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Friday, July 29, 2011

Melbourne Open House Weekend

Each year, the city of Melbourne put on an Open House weekend. This is a weekend where many of the city's buildings that are otherwise inaccessible to the general public, are opened up for display. This year, Many of Melbourne's important theatre buildings will be available to explore.

Highlights include Her Majesty's Theatre full backstage and front of house tours, the Melbourne Athenaeum, the Trades Hall, the Malthouse Theatre, the Melbourne Recital Centre and an opportunity to have the first look at the redevelopment of Hamer Hall.

This event will be held this weekend - Saturday the 30th and Sunday the 31st of July, with most things being open from 10am-4pm. A perfect thing to do just prior to seeing Love Never Dies or Rock of Ages!

For more details and opening hours, please visit:
Melbourne Open House

Plagiarism...

It has come to our attention that there are certain theatre websites practically copying and pasting our blog posts without giving us credit or acknowledgement for it.

All of us here at the Musicals Insider spent quite a lot of time researching and writing up information in order to keep all of you readers as up to date with the theatre scene as possible.
The theatre industry is by nature full of gossip, rumour and speculation. We can be wrong on occasion, but for the most part we try to bring accurate infomation into the open.

When websites don't acknowledge us as their source this creates a Chinese Whisper effect, defying the purpose of what we have set out to do through this blog.
It's not hard to do, simply mention us when using our information. Most people seem capable of doing it, it's just a few ruining it for everyone else.
Thank-you all for your understanding.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Major Musicals Mayhem

Yes, it's that time of year again, time for a summary of all the major shows. The next couple of months are going to be interesting in Musical Theatre, with most of the major shows traversing across the country or even ocean.
One interesting trend with shows at the moment is the revival of New Zealand as a viable tour destination, with both Wicked and Jersey Boys crossing the ditch. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues.


Mary Poppins
The show will be at the Capitol Theatre until the 17th of Decmeber. It will then transfer to QPAC in Brisbane, with previews starting from the 27th of December. After Brisbane it will head to Perth. After that there are rumours of a return Melbourne season or an international tour.
The Sydney season has seen the first of cast members leaving, with ensemble members Jack Webster and Louise Bell the first to go. Auditions are cureently being jold for another ensemble member, with spmeone else expected to leave soon also.

Rock of Ages
Rock of Ages has announced it's last weeks in Melbourne. Although a closing date has yet to be confirmed, the first week of November seems to be a likely candidate. The show is transferring to Brisbane in November, with previews starting from the 12th. It is in for a very short season however, as Poppins will need the theatre from roughly the 20th of December to bump in. After this, it will head to Sydney's Royal from
mid January

Wicked
Musical juggernaut Wicked has recently celebrated it's 3rd birthday in Australia. The Perth season will close on the 11th of September. This show will also be original Glinda Lucy Durack's final performance with the show. The show is set to tour through Asia next year and New Zealand in 2013. It is unknown exactly which cast members will continue with the show, but expect to see quite a turnover of approximately half the cast.

Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys will close in Sydney on the 18th of December before transferring to New Zealand. A return to Australia is most likely once the theaters become available.


Doctor Zhivago
Doctor Zhivago will close in Brisbane on the 14th of August. It is believed some minor reworking of the show will be done ahead of the show being taken internationally, while Anthony Warlow is busy performing in Annie. The show is rumoured to then head to Korea and then to London with Warlow still at the helm.

Love Never Dies
Love Never Dies will close in Melbourne on the 17th of December before opening at Sydney's Capitol Theatre at the start of the year. It will have a maximum 6 month run, as Legally Blonde will open in June.
A live recording of the show will also happen in September, with plans for an international DVD release.

King Kong
King Kong is in workshops in Sydney at the moment, with rumours for a 2012 Opening in Melbourne's Regent Theatre

Hairspray
The fate of Hairspray is as yet unknown. The season again seems to be struggling with poor ticket sales, just as in Melbourne. The show will close in Sydney on the 25th of September. Other major cities in Australia will not host the production at this point.

