English actor and singer Michael Crawford now lives in a small house by the beach north of Auckland. He moved there five years ago to recover from chronic fatigue syndrome. The change has worked so well for him that he returned to the West End in The Wizard of Oz, resumed doing the occasional concert and is promoting his latest album. Ironically The Phantom of the Opera will be haunting many theatres in New Zealand from next year, with the Australasian release of amateur rights to the show. Neil Litchfield spoke with Michael Crawford.
Fresh from three years running the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, David Campbell is now on tour singing classic hits from the 1980’s. He’s also co-hosting Channel Nine’s Morning Show and producing other cabaret artists across the country.
On the eve of his current tour, inspired by his new 80s album Let’s Go, he caught up with Neil Litchfield.
To what extent are your album choices driven by the fact that it’s also going to be a live performance?
Never mind Queen Elizabeth’s 60th Diamond Jubilee, this month the Melbourne Gang Show is celebrating its 60th season. They’re in a festive mood and, given their track record for final curtain marriage proposals, there may be more than the usual number of actual diamonds on show this year.
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.
