Students of the The Australian Ballet School

The Australian Ballet school are returning to Arts Centre Melbourne in 2012 to showcase the next generation of gifted young dancers in the Morning Melodies series.

On Tuesday 29 May, students from The Australian Ballet school will present a varied program of both classical and contemporary works on the stage of the State Theatre at 11:00am and 1:30pm.

As Australia’s national centre for elite vocational classical dance, The Australian Ballet School produces performers of a high calibre for their parent company (The Australian Ballet) and many other companies around the world.

The three works on display for the 2012 Morning Melodies concert are:

Les Sylphides

Choreographer: Michel Fokine

Music: Frédéric Chopin

Restaged by: Dale Baker and Joanne Michel

A romantic ‘white’ ballet based on a poetic atmosphere, soft music and translucent white costumes. Performed by the Level 7 and 8 students, the ballet brings together exquisite artistry with the inspired musical interpretation of Emeritas Artist, Emma Lippa.

Grande Tarantelle

Choreographer: Leigh Rowles

Music: Louis Moreau Gottschalk (Grande Tarantelle for Piano and Orchestra)

This is a vigorous, lively piece, presenting virtuoso technical skills artistically expressed through music. Harnessed with the disciplines of classical technique, the students infuse this choreography with their natural energy and vigour.

Symphony in D

Choreographer: Jiří Kylián

Music: Joseph Haydn (Symphony No 101 ‘The Clock’/I-III), (Symphony No 72 ‘The Hunt’/IV).

Costumes: Jiří Kylián

Commenting on the world of dance, its obsession with the image of the ballerina and the remoteness of beauty, Kylián’s choreography humorously explores the imperfections of a seemingly perfect art from like ballet.  Kylián is a Czech-born dancer and former artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theatre, whose work is regularly stage around the world.

Arts Centre Melbourne presents Morning Melodies: The Australian Ballet School

Tuesday 29 May, 11am & 1.30pm

Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre

$19, $ 16 groups 10+

For bookings and information visit artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183.

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Colin Friels will star in Death of a Salesman at Belvoir. Image by Michael Coridore

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is regarded as one of the finest plays in the modern canon. Generally seen as Miller’s own indictment of capitalism and the notion of the ‘American Dream’, at its heart Death of a Salesman is the story of a man past his prime who struggles with his failings — and the dashed hopes that his sons would achieve more than he has.

Belvoir brings the play to Sydney from 23 June — 12 August.

The astonishing assembly of cast and creatives includes award-winning director Simon Stone and Stefan Gregory on composition and sound design, with costumes by Alice Babidge. Belvoir’s Artistic Director Ralph Myers will provide a fresh take on Miller’s famously detailed set; the production will look and sound contemporay while remaining true to the intentions of the script.

Playing the seminal role of Willy Loman will be celebrated actor Colin Friels. Patrick Brammall (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Hamish Michael (As You Like It) play his sons Biff and Happy, and Genevieve Lemon (Billy Elliot) will play Loman’s wife Linda. The cast is rounded out by Blazey Best, Steve LeMarquand, Pip Miller, and Luke Mullins.

Tickets went on sale on Monday 14th May, setting a new record at Belvoir for sales of single tickets in a day, with over 1600 tickets sold — so move quickly.

For bookings and more information please call 02 9699 3444 or visit www.belvoir.com.au

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Warren Jones, Lenore Smith, Jamie Oxenbould and Di Adams in When Dad Married Fury. Image by Steve Lunam

Is there anything wrong with seeing a safe, predictable yet entertaining piece of theatre?

I quite like to know that after a long day I can see something that will me away from my every day world, will make me laugh and will keep me entertained. Yes, there are times where I like to be challenged and to think outside the box but I don’t think there is anything wrong with descending into a darkened theatre knowing I will enjoy what is presented to me on stage because it just works.

David Williamson is playing it safe at the Ensemble Theatre. He knows his formula to present an entertaining piece of theatre and he has kept true to it for When Dad Married Fury.