Annie
Annie casting is still being finalised, as there is such a wide range of young children required. The season will open in Sydney's Lyric theatre in late December for a 12 week season. An Australian tour will then happen, heading to Brisbane in April and Melbourne mid year.


Strange Bedfellows
Strange Bedfellows will be opening in Melbourne on the 26th of October, with previews from the 19th. Despite only a 2 week season and the pulling power of Peter Cousens, John Wood, Melissa Langton and Lucy Durack, ticket sales look very sluggish. This may
affect plans for an Australian tour.

An Officer & A Gentleman
An Officer And a Gentleman is currently auditioning in Melbourne. Sydney's first round auditions were held last week with callbacks to happen next week. The show is expected to open in Sydney's Lyric in May 2012.

Upcoming:
Legally Blonde will open in June 2012 at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, however there are rumours this will be moved to the Lyric or Royal instead.
The Addams Family will open early 2013 at the Capitol
Strictly Ballrooms will open at the Lyric in September 2013.

Rumour files

We are hearing about many rumoured shows. These include Shrek, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sister Act, 9 to 5, South Pacific, The Lion King, Dreamgirls, La Cage Aux Folles, Ghost, Warhorse (technically a play) and Book of Mormon. We have nothing to substantiate these rumours at the moment.

One rumour we have found very interesting is that South Pacific will be put on by Opera Australia. We have heard John Frost has expressed interest in mounting a version similar to the Lincoln centre's production, but an Opera Australia production seems more likely.

A Les Miserables tour looks less and less likely to happen, with producers citing theatre availabilities and generating funding as problems.

Mary Poppins Cancellation Update

We have received more information this morning about last night's Mary Poppins cancellation. This is what we have been informed occurred last night.

The cancellation was due to a problem with the show's central automation track - the track that the giant Banks' house slides backwards and forwards on.

It is understood the first show stop came midway through Act 1. There is a scene where a London park transforms into the Banks' household, just after finishing Jolly Holiday. When the house moved forward, there was something stuck in the automation track. According to twitter user @DaveRobuck, " when the house moved forward after jolly holiday, it came off the rails n shook violently"

As a result when the Banks' children came downstairs to say goodnight, it was discovered there was significant damage to the middle of the top of the house, especially around the 'fold' areas. Hence Philip Quast called a show stop.

The second show stop occurred soon after. There is a scene in which the front of the house closes up and it turns around to reveal a kitchen at the back, in which the Spoonful of Sugar scene happens. The house did not revolve at this point.

By this stage it was 10pm and only 30 minutes of the show had been completed. The show runs for roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes, excluding a 20 minute interval.
When the extend of the problem was discovered, the decision was made to cancel the remainder of the show for the safety and well-being of the audience, cast and crew.

This is the first time in Australia this has happened.
Mechanics are working throughout today trying to fix the problem.

While we are waiting on official confirmation, it is believed this evening's show will go ahead as planned.
Ticketholders for this evening's performance should presume the show is going ahead and proceed to the theatre for this evening 8pm show, unless told otherwise.

Ticketholders from last night's performance should be contacted by their ticket outlet to organise a refund or an exchange for another evening. Please be patient however, as there are roughly 2,000 tickets to sort out.

We will bring you more information as we get it.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Mary Poppins Children's Audition Information

AUDITION DATES

Brisbane Tuesday 23 – Thursday 25 August

Sydney Friday 26 – Sunday 28 August

Melbourne Tuesday 30 August – Thursday 1 September

CHILDREN’S ROLES

JANE BANKS

Pretty and attractive girl. Exuberant but wilful. Occasionally inclined to snobbishness. Must be

able to sing well and dance. Jane is the older sister to Michael.

Height range: Must be between 125cm – 148cm.

Age range: 10 – 13 years old. Must be 10 years old as at 1 November 2011.

