An Officer and a Gentleman casting

An Officer and a Gentleman casting is close to being finalised.

While we do not have any solid news, rumour has it Amanda Harrison, Josh Piterman, Ben Mingay, Bert La Bonte and Chrystal De Grussa are all in contention for roles.

Sydney Annie Cast, Melbourne and Brisbane Auditions

The children's cast for the Sydney seaso of the musical Annie was announced today.
The lead role of Annie will be shared between Marley Aspinall, Siena Elchaar and Ella Nicol.
The rest of the orphans will be rotated between:
Skye Azzopardi, Gemma Bell, Keira Bellifemine, Ayanda Dlada, Jade Gillis, Zoe Ioannou, Alessandra Kitinas, Isabel Kratz, Jordan Lazarus, Lucille Le Meledo, Savannah Lind, Emily McKay, Antonia Marinovic, Natasha Mills, Imogen Ovijach, Jessica Percy, Emily Roach, , Maddison Smith-Catlin, Morgan Townsend, Kirsten Tsoltoudis and Ella Williams.



The Gordon Frost organisation are also taking expressions of interest for auditionees for the Melbourne and Brisbane seasons. Interested applicants should get their singing/dance schools to email Suzanne Jones, suzanne@gordonfrost.com.au with their details.
Adelaide auditions will be held at a later date.
Proper audition briefs will be send out later in the year, but below are the relevant details from the Sydney brief:

"The Producers for this new production of Annie are looking for girls aged between 6 and 13
to undertake the roles of the “ORPHANS and ANNIE” for the [Brisbane and Melbourne Seasons]


The vocal range required is Low B to High F#

Sheet music will not be required as all Auditionees will be taught a small section from the production.

Dance training is essential!"

The Rob Guest Endowment Concert 2011

In what has turned into an annual theatrical tradition, this year's Rob Guest Endowment concert will again be held at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne.

On Monday the 10th of October, seasoned Musical Theatre performers and industry names will perform in a gala concert, while 6 up and coming performers will battle it out to win this year's Endowment competition.

Those 6 finalists are Blake Bowden, Gretel Scarlett, Ashlea Pyke, Luigi Lucente, Kirby Lunn and Jamie Ward.
All finalists have a wealth of performance experience with most presently being involved in 'major' musicals and having trained in Australia's most elite institutions.

Blake Bowden
Studying at The McDonald College of Performing Arts, Blake has also spent time at NIDA and graduated from Sydney University. Professional theatre credits include Dirty Dancing, The Boy From Oz, Jekyll and Hide and the recent Australian tour of West Side Story. Blake has recently finished appearing in the Australasian tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and is currently performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream with Belvoir Street.

Gretel Scarlett
Gretel is an exceptionally talented WAAPA graduate. She made her professional Musical Theatre debut in Breast Wishes, originating the role of Sal. She then went on to perform in the recent 10th anniversary tour of Mamma Mia! She is currently performing in Wicked in Perth and will continue on to the Asian tour as an Elphaba understudy.


Ashlea Pyke
Ashley has been training for a performance career from an early age, specialising in dance. Professional Theatre credits include We Will Rock You, Oklahoma! with the Production Company, Shane Warne the Musical and Shout!
Ashlea is currently appearing in Hairspray, where she plays the role of Tammy, while understudying the lead roles of Penny Pingleton and the Female Authority Figure.

Luigi Lucente

Luigi trained at the Melba Conservatorium of Music and later graduated from the Industry School of Dance. Theatre Credits include Guys and Dolls, Urinetown, tick,tick…BOOM!, Brundibar (Opera Australia), King of SUN, The Wild Blue and The Silver Donkey. Luigi has also worked in Film and TV.
He is currently appearing in Jersey Boys in Sydney, as a Swing.

Kirby Lunn
Kirby's past theatre credits include Eurobeat with QPAC and various concert performances.
Kirby is currently in the ensemble of Hairspray playing Linda and is also the understudy for Tracy Turnblad.


Jamie Ward
Jamie graduated from WAAPA's Musical Theatre stream in 2010. Theatre credits while at WAAPA include King Arthur, 42nd Street, Company, Anything Goes and Ragtime. He has also performed Spring Awakening with STC. Jamie has just completed a the premiere Australian tour of the new musical Doctor Zhivago, playing the roles of Young Yurii and Yanko.



Also performing at the event will be Wicked stars Lucy Durack, David Harris, Rob Mills and Amanda Harrison, Esther Hannaford from Hairspray, last year's winner Francine Cain as well as performers from Love Never Dies, Rock of Ages and Strange Bedfellows.
The evening will again hosted by Bert Newton, with live auctions to be held during the evening as a fundraiser.


All of us here at the Musicals Insider will be live tweeting the event for anyone who can't make it, using the hashtag #RGE2011

Tickets are on sale now through ticketek.

