ways you can help:
1) Please share this post to those you think want to know about this; help us connect to more champions.
2) Please message me or to work together to broaden our network of support and awareness: 0412118181
3) Please make a tax deductible donation NOW to our campaign through the Australian Cultural Fund with your credit card at
https://
–
Jemma Rix CD now available on iTunes
Australian musical theatre star Jemma Rix’s (WICKED) debut album Gravity is now available for purchase from the store at iTunes. To purchase follow the link at Gravity by Jemma Rix
–
OPENING SHOWS
NEW SOUTH WALES
Capitol Theatre: My Fair Lady (August 24th)
Hayes Theatre: Assassins (September 15th)
Sydney Lyric Theatre: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (September 17th)
–
QUEENSLAND
QPAC Lyric Theatre: Kinky Boots (August 22nd)
–
VICTORIA
Regent Theatre: The Bodyguard (August 24th)
–
CLOSING SHOWS
NEW SOUTH WALES
Hayes Theatre: MELBA (September 9th)
–
QUEENSLAND
Centre of Contemporary Arts (Cairns): Joh for P.M. (August 19th)
–
AUSSIES ABROAD
The Phantom Aussies
Joining Ben Lewis flying the Australian flag in the London production of The Phantom of the Opera are Amy Manford who will be the Christine Daae alternate, Una Reynolds, Emily Smith, Jordan Simon Pollard and Paul Ettore Tabone.
Congratulations everyone !
–
Emily Langridge
Congratulations to Emily Langridge (Les Miserables) on her performances in Oklahoma during the 2017 BBC Proms Program. You can listen to the concert here http://www.bbc.co.uk/
–
Matilda lands in NZ
Chookas to the Maggots from the Australian / NZ cast of Matilda the musical who landed in Auckland yesterday ahead of their shows which begin on August 18th. The Auckland season runs until October 22nd. Tickets can be purchased from http://au.matildathemusical.