Ian (Warren Jones) and Ben (Jamie Oxenbould) are concerned about their father (Nick Tate) who is recently widowed, has a very impressive fortune and is recently engaged to the much younger Texan girl Fury (Cheree Cassidy).

The sons are concerned about their inheritance and that it isn’t fair that their father’s new bride will walk away with a considerable bulk of the fortune. Following the advice from Ian’s wife Sue (Lenore Smith) both Ian and Ben decide to confront their father about their concerns.

To make matters worse Ben’s wife Laura (Di Adams) father recently killed himself as he has lost the family fortune through bad investment advice from Ben’s father and she wants Ben to get the money back from his father… interesting to see the character development around the theme of greed.

Sandra Bates has directed this straightforward piece of theatre. There were definitely opening night nerves when this play was viewed but it didn’t detract from the overall success of the piece.

Warren Jones, Cheree Cassidy, Jamie Oxenbould, Lenore Smith in When Dad Married Fury. Image by Steve Lunam

David Williamson has written a story that is all about the greed of a family about inheritance. There are references to the recent global financial crisis and the Ponzi scheme that saw numerous innocent families lose entire fortunes from bad investments advise and it seems that the father has adopted these similar practices to make his fortune.

What was interesting about this story was understanding the motive behind someone who knew his investment advice was risky and yet he still allowed people to place their hard earned money in such precarious situations… the things we will do for a buck!

What was great about this production was witnessing Lorraine Bayly (as Laura’s Mother) grace the stage. There is something warm and endearing about her and in this performance, and she demands empathy from her audience. Warren Jones (as Ian) in the beginning is a spoilt, money obsessed son who does not want to share his inheritance with his father’s new family. He plays the type of individual that makes your skin crawl but in the end he shows some redeeming factors, which Jones performed with subtlety. Cheree Cassidy (as Fury) is great on stage, playing a narrow minded, tea party toting, bible bashing, right winged Texan to perfection. She can also deliver a laugh or two!

The Ensemble Theatre is a great place to go and be entertained. You know when you visit the place to view their theatre you will laugh, you will cry and you know you will be taken away from your world for at least two hours.

When Dad Married Fury is currently playing at the Ensemble Theatre and runs until the end of June.

Due to popular demand, two extra performances at Theatre Royal -  Fri June 22 at 8pm and Sat June 23 at 2pm

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US Touring Cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Image by Ian Ibbetson

It’s official! The Australian premiere production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will open at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on November 16, 2012.

Presented by Tim Lawson of TML Enterprises, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is based on the 1968 MGM film of the same name, and will be directed by Rodger Hodgman (Grey Gardens).

The music and lyrics of the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins) will be brought to life by an all Australian cast as Old Chitty (the stage car which holds the Guinness World Record as the most expensive prop in the history of British Theatre) flies through the air in this spectacular production which has all the ingredients of a fabulous family musical.

After opening at the London Palladium to rave reviews on Tuesday 16
April 2002, the show was nominated for 3 Laurence Olivier Awards
including Best New Musical. It became the longest running musical ever to play at the London Palladium, beating Oliver! and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. During its three and a half year run, the family musical exceeded £70 million in box office revenue.

The production also received 5 Tony Award nominations, 10 Outer Critics Circle Award nominations and 4 Drama Desk nominations during its Broadway run at the Hilton Theatre.

Tickets for the Australian production will be on sale from Monday 28 May via Ticketmaster.

www.chittychitty.com.au

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The Australian Cast of A Chorus Line, 2012

After successful seasons in Adelaide, Melbourne and Singapore and scheduled runs in both Sydney (July) and Perth (October), the Australian revival of A Chorus Line will be heading to the sunshine state later this year.

According to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), A Chorus Line is set to open at the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane on November 16 for twenty one shows only.

TML Enterprises’ production of this smash hit Broadway musical has proved extremely successful this year. Each season has been short and well marketed, with Melbourne’s 4 week run at Her Majesty’s Theatre boasting $3 million in advance sales prior to opening night and a one week extension due to demand.