MICHAEL BANKS

Cute and cheeky. Excitable. Naughty. Adores his Father and tries to be like him. Must be able to

sing (voice can’t have broken) and have basic dance. Michael is the younger brother to Jane.

Height range: Must not be taller than 138cm.

Age range: 10 – 12 years old. Must be 10 years old as at 1 November 2011.

Please note:

We are prepared to see children who will turn 10 years old between 1 November 2011 and 30 April 2012, however this would be for the purpose of future recasting only – these children would not be eligible for the initial casting.


IMPORTANT NOTES

Children must be available across all audition dates in the city they are seen in should they be called back
Suggestions must include date of birth (not age) and current height (in centimetres)
PLEASE INCLUDE ON YOUR INFORMATION A CONTACT EMAIL, PHONE NUMBER AND PARENT/GARDIANS NAME
Birth certificates must be provided on the day of auditions
There is no flexibility on the age or height requirements due to legal and creative reasons
Rehearsals will begin in Sydney at the end of October 2011 and go through until December 2011
Performances will commence in Brisbane in January 2012

TOURING COMMITMENTS

All children selected must be prepared to tour and work in cities other than their homebase
The contract to be offered will require a minimum commitment in Australia of up to 6 months
It is possible that successful children will be required to travel with a parent or a guardian on this tour
It is also possible that children may be housed and looked after by the production
Children will need to continue their educational requirements through Distance Education, under the guidance of a tutor employed by The Walt Disney Company.

It is vital that parents take all of these scenarios into consideration when deciding to submit their child for an audition.


Please post all submissions to: Mary Poppins, PO Box 123 Montmorency VIC 3094

All submissions should include:

One photo

A brief resume

Date of Birth (not age)

Height (in centimetres)

Address

Parent/guardian names

Parent/guardian contact phone number

Parent/guardian contact email address

The deadline for submissions and hard copies of biog/headshots is Friday 12 August, 2011.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Twisted Broadway 2011 Set List & Summary

Twisted Broadway 2011 was held last night, July 18th at Fed Square's BMW Edge.
Twisted Broadway is primarily a fundraiser, with all money raised going towards Oz Showbiz Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The concept is unusual but inspired, with Males singing Musical Theatre songs written for females, and vice versa.
Initiated in Australia last year, this year's event proved to be on a much larger scale than last year's cabaret at Red Bennies, with producers opting for a theatre venue.

Twisted Broadway is sure to become a staple on the theatrical calendar, displaying the creme de la creme of Australia's Musical Theatre talent, though not necessarily the biggest names, while raising money for charity. The evening will be remembered for a long time by anyone lucky enough to be in attendance. The full set list can be found below:


Act 1:
Opening Number: Cell Block Tango
Ensemble of 7 including Ellen Simpson, Adam Rennie and Travis Khan, Matt Holly, Matt McFarlane, Todd Strike and Ray Balisoro
John O’Hara: Easy to be Hard from Hair
Stephanine Grigg: King of the World from Songs for a New World
Rachael Dunham: Maria from West Side Story. She first tells a moving story of her father’s death from Aids. Dedicates the song to him.
Ed Grey: Meadowlark from The Baker’s Wife
Troy Sussman and David Rogers-Smith: I Know Him So Well from Chess
Anthony Costanzo accompanying himself on piano: Memory from Cats
Francine Cain & Madeline Cain: Agony from Into The Woods
Gareth Keegan: Life of the Party from The Wild Party
Michael Falzon: Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music
Angela Scundi: Great Big Stuff from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
VCA ensemble,Zoy Frangos, Eva Lever, Chris Ostrenski, James Padley, Josh Robson and Jayden White: Mama who Bore Me from Spring Awakening
Lisa Adams as Amy Housewine – If I only Had Cocaine (Parody of If I only had a brain)

