CLOC Celebrates 100 Shows with a Family Affair, Some Familiar Faces and a Lullaby of Broadway

2014 will be a very special year for Melbourne’s Award Winning CLOC Musical Theatre, as the company prepares to launch its 100^thproduction in its 50^thyear. 

In choosing the right show to represent this landmark occasion, CLOC went back through its past productions and looked no further than its hugely successful 1996 staging of the ultimate backstage song and dance extravaganza 42^ndStreet– a show about putting on a show, about the joy of musical theatre and a true lullaby of Broadway, featuring such timeless standards as Go Into Your Dance, Dames, We’re In the Money, Shuffle off to Buffalo, You’re Gettin’ to be a Habit with Me, About a Quarter to Nine, Getting out of Town, Lullaby of Broadway, and of course, the title song. 

Amongst the talented cast of 33 are real-life married couple and all-round talented performers Ric Birkett and Pam Christie Birkett (pictured above). Ric and Pam come to CLOC with impressive theatrical credentials, having previously won twelve performance awards between them. This talented twosome take the lead roles of director Julian Marsh and leading lady and Broadway diva Dorothy Brock. Onstage there is no love lost between them as they appear as sparring partners constantly at loggerheads, which is a million light years away from their real personas.

Says Pam with a laugh, “The biggest surprise will be when our two sons, aged 12 and 9, come and see us being so rude to each other – they will think it is hilarious!”  Adds Ric, “This will be the first time the boys have seen us onstage together, as till now they have been too young, so this will be extra special for our family.”

This show will also be a happy reunion for four of the cast who were also in the original 1996 production 18 years ago – leading man Tim Cant (pictured right with the Money Girls - who last time auditioned as a young school boy and was cast in the ensemble, and has since appeared as a leading man in five of CLOC’s big song and dance shows), assistant director/choreographer James Rooney (who is doing double duty playing dance director Andy Lee, amazingly enough the same role he played 18 years ago), CLOC stalwart Robert Griffin (also doing double duty as part of the stage crew while also portraying a number of cameo roles this time around, after playing sugar daddy Abner Dillon last time), and ensemble member and CLOC veteran Chris Rogers, who is returning as a hoofer for his ninth CLOC production, and his second time around in 42^ndStreet.

CLOC invites audiences to join the party as they celebrate!

42^ndStreet runs from May 16-31 at the National Theatre in St Kilda for twelve performances, including three matinees.

For more information or to purchase tickets, go to the CLOC website  www.cloc.org.auor call the CLOC Ticket Line on 1300 362 547. You can also find CLOC on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CLOCMusical

CLOC MUSICAL THEATRE – celebrating 50 years

42^nd STREET: May 16 - 31, National Theatre, St Kilda

Phone 1300 362 547 or visit cloc.org.au

http://www.facebook.com/CLOCMusical

More Reading

Earlier 42nd Street Coverage

More Community Theatre Reading 

Community Theatre Seasons 2014

Win Tickets

Win a pair of tickets to the performance of 42nd Street on Thursday May 22, 2014. Click here to go to our contact form. Type '42nd Street Tix' in the subject field, and type the title of a song from the musical in the subject field. We will draw a winner at 6pm on Sunday May 18.

Congratulations to our winner, Kate Turner.