Based on true stories, A Chorus Line revolutionised Broadway, becoming the longest running musical in Broadway history, and winning nine Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk awards, the New York Critics Circle award and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was also the first ever show to require ‘triple threats’: performers who were strong in the three main areas of performance: Singing, dancing and acting.

No further seasons have been announced at this point, but if you would like to see A Chorus Line in YOUR city, post a comment below!

Check out our interview with cast members Stephanie Grigg and Ashley Mckenzie or our exclusive chat with director Baayork Lee. 

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Queenie Van de Zandt

Attention Brisbane Readers:

AussieTheatre has 2 double passes to give away to Queenie Van de Zandt’s one-woman show, The best (and worst) of Queenie van de Zandt. 

Queenie will grace the stage at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts, Brisbane, on Friday 18 May for one night only.

The competition will close at 2pm AEST on 17 May. The winners will be drawn at random and notified by phone or email.

It is not just the confident ease at which Queenie puts the audience (bar the front row), nor the casual way in which she delivers banter that makes her so funny, but the match of her verbal wit and vocal skill that is the true testament to the professional spit and polish that is Queenie Van Der Zandt. With Queenie, life really is a Cabaret. — AussieTheatre.com

Click here for the full review of Queenie's last show:  Cabaret in 12 Easy Steps

Date: Friday 18 May
Time 8pm Duration 60 mins, no interval
Venue Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts
420 Brunswick St (Cnr Berwick St), Fortitude Valley
Bookings www.judithwrightcentre.com or (07) 3872 9000

Sorry this competition has closed.

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The producers have confirmed that the musical will be similar to the 1992 film which starred Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston, and will feature songs from the film as well as a Whitney back catalogue. New material written specifically for the production will make up 25% of the score.

A representative from cheaptheatretickets.com told AussieTheatre the producers of The Bodyguard were keen to stress that this was not a rushed project, despite the unfortunate co-incidence which saw the initial announcement of this production occur just one week after the sudden death of Whitney Houston.

“It has been 6 years in the making”, their spokesperson said. “Director Thea Sharrock is a huge Whitney fan and has always wanted to do a musical so this project seems perfect for her.”

It is understood that the show has undergone many workshops, and is still in development. Casting has not yet begun for the smaller roles, but Heather Headley and Lloyd Owen have been cast in the leading roles.

AussieTheatre’s question about future international productions was met with caution — the producers stated that no international versions of the production are in the works at this stage. If the show fares well in London, however, they would look at a possible Broadway season, following in the footsteps of Ghost The Musical, another film/musical adaptation.

Check out this behind the scenes video from the workshop of The Bodyguard, and visit cheaptheatretickets.com to read their article on the launch

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With Smash lighting up our TV screens, there’s never been more interest in the way musical theatre is constructed. Audiences are beginning to understand that to get a musical onstage, hundreds of parts need to work together in harmony to create a show that is smooth, sleek and completely professional. We decided to put Australia’s latest mega-musical An Officer and a Gentleman under the microscope, talk to some of its key creatives and examine some of the elements that go into the show.

Ben Mingay and Amanda Harrison in An Officer and a Gentleman. Image by Brian Geach

The ‘Ultimate Date Night’

An Officer and a Gentleman is one of those movies that just lingers in the back of audience’s minds. As the writer of the film and stage version, Douglas Day Stewart says, it’s crawled into the ‘world culture’. The final scene of the movie is so iconic it’s been imitated by at least fifteen TV shows, including Friends, The Simpsons and The Office. 

But Stewart says although he always hoped the film would be successful, he never could have imagined how much of a cultural impact it would have.

“The world seems to know it,” he says. “I have people come up to me constantly and say ‘I asked my wife to marry me by taking her to the movie and carrying her out in my arms.’”

Fans of the movie will remember the way the film tackles both the brutal masculinity of the military as well as a very tender love story. Stewart says that maintaining this balance was in the front of his mind when rewriting the story for the stage. Because of this, Stewart calls the musical the ‘ultimate date night’.

“Both men and women will love it,” he says. “It’s a very muscular production.”