An Officer and a Gentleman

The brand new Musical adaption of An Officer and a Gentleman was officially launched in Sydney this morning, fittingly on the flight deck of HMAS Sydney. The show focuses on the story of Zack Mayo, a young trainee pilot in the Navy. The show explores the relationships Zack develops with a girl called Paula and his tough training officer, Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley.
The show will open on the 24th of May 2012 in Sydney's Lyric theatre.

A workshop of the show was originally held in 2009 with many now well known Musical Theatre stars such as Josh Piterman, Chris Durling and Bert LaBonte.

As callbacks were only held approximately two weeks ago, casting announcements are not expected to be made for several weeks yet.


The original creative team comprised of book writers Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen, with music and lyrics by Kenneth W. Hirsch and Robin Lerner.

the Australian creative team is as follows:
Director: Simon Phillips
Assistant Director: Dean Bryant
Musical Director: Dave Skelton
Choreographer: Andrew Halsworth
Orchestrator: Spud Murphy
Designer: Dale Ferguson

Wicked Asian Tour Dates

The dates for the Asian tour of Wicked are as follows:

Singapore December 2011
Korea May 2012- September 2012
Taipei October 2012 - TBC, though we've heard rumours this has fallen through at the last minute.

before heading to New Zealand in 2013.

Helpmann Awards 2011 - Full List of Winners

Here is a full list of awards presented at the 2011 Helpmann Awards on Monday the 1st of August, 2011.


Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Philip Quast
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
Esther Hannaford
Hairspray
Paul Dainty, Dainty Group & Joel Pearlman, Roadshow Live


Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
Anthony Phelan
The Wild Duck
Belvoir


Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play
Anita Hegh
The Wild Duck
Belvoir


Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
Kanen Breen
Partenope
Opera Australia


Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera
Elizabeth Campbell
Aida
State Opera of South Australia


Best Comedy Performer
Denise Scott
Denise Scott Regrets
Token Events


Best Cabaret Performer
Eddie Perfect
Misanthropology
Sydney Festival


Best Costume Design
Gabriela Tylesova
Love Never Dies
The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and Arts Capital Trust


Best Scenic Design
Gabriela Tylesova
Love Never Dies
The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and Arts Capital Trust


Best Lighting Design
Nick Schlieper
Love Never Dies
The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and Arts Capital Trust


Best Sound Design
Peter Grubb
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best Original Score
Alan John
The Diary of a Madman
Belvoir


Best Individual Classical Performance
Sir Simon Rattle
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Sydney Opera House and the Perth Concert Hall


Best Chamber &/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert
Garrick Ohlsson in recital as part of the Sydney Symphony International Pianists in Recital Series
Sydney Symphony


Best Symphony Orchestra Concert
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Sydney Opera House and the Perth Concert Hall


Best Music Direction
Stephen Brooker and Michael Tyack
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best New Australian Work
Tim Minchin & Sydney Symphony
Tim Minchin Vs Sydney Symphony
Sydney Symphony , Fox in the Snow and Smart Artists Management


Best Presentation for Children
Me and My Shadow
Patch Theatre Company


Best International Contemporary Concert
Leonard Cohen @ Hanging Rock
Leonard Cohen and Frontier Touring Company


Best Contemporary Music Festival
Splendour In the Grass 2010
Village Sounds and Secret Service


Best Regional Touring Production
Mathinna
Bangarra Dance Theatre


Best Australian Contemporary Concert
Powderfinger – Sunsets The Farewell Tour
Powderfinger and Secret Service & Village Sounds


Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production
Natalie Weir
Where the Heart Is
Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre


Best Choreography in a Musical
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best Direction of a Musical
Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best Direction of an Opera
Nigel Jamieson
La Fanciulla del West
Opera Australia


Best Direction of a Play
Neil Armfield
The Diary of a Madman
Belvoir


Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production
Paul White
In Glass
Sydney Opera House & Artful Management


Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production
Kristina Chan
In Glass
Sydney Opera House & Artful Management


Best Male Performer in an Opera
John Wegner
La Fanciulla del West
Opera Australia


Best Female Performer in an Opera
Emma Matthews
Partenope
Opera Australia


Best Male Actor in a Musical
Matt Lee
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best Female Actor in a Musical
Verity Hunt-Ballard
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh


Best Male Actor in a Play
Geoffrey Rush
The Diary of a Madman
Belvoir


Best Female Actor in a Play
Cate Blanchett
Uncle Vanya
Sydney Theatre Company in association with Bell Shakespeare


Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production
Not in a Million Years
Force Majeure


Best Ballet or Dance Work
Where the Heart Is
Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre


Best Opera
Partenope
Opera Australia


Best Play
The Wild Duck
Belvoir


Best Musical
Mary Poppins
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

JC Williamson Award: Nancy Hayes, Jill Perryman and Toni Lamond.