Casts for New Musicals Australia Workshops Announced

Top musical theatre performers includingBlazey Best, Peter Cousens, Michelle Doake, Rodney Dobson, Caroline Gillmer,Darren Gilshenan, Robert Grubb, Toby Francis, Gareth Keegan,Katrina Retallick, Justin Smith and Ian Stenlakeare among the castsin the season of free concert presentations of new Australian musicals in Sydney and Melbourne in November and December 2011.

Following the success of the first round of workshops earlier this year, New Musicals Australia have some of Australia’s most talented music theatre performers on board for the development and celebration of Australian talent.

“New Musicals Australia galvanizes the incredible pool of creative professionals in this country from the writers, and composers to the directors and performers and provides the unique opportunity to simultaneously showcase and to develop the work and talent out there. Our second round of workshops for 2011 is rich in content and talent, New Musicals Australia is thrilled to announce the cast members for our second round of workshops,” said Director of New Musicals Australia, Kris Stewart.

The presentations of the musicals selected for Developmental Readings, which will grant each project a one week rehearsal period boasts a strong company of professionals.

Transport, by Larry Kirwan &Thomas Keneally, tells a universal story of immigration, loss, hope and redemption and the Irish Diaspora to the Australian penal colony. Under the direction of Director, Stuart Maunder and Musical Director, Anne-Maree McDonald, Transport is being presented on Friday, 25 November and Sunday, 27 November at Sidetrack Theatre. Cast Includes Jersey Boys’ Stephen Mahy, Mercia Deane Johns, most recently seen on our television screens in Packed to the Rafters, David Downer, Toby Francis, Caitlin Kent, Noni McCallum, Katie McKee (My Fair Lady, Floyd Collins), and Berynn Schwerdt (Spring Awakening).

Tim Freedman& Alex Broun’s Truth, beauty and a picture of you is based on the characters and songs of one of Australia’s greatest singer-songwriters, Tim Freedman. Truth, beauty and a picture of you is directed by Neil Gooding and Musical Director is Andrew Warboys. Truth, beauty and a picture of you is being presented on Friday, 2 & Saturday, 3 December at The Fusebox. Cast includes much loved music theatre performer and star of Nine Network’s Sea Patrol Ian Stenlake, Sam Devenport, Scott Johnson (Jersey Boys), Gareth Keegan (Next to Normal) andErica Lovell (Little Women, A Little Night Music)

Following the success of its inaugural season in March this year, New Musicals Australia is also including presentations in Melbourne. The exuberant and tragically comical tale about the spring racing carnival of 1933, Carnival Joe by Mark Jones & Anthony Crowley is being presented at 2pm on Monday, 5 December at Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance. Christian Leavesley is directing Carnival Joe with Mark Jones, the original composer as Musical Director. The talented cast includes Sally Bourne, Caroline Gillmer, Ben Grant, Robert Grubb, Jolyon James, Kellie Rode and James Saunders.

Director Rachel Moorhead and original creator, Musical Director David King are directing The Good Fight. Music by David King, book and lyrics by Nick Enright and with further material by James Millar, The Good Fight is set against the background of the 1^stWorld War and concerns the life of legendary boxer Les Darcy and his meteoric rise and fall. The Good Fight is being presented at The Concourse, the stunning new theatre complex in Chatswood on Friday, 16 and Saturday, 17 December. The cast includes Toby Francis, Jamie Ward (Doctor Zhivago, Spring Awakening), Michelle Doake, Melle Stewart (The Hatpin), Christy Sullivan (Next to Normal), Rodney Dobson (Wicked), Christopher Horsey and Justin Smith along with six first and second year WAAPA students

During the Writers’ Weekend, the Musical Snapshots initiative, a thirty minute portion of three different works, will be presented in concert to an industry panel and general audience, cast for pieces selected for the Musical Snapshots have also been announced.

Scheduled for its Snapshot presentation on Saturday, 26 November, Sugartown, by Katie Weston, Dean Gourley & Katy Roose exposes the sweet but sour lives led by the dealer, the drug lord and the undercover cop and features the talents of Charles E.C. Grounds, Shaun Kingma, Tyson Legg, Scott MacKenzie, Melanie Ott, Jenn Stork and Paul Watson.

On the same day, Sugartown is followed by a Snapshot Presentation of Phillip Johnston & Hilary Bell’sDo Good and You Will Be Happy,which drawing on our heritage of Australian vaudeville and music hall enters the fanciful world of Edward William Cole and is presented with the talents of Blazey Best, Peter Cousens, Darren Gilshenan and Justin Smith.

The New Blackby Marcus Cowora, Stephen Lloyd Helper and Leeroy Bilneyfollows the story of Jim, an indigenous man who tries to climb the corporate ladder and is scheduled for its Musical Snapshot on the last day of the Writers’ Weekend, Sunday, 27 November. Cast includes Leeroy Bilney, Elaine Crombie, David Page, Emma Palmer, Katrina Retallick and Quan Tran.

New Musicals Australia is an initiative dedicated to the production of original music theatre in Australia. The program focuses on providing writers and composers with the opportunity to have their scripts and songs workshopped by professionals and presented to high level industry peers, creative industry leaders and general audience members. New Musicals Australia also supports a variety of other initiatives targeted at developing new works, establishing networks and providing support for independent writers.  

For more information on New Musicals Australia

www.newmusicals.com.au

Our earlier coverage / more workshop details.

November 18, 2011

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