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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Full Doctor Zhivago Cast

The full ensemble cast of Doctor Zhivago has been announced today.

As well as the previously reported principals, the ensemble includes:

Johanna Allen, Gavin Andrew, Anton Berezin, Caitlin Berry, Tony Cogin, Todd Goddard, Natalie Gamsu, Frank Hansen, Scott Hili, Glenn Hill, Luke Joslin, Todd Keys, Ben Lewis, Elise McCann, Kathleen Moore, Shaun Murphy, Chris Scalzo, Annie Stanford, Belinda Wollaston and Jamie Ward.

You Can't Stop the Beat. Or can you?

Hairspray the musical has this week discovered that with great technological innovation comes great technological failure. This Tuesday the 26th of October's performance has to be cancelled at the absolute last minute. The audience was sitting in their seats waiting for the performance to commence when Trevor Ashley walked onstage in full Edna costume, announcing that evening's performance could not go on. One of the three giant LED screens was not working, so the show was forced to be cancelled. Theatre-goers were understandably not happy, with many thinking it was a joke until the doors were opened, and many others swamping the bars for refunds on drinks and snacks.
A full refund or rescheduling into another show of their choice has been offered to all patrons.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

More on Dr. Z

This morning at Melbourne's Sofitel Hotel, Producer John Frost announced more details about his new show, Doctor Zhivago.

Rounding out the cast will be Lucy Maunder as Lara, Taneel Van Zyl as his wife Tonia, Martin Crewes as Pasha Antipov, Bartholomew John as Viktor Komarovsky, Peter Carrol as Alexander and Trisha Nobel as Anna.

The Melbourne date was also announced as April 9th at Her Majesty's Theatre.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

More on Love Never Dies

The full creative team for Love Never Dies is as follows:

Director: Simon Phillips
Choreographer: Graeme Murphy
Musical Supervisor: Guy Simpson
Associate Director: Rainer Fried
Associate Choreographer: Janet Vernon

Audition dates are as follows:

First Round: Melbourne - October 25-28, Sydney October 29-November 3rd

Second Round: Sydney November 15-16, Melbourne 17th-20th

Final Round: Sydney 22nd-25th November, Melbourne 26-27 November


Rehearsals commence at the start of April with the season commencing from May.

The production will be touring to other Australian cities.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Love Never Dies to make Melbourne debut

It has been confirmed today that Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to the Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies, will open in Melbourne in May 2011.
It will move into Melbourne's Regent Theatre, a strange choice given the nature of the show.

We can only hope that a brand new Australian creative team can invigorate the production and make it become even slightly more successful than the doomed West End production.

Members of the creative team include Director Simon Phillips and Producer Tim McFarlane.

Auditions begin nation-wide in exactly 2 weeks time, agents should have received details today.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Rob Guest Endowment Concert

The Annual Rob Guest Endowment Concert was held last night as Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne. In what is fast becoming one of the hottest events of the theatre calendar, it was a case of new talent interacting with stars of the theatre industry.
The event served as a reunion for the industry, with all sorts of theatre people spotted.
Guests included Tevin Campbell, Nancy Dennis, Trevor Ashley, James Maxfield, socialite Megan Castran and was hosted by Bert Newton.

The 6 finalists - Bree Langridge, Simon Brook McLachlan, Francine Cain, Nathan Derrick, Drew Weston and Sarah Bakker displayed immense talent and maturity, wowing the crowd with what they could do. There was noticeable improvement in the behind the scenes planning with regards to last year's show, with contestants no longer restricted to a set list of songs, contestants now being properly announced before their performance and props/other actors allowed to be used.

Act 2 started with a live auction with 3 major prizes.
Lot 1 was a Mary Poppins Experience, including tickets, a signed poster and a Backstage Tour. This went for approx. $2000.
Lot 2 was a Musical Theatre poster set, including signed posters from Wicked, Jersey Boys, Hairspray and West Side Story. This went for $1600.
Lot 3 was a framed and mounted Phantom of the Opera mask, as worn by Rob Guest. This went for $5000.

