Chairman Jeanne Pratt launched Season 2010 at her home, Raheen, on Tuesday 9 March.
“Our three shows this year comprise an Australian premiere, Sugar, an all Australian musical, The Boy From Oz, and one of the greatest classics from the Broadway stage, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King And I
Starring in our 12th season of musicals are many of Australia’s best known names in the musical theatre business, and once again, we have hired this country’s leading creative artists to stage them for you.
Chairman Jeanne Pratt AC and the stars of Season 2010
Todd McKenney is making his debut with The Production Company as Peter Allen in The Boy From Oz. Amanda Harrison returns to the company to play Liza Minnelli. Amanda has played Elphaba in Wicked for the past eighteen months. David Harris will play the role of Greg and Robyn Arthur will be Marion Woolnough. This new spectacular concert version of The Boy From Oz, originally created by Nick Enright is directed by Australian show biz legend Nancye Hayes. John Foreman is musical director and Andrew Hallsworth is choreographer.
Todd McKenney and Amanda Harrison star in The Boy From Oz
I have always wanted to stage The King and I for you. One of the most popular
musicals ever written, it stars Chelsea Gibb as Anna, Juan Jackson as The King, with Silvie Paladino as Lady Thiang. Young stars Adrian Li Donni and Emily Xiao Wang will play young lovers Lun Tha and Tuptim. Terence O’Connell directs this new staging and Alana Scanlan choreographs. Musical direction is by Rodgers and Hammerstein specialist Peter Casey.
Adrian Li Donni, Silvie Paladino, Chelsea Gibb, Emily Xiao Wang and Juan Jackson will star in The King And I
We are finishing the year with one of the great comedies, Sugar, based on one of my all time favourite movies, Some Like It Hot, starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Music is composed by Jule Styne, whose works include Gypsy and Funny Girl.
Helpmann Award® winners Mitchell Butel and Matt Hetherington will play the comic dual roles of Jerry (Daphne) and Joe (Josephine). In the role of the sexy songstress, Sugar Kane, is Christie Whelan fresh from her huge success in the role of Janet in The Drowsy Chaperone. Adam Cook, artistic director of the State
Theatre Company of SA returns to direct and Christopher Horsey will
choreograph.
Matt Hetherington and Mitchell Butel in SUGAR (Some Like It Hot)
With this new season I am so proud to be promoting local creative talent in new stagings of these three brilliant musicals. For the last twelve years we have offered professional engagements to hundreds of artists living here in Melbourne. We have the pleasure of watching many of them go on to major careers in this industry.
Equally important, we are entertaining tens of thousands of people with a thrilling musical theatre experience. We do everything possible to make these musicals as affordable and accessible as we can, with the cost of a subscription to all three shows as little as $102, less than the cost of ticket to a single performance
of most commercial musicals!”
All pictures: Jim Lee
Mde Dubonnet students schemed, dreamed and screamed about that certain thing called The Boy Friend!
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Ross Coleman 1949 – 2009
Choreographer Ross Coleman passed away at home in Melbourne on early Tuesday morning, aged 60.
Ross worked with The Production Company as Director and Choreographer on four shows: Funny Girl, The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie and Sweet Charity. You can see images of those productions in our Gallery.
Chairman Jeanne Pratt said ‘Ross contributed his brilliant talents to our company since it’s inception. He gave his love, commitment and passion to us and the artists he worked with.’
Ross was a multiple Helpmann Award nominee and winner for his choreography on productions including Urinetown and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , Dusty: The Original Pop Diva, Pippin, Sweet Charity and Shout! His choreography for Priscilla: Queen of the Desert lives on in the current West End production.
He will be greatly missed.
Women of Melbourne watch out – the dirtiest, rottenest scoundrel
of them all is on his way.
Freddy Benson (Matt Hetherington) readies himself for Lawrence’s arrival in Beaumont sur Mer.
Helpmann Award winner Bille Brown to star in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
The General Manager of The Production Company, Ken Mackenzie-Forbes today announced that Bille Brown will perform the role of suave sophisticated conman Lawrence Jameson in the Australian premiere of the musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
Mr Mackenzie-Forbes said ‘Bille Brown enjoys a highly distinguished career in film, television and theatre. He has performed leading roles with the Royal ShakespeareCompany in Stratford and in London as well as in musicals on London’s West End.
The Production Company is thrilled that Bille is able to accept this role and believes his Helpmann Award is a timely recognition of his outstanding ability. ‘
Bille said ‘I am absolutely thrilled and delighted to be working with Roger Hodgman and look forward to working in Melbourne with the wonderful Production Company’.
Bille replaces Simon Burke who is to take over the role of George in the West End production of La Cage aux Folles.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels opens on September 30 in the State Theatre at the Arts Centre.
Jeff Busby’s great Crazy For You photo’s are up in the Gallery.
Check them all out here.
General Manager Ken Mackenzie-Forbes paid tribute to Chairman Jeanne Pratt
at Wednesday night’s opening night of Crazy For You,
which was dedicated to the late great Richard Pratt.
You can view the video here.
kickstarts Season 2009
The first musical in Season 2009 Crazy For You opened on Wednesday night.
Based on Girl Crazy, this new Gershwin musical won Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards® for Best Musical. Its toe-tapping tunes include some of Broadway’s greatest hits, I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Embraceable You, Nice Work if You Can Get It, Naughty Baby and Someone To Watch Over Me.
Starring the who’s who of musical theatre talent including Natalie O’Donnell (Mamma Mia) Christopher Parker (Oklahoma!) Chloe Dallimore (The Producers), Christopher Horsey (42nd Street), Adam Murphy (Guys & Dolls) Robyn Arthur (My Fair Lady) Alan Brough (Spicks & Specks), Melissa Langton (Follies) and Peter Hosking (Damn Yankees) Crazy For You is the perfect blend of music, comedy and dance.
Directed by Terence O’Connell, Crazy For You has musical direction by Peter Casey, choreography by Alana Scanlan, costumes by Kim Bishop, scenery by Kathryn Sproul, lighting by Scott Allan, sound by System Sound and features the wonderful Orchestra Victoria.
Have you see the show? What is your favourite Gershwin song?
Drop us a line and tell us what you think. We look forward to your comments!
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