Act 2:
Sam Hagen: Heaven on their Minds from Jesus Christ Superstar
Ellen Simpson, Mel Hawkins, Kristy Mackenzie: Do it like a Dude dance number, Choreographed by Ashley Mackenzie
Christy Sullivan: This is not over yet from Parade
Matthew Robinson with a song from his new Revue, Sing on through Tomorrow
Sam Ludeman: Always True to you darling in my fashion from Kiss Me Kate
Adam Rennie & Drew Weston: Tomorrow and Maybe from Annie
Gillian Cosgriff: Hero and Leander from Myths and Hyms
Ed Grey &Stephanie Grigg: Two of a Kind from The Wild Party
Josie Lane: What Can You Lose from Dick Tracy
Nick Eaton: My New Philosophy from You’re a good Man Charlie Brown
Drew Weston: The Wizard and I from Wicked
Turanga Merito: A big Black lady stops the show from Fame Becomes Me, backed by Josie Lane, Gillian Cosgriff and Angela Scundi
Full company Finale, Louder than Words from Tick Tick Boom led by Gareth Keegan, Sam Hagen, Josie Lane, Angela Scundi and Gillian Cosgriff

Monday, July 4, 2011

Helpmann Awards 2011 - Musical Theatre Nominees

Here are the nominees for all Musical Theatre categories for the 2011 Helpmann Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on the 1st of August at the Sydney Opera House, tickets now on sale on Ticketmaster.
A comprehensive list of all nominees can be found on the Helpmann Awards website.
The Musicals Insider's predictions can be found in bold.


Best Male Actor in a Musical
- Anthony Warlow (Yuri Zhivago, Doctor Zhivago)
- David Harris (Fiyero Tiggular, Wicked)
- Matt Lee (Bert, Mary Poppins)
- Ben Lewis (The Phantom, Love Never Dies)

Best Female Actor in a Musical
- Jaz Flowers (Tracy Turnblad, Hairspray)
- Lucy Maunder (Lara Antipova, Doctor Zhivago)
- Jemma Rix (Elphaba Thropp, Wicked)
- Verity Hunt-Ballard (Mary Poppins, Mary Poppins)

Best Musical
- Hairspray
- Doctor Zhivago
- Mary Poppins
- Love Never Dies

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical:
- Scott Irwin (Corny Collins, Hairspray)
- Martin Crewes (Pasha Antipov, Doctor Zhivago)
- Philip Quast (George Banks, Mary Poppins)
- Simon Gleeson (Raoul, Love Never Dies

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
- Esther Hannaford (Penny Pingleton, Hairspray)
- Alinta Chidzey (Anita, West Side Story)
- Taneel Van Zyl (Tonia Gromeko, Doctor Zhivago)
- Marina Prior (Winnifred Banks, Mary Poppins)

Best Costume Design
- Janet Hine (Hairspray)
- Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins)
- Gabriela Tylesova (Love Never Dies)
- Tracy Grant Lord (In The Next Room)

Best Scenic Design
- Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins)
- Kim Carpenter (Snow on Mars)
- Gabriela Tylesova (Love Never Dies)
- Brian Thomson (La Boheme)

Best Lighting Design
- Nick Schlieper (Baal)
- Howard Harrison (Mary Poppins)
- Adam Silverman (Partenope)
- Nick Schlieper (Love Never Dies)

Best Sound Design
- Stefan Gregory (Baal)
- Peter Grubb (Mary Poppins)
- Claire Brothers (U2 360 Tour)
- Mick Potter (Love Never Dies)


Best Music Direction
- Ben Walsh (My Bicycle Loves You)
- Stephen Brooker and Michael Tyack (Mary Poppins)
- Christian Curnyn (Partenope)
- Guy Simpson (Love Never Dies)

Best Choreography in a Musical
- Jason Coleman (Hairspray)
- Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear (Mary Poppins)
- Graeme Murphy (Love Never Dies)
- Kelly Devine (Doctor Zhivago)

Best Direction of a Musical
- David Atkins (Hairspray)
- Des McAnuff (Doctor Zhivago)
- Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne (Mary Poppins)
- Simon Phillips (Love Never Dies)