Highlights of the evening included the heartfelt return of the heavily pregnant Amanda Harrison, performing The Story Goes On, cast members from Mary Poppins lead by Philip Quast, singing Sunday and Little Brown Jug performed by Chris Horsey, Mark Hill, Matt Lee and Leah Howard.

Although Francine Cain was announced as the recipient of the Rob Guest Endowment for 2010, all who performed or were in attendance on the night were the real winners.

The programme was as follows:

Act one

Putting it Together - 2010 finalists

Oscars Medley - Rachel Beck, Danielle Barnes, Mandy Carnie

Always True To You - Bree Langridge, feat Ross Hannaford

Love Look Away - Simon Brook McLachlan

Little Brown Jug - Chris Horsey, Mark Hill, Matt Lee, Leah Howard

Shy - Francine Cain

Not While I'm Around - Nathan Derrick

The Story Goes On - Amanda Harrison

I'll Be Here - Drew Weston

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Bakker

Bring Him Home - David Harris

Sunday - Cast Members from Mary Poppins


Act Two

Dream On - Lucy Durack, Matthew Robinson, Esther Hannaford, Chris Parker

Live Auction

Maybe I Like It This Way - Francine Cain

Sunset Boulevard - Drew Weston

Maybe This Time - Rhonda Burchmore

Gethsemane - Simon Brook McLachlan

Astonishing - Bree Langridge

Feeling Good - Tom Burlinson

Glitter and Be Gay - Sarah Bakker

Sit Down You're Rocking The Boat - Nathan Derrick

Show Off - Chloe Dallimore

Burn For You - Michael Cormick

Colour Purple Medley - Danielle Matthews

Up The Ladder to the Roof - Wicked Cast Members

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Hairspray Understudies

Here is a full list of the Hairspray cast and understudies. An Opening Night review is to come.

Edna Turnblad: Trevor Ashley
Tracy Turnblad: Jaz Flowers
Wilbur Turnblad: Grant Piro
Corny Collins: Scott Irwin
Velma Von Tussle: Marney McQueen
Link Larkin: Jack Chambers
Penny Pingleton: Esther Hannaford
Amber Von Tussle: Renee Armstrong
Motormouth Maybelle: Cle Morgan
Seaweed J. Stubbs: Tevin Campbell
Inez: Nancy Denis
Female Authority Figure: Jacqui Rae
Male Authority Figure Garry Scale

Shelley: Briden-Starr Aspinall
Fender: Doug de Voogt
Duane: Samuel Gaskin, Peter Harrigton-Olsen
Prison Warden: David Gauci
IQ: Mitchell Hicks
Linda: Kirby Lunn
Gilbert: Loredo Malcolm
Brenda: Hayley Martin
Thad: Tshire Mokou
Sketch: Scott Morris
Lorraine: Kirsta Adesuwa Okunzuwa
Tammy: Ashlea Pyke
Lou-Ann: Michelle Smitheram
Gary: Michael Snell
Judine (Dynamite): Elenora Rokobaro
Kamilah (Dynamite): Chloe Zuel
Shayna (Dynamite):Akina Edmonds

On-Stage Swings: Scott McConnel, Karlee Misipenka, Katherine Rodrigues, Kirby Lee Burgess, Joel Benjamin Hewlett, Kay Hotos, Heath Keating

Understudies


Edna: David Gauci, Garry Scale
Tracy Turnblad: Kirby Lunn
Wilbur Turnblad: Garry Scale
Corny Collins: Scott McConnell, Mike Snell
Velma Von Tussle: Jacqui Rae, Katherine Rodrigues
Link Larkin: Scott Morris, Mike Snell
Penny Pingleton: Ashlea Pyke, Michelle Smitheram
Motormouth Maybelle: Akina Edmonds
Seaweed Stubbs: Joel Benjamin Hewlett, Loredo Malcolm
Inez: Karlee Misipeka, Elenoa Rokobaro
Amber von Tussle: Briden-Starr Aspinall
Female Authority Figure: Ashlea Pyke, Katherine Rodrigues
Male Authority Figure: David Gauci, Mike Snell
Dynamires: Kat Hoyos, Karlee Misipeka, Kristina Adesuwa Okunzuwa
Prison Warden: Garry Scale