Griffin Theatre Company (Sydney) today (June 21, 2012) announced the resignation of Artistic Director Sam Strong, who has accepted the role of Associate Artistic Director at Melbourne Theatre Company. Sam will program Griffin’s 2013 season, which is being announced on 3 September, and then finish up at the end of 2012.
Stephen Sondheim will attend opening night of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Geoffrey Rush at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne this October 27th.
Circus Oz open their new show From the Ground Up in Melbourne on June 20. Coral Drouyn spoke to founder Tim Coldwell and Circus Oz troupe newcomers, Ghenoa Gela and Dale Woodbridge.
Most of us, at some time, have wanted to run away and join the circus – I know I did (especially when my daughters were teenagers). And if we couldn’t find a circus, we invented our own. For most of us that meant using our imaginations but, fortunately for us, some people just don’t know where to stop.
Once was the big winner at the 66th annual Tony Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris at New York’s Beacon Theatre on Sunday June 10, 2012, with a tally of eight awards including Best Musical, Best Actor (Steve Kazee), and six other Tonys (John Tiffany – direction, book, by Enda Walsh, set, lighting, sound design and orchestrations).
Newsies, the musical about the 1899 New York newsboys strike won two Tonys, for choreography and score.
The World Premiere season of An Officer and a Gentleman at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre will close on Sunday July 1, 2012 after just eight weeks of performances and previews.
Some of the biggest names in Australian musical theatre will join hostess Melissa Bergland (Winners and Losers, 2012 Logie winner) for this year’s Twisted Broadway concerts in Melbourne and Sydney, with Rob Mills co-hosting the Sydney show, and Rhonda Burchmore compèring alongside Bergland in Melbourne.
Producer John Frost today (June 7, 2012) announced Michael Cormick and Bert Newton will join the cast of the sell-out Australian tour of Annie. Michael Cormick will take the role of Daddy Warbucks on August 7 when Anthony Warlow heads to New York to play the same role in the new production of Annie on Broadway. Bert Newton will replace Alan Jones as President Roosevelt from July 24 when Alan heads to London to broadcast at the Olympic Games.
Anthony Warlow will play Daddy Warbucks in the forthcoming Broadway revival of Annie, with two-time Tony Award® winner Katie Finneran (Promises, Promises, Noises Off) as Miss Hannigan, while James Lapine will direct, and Andy Blankenbuehler will choreograph.
The news was initially reported in Brisbane's Courier Mail yesterday (June 2), with confirmation from the Broadway producers appearing at Playbill (June 3).
The production will open at the Palace Theatre on November 8, 2012 (previews from Oct. 3).
Broadway legend Ben Vereen visits Australia during June 2012 in his solo show Steppin’ Out, playing at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, then in Sydney and Melbourne. He spoke to Coral Drouyn.
“I never set out to be a star. I just wanted to be working. When I arrived in Hollywood I saw all the familiar faces, people I’d seen on the screen, famous people, all waiting in the social security line and I thought…I have to think of this as a job; a job I love doing, but one I get paid for. I have to earn a living.”
Geoffrey Rush will play Pseudolus in a Melbourne-only season of the Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum this year, The Age Reports (May 26, 2012).
Simon Phillips who will direct the Forum, to be produced by John Frost.
The 1962 Sondheim musical, based on the Roman farces of Plautus (with a book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Grelbart) is expected to open at Melbouren’s Comedy Theatre in November, made its debut on Broadway in 1962 and won six 1963 Tony awards including best musical and best book.