It’s long been a dream of Stewart’s to adapt the story for the stage, but he says it’s taken a long time to get the right talent to bring the story to life. Leading the creative production is director Simon Phillips, the man behind the musical hits Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Love Never Dies. Stewart describes Phillips as a “true visionary”.

Stewart thinks the movie is a natural fit for the transition to the stage and jumped at the chance to flesh out the story even further. “Taking these characters and putting their inner voices to song – it soars,” he says.

But to get this right, he says he needed the right composers…

Alex Rathgeber and Ben Mingay in An Officer and a Gentleman. Image by Brian Geach

The Score

Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner are best known for their work in the pop music world, having written hits for singers as diverse as Barbra Streisand, the Backstreet Boys, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Mary J Blige and Placido Domingo. But they’ve also both had several experiences writing for musical theatre.

“We wear a lot of hats,” says Robin Lerner. “I think [musical theatre] is our favourite.”

According to Douglas Day Stewart, it was absolutely essential that the music developed naturally out of the script and served the story: “In today’s jaded world, people won’t accept people just blurting into song without some kind of motivation,” he says.

He believes Hirsch and Lerner have perfectly captured the essence of the original movie, penning a score which is at once “accessible, sing-able and exciting”.

Hirsch and Lerner say that in spite of the pop sensibilities, An Officer and a Gentleman is a traditional musical score at heart.

“There are a lot of different feels, songs and moods within the score,” Hirsch says.

The biggest challenge in writing the score, according to Lerner, was finding the right musical vocabulary for a navy base. “It needed to speak to us and to an audience and be really evocative,” she says. “When we stumbled our way onto it musically, it made it fairly obvious how the storytelling would proceed from there.”

But the creative process, which has lasted six years for both Hirsch and Lerner, has not been without a few bumps, especially in the rehearsal period.

“We had four workshops and each had changes,” Hirsch says. “Songs which we loved are gone, but we had to pump up certain parts of the story that weren’t being exposed as much as we’d like them to be.”

An entire new song was written for the second Act in the last six weeks of rehearsals.

“The whole thing is a work in progress,” Lerner says. “When you’re writing something, just Ken and I in our living room and singing it to each other – that’s the infant stage. But when you add actors and a director and sets and costumes and an orchestra, then it’s something different.”

The Cast

Naval Officers in An Officer and a Gentleman. Image by Brian Geach

Changes were definitely made to the score when the cast came into the equation. The keys of many of the songs were lowered to suit Ben Mingay, who plays Zack Mayo.

“Ben has a very elastic voice,” Ken Hirsch says. “Even though he can hit the notes, a lot of the time it’s just not right dramatically, so we’ve lowered the key to suit the mood of the scene.”

Joining Mingay is Amanda Harrison who originated the role of Elphaba in the Australian production of Wicked, Kate Kendall, Bert LaBonte and Tara Morice, who famously played Fran in Strictly Ballroom.

Douglas Day Stewart says the Australian cast has really fleshed out the characters in the way that he had hoped. “These are really amazing people,” he says.

The Costumes

Adorning the cast is a mixture of custom made costumes and late 1970s and early 80s vintage finds. All the shoes in the show were handmade by Manhattan Shoes in Melbourne and every wig was handmade over a six-week period. The man who has undertaken the mammoth task of sourcing, fitting and tailoring the show’s 350 costumes is Billy Roche, the wardrobe co-ordinator.

“We scouted throughout Australia looking for the period between 79 and 84, which is quite hard at the moment because everybody thinks that is the great fashion, so not much is available,” he says.

All the original pieces were fitted to the cast members and then altered at a workshop in Melbourne if necessary. Roche says that it’s fairly unusual to use so much vintage clothing on a show of this scale, but the unique pieces add to the character of the show.

To get the authentic military look, every male cast member has had their head shaved to a number one. The iconic white officer uniforms have all been tailor made from original US military design and fitted twice on each performer.

Roche says each costume had to please the director, the designer and the performer. “We have a lot of people in the show who are buying vintage clothing and wearing it themselves,” he says. “They were very happy when they actually saw some of the stuff they ended up with in the show because it’s what they wear every day.”

