Rob Guest Future Prospect Winner in New Musical at Genesian Theatre
Rising talent Ben Bennett, recently announced as the winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Showbiz International Future Prospect Award for 2013, also seen on ‘The Voice’ in 2012, is to headline a brand new musical, The Star Child, opening at Sydney’s Genesian Theatre in November 2013.
The Star Child is based on a short story by Oscar Wilde and was written by Sydney lyricist Roger Gimblett and Melbourne composer Nicholas Edwards when they were both working in London for West End theatre company Stoll Moss Theatres.
The story tells of a poor woodcutter who finds an abandoned baby in a forest after noticing a falling star. Convinced that he is the child of a star the baby grows into an attractive but arrogant young man who cruelly turns away a beggar woman when she arrives at the Village claiming that he is her long lost son.
Ultimately realising his cruelty he sets out to find her and in the process has a number of adventures including being taken as a slave by an evil Magician, being rescued by a tap dancing Rabbit and finally reuniting with his mother who, it turns out, has a secret of her own.
Gimblett said he was thrilled Bennett would be leading the 15 strong cast. ‘It is a pretty demanding role as he is onstage through almost the whole piece and Ben has the ability to handle the comic stuff and also to sing the ballads superbly.’
Directed by Gimblett with Stephen Lloyd Coombs, musical direction from Timothy M Carter and choreography by Debbie Smith, the premiere is a major project for the Genesian which also staged the NSW premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s By Jeeves.
Gimblett said, ‘Obviously it is exciting and challenging staging any new work. But rehearsing Star Child has been great fun - the story is light and the numbers are catchy and ultimately it is a heart-warming tale so we hope it’s the ideal pre-Christmas family show.’
The show opens on 23 November and plays Fridays at 7pm and Saturday and Sunday at 4.30pm until 14 December. Bookings www.genesiantheatre.com.au
Cast
The Star Child - Ben Bennett
Simon, a woodcutter - Martin Searles
Ben, also a woodcutter - Greg Thornton
Sarah, married to Simon - Amber Wilcox
Mary, The Star Childs step sister - Amanda Jane Porter
A Beggar Woman (with a secret!) - Elizabeth MacGregor
A Leper (also with a secret!) - Robert Green
An Evil Magician - Robert Wells
Pongo (Magician’s odoriferous assistant) - Greg Thornton
A tap-dancing Rabbit - Dominic Scarf
Headmaster / Chief Minister - Timothy Bennett
Four Guards - Michael Jones, Daniel Hitchings, Martin Searles & Dominic Scarf
The ‘Rabettes’ - Amanda Jane Porter, Christina Swan & Sophia Harrison
The Star Child's Gang - Lilianna Komljenovic, Christina Swan, Sophia Harrison, Michael Jones, Daniel Hitchings & Dominic Scarf
The Star Child season will benefit the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
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