News

White Night Melbourne 2014

White Night Melbourne returns with expanded program in 2014, and Stage Whispers' Alex Paige was at the launch.

Next February 22, Melbourne’s streets, laneways, public spaces and major cultural institutions will again undergo a dusk-till-dawn transformation into a “cultural playground” for the city’s second annual White Night event.

Then There Were 3

Husband and wife team Craig Alexander and Shelley Higgs had collaborated together on sketch comedy such as The Reindeer Monologues and The Toilet Monologues. They initially intended their current show at The Street Theatre in Canberra to be called The Parenting Monologues, when they realised they had a personal, potentially more meaningful, story to tell from their own experience of post-natal depression. Author Craig Alexander spoke with Cathy Bannister.

Cathy Bannister: Tell me a bit about the show? What can people expect?

La Boite Season 2014

La Boite Theatre Company has announced its season of works for 2014, including a new production of Louis Nowra's Cosi starring Jessica Marais, a world premiere of a play about alien abduction, and an adaptation by Lally Katz of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House

Artistic Director David Berthold said the season was characterised by great writing, joyous comedy, high adventure and twists on the familiar. 

Strictly Ballroom Cast Announced: Search For Fran Over

After months of auditions, Director Baz Luhrmann and Producer Carmen Pavlovic have announced that the search for the actress to play the role of ‘Fran’ in Strictly Ballroom the Musical is over.

Tony Sheldon: Musicals Globe Trotter

TONY SHELDON, now a resident of New York, has returned to Australia for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He tells FRANK HATHERLEY about starring on Broadway (loves it) and London’s West End (not happy at all).

“I live in New York now. I have my Green Card and I’m a permanent resident.”

Bernadette Peters in Concert in April 2014

Three-time Tony Award winning Broadway star Bernadette Peters brings her concert to Australia in April 2014, performing a selection of Broadway songs from her extensive songbook, including standards, Rodgers & Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim to name a few.

"I am very excited to be performing in Australia once again" says Ms. Peters. "I have so many great memories of my previous visits and of the warm and enthusiastic Australian fans".

Rob Guest Endowment Concert 2013

David Spicer reports on the awards’ first outing in Sydney.

Having sat through umpteen award nights both professional and amateur, which are sometimes drawn out affairs, I was cautious about the prospects of sitting through another industry event.

But the Rob Guest Endowment concert has a different vibe. It is fun, punchy and filled with good will.

The audience comprises mainly members of the public, put in a good mood by folksy jokes from Bert Newton.

“Look at Rhonda Burchmore’s legs,” he quipped.

RED STITCH ACTORS THEATRE 2014 SEASON

New Artistic Director of Red Stitch Theatre, Ella Caldwell has announced her inaugural season for 2014 revealing eight plays including two world premieres (Out Of The Water and The Mesh), two Australian premieres (Belleville and The Flick) and four plays never before seen in Victoria (This Year’s Ashes, Grounded, Glory Dazed and Eurydice).

‘Wagner Roos’ Welcome ‘Ring Nuts’ to Melbourne

In the Northern Hemisphere they’re called “Ring Nuts”, but the Australian cohort have been dubbed “Wagner Roos”. They are the unique breed, travelling to wherever Wagner’s Ring Cycle is on. “Wagner Roos” are in heaven with The Ring currently on stage  Melbourne, courtesy of Opera Australia, The City of Melbourne and patron Maureen Wheeler. Lucy Graham dons her horned helmet to investigate if these enthusiasts have more money than sense.

Will State of the Art Sydney Theatre Precinct be Saved

Hugh Jackman has joined Dean Carey in raising the final dollars needed to save the Forum performance precinct in Leichhardt from being converted into a child care facility.

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