The Set

A scene from An Officer and a Gentleman. Image by Brian Geach

The set, by Dale Ferguson, features a number of large white steel staircases and walkways which reconfigure over two large revolves to represent everything from a US navy base to a Filipino town. Writer Douglas Day Stewart described the set as a “real stunner”.

“People aren’t going to be able to believe what they’re seeing,” he says. “It’s like seeing transformers.”

In charge of ensuring the set operates smoothly and quickly on the stage of the Lyric Theatre is technical director Nick Eltis.

Eltis says the technical rehearsal of the show has been challenging because there’s no precedent.

“To ensure every part would work when the set was built in the theatre, the entire set was assembled off-site before moving into the space”“We’ve had to build it from the ground up, so we’ve had to take a new design and deliver it into some kind of reality,” he says.

“It is a big set,” he says. “Getting it into the venue and building it in such a way that it fits into several theatres is tricky.”

To ensure every part would work when the set was built in the theatre, the entire set was assembled off-site before moving into the space.

Eltis says the amount of movement required by the set has presented its own challenges. The technical crew had five full days of rehearsal before the cast even arrived in the theatre.

“With all those moving parts, you have to overlay the crew on top of that to make sure they’re safe and then of course the cast,” he says. “We really need to make sure we know where everyone is at all times to keep everyone safe.”

Opening Night

Getting An Officer and a Gentleman to the stage has been a long process involving many of the world’s and Australia’s finest creatives. Some have been working on the project for over six years, so Friday’s opening night will surely be a momentous occasion. Only time will tell whether the show is a critical and commercial success, but all involved have hopes that after a successful Australian season, the show will find its feet in the international market and eventually make it to Broadway.

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After arriving in Brisbane to perform Romeo & Juliet, Senior Artist Amy Harris tells how she transforms her dressing room space into a home away from home.

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Over the last two weeks, entries have been flooding in for our Vocal Alchemy Singing Workshop Giveaway, and we are pleased to announce that winners have now been selected for the Brisbane and Melbourne Broadway Voice Workshops.

The entries have been poured over by Tim and Laura at Vocal Alchemy and they have chosen winners based on their specific questions about the voice.

At the conclusion of each workshop Tim Smith will address each specific question and provide answers for AussieTheatre readers.

There are still places available for both workshops for more information on the workshops visit: www.vocalalchemy.com.au

Workshop Dates:
Brisbane: 19 & 20 May 2012
Sydney: 1, 2 & 3 June 2012 

Winners:

Our Sydney Participant place goes to:

Dianne Alde

For her question…

How do I achieve a strong, and consistent Broadway belt when all my training has been in classical and bel canto technique. I have great control of my low/middle/high registers, and am very familiar with all the different resonators, but why do i struggle to achieve volume and a powerful attack comfortably? What happens when a trained singer does not practice their scales and song work daily even though they have a strong understanding of proper placement and support. Is it true that a singer will loose their technique completely if regular practice is not completed daily?

Our Brisbane Participant place goes to:

Jemmah Peacock

For her question…

How do I get past that breaking point of your voice when you know you can sing further but your voice starts to break and go all shakey like when a boys voice cracks. How do you get past that and hit the big notes?

And in addition we have added a special commendation for the most humorous and creative question…

For this an Observer place goes to 

Jessica O’Bryan

for her priceless question …

Why do I get angry when Kyle Sandilands disses Musical Theatre in public?

Congratulations to all of our winners! 

Participants from Melbourne and Adelaide have had this to say about their Broadway Voice 2012 experience.

“Learning the differences in techniques — It is GOLD! Loved it,  I will enroll again next time.” — Tessa James

“Finally understanding what belt really is. It is so useful for singers of all styles and levels” — Leonie Thompson

“Thanks to both you and Tim, for what i can best describe as a totally absorbing and enthralling workshop. I can’t remember ever being so intently focussed for that amount of time at any other workshop I’ve attended in the past.” — Geoff Earle

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