News

Vampire and Obama Musicals in Austria and Germany

David Spicer had a spare afternoon in Vienna, but the Opera was booked out. Instead he had to fight for a ticket to Dance of the Vampire.

AIDAN FENNESSY WINS 2010 GRIFFIN AWARD

Griffin Theatre Company has announced that writer, director and dramaturg Aidan Fennessy is the winner of the 2010 Griffin Award for his play Brutopia.

The Griffin Award is an annual $10,000 prize offered for an outstanding new Australian play or performance text. Now in its 13th year, the Griffin Award celebrates the bright future of Australian drama. More than 130 entries were received this year from across the country.

Todd’s Boy from Oz Comeback

He was the original Boy From Oz. Now Todd McKenney has picked up the maracas once again. He kicked off an encore season for The Production Company in Melbourne on August 18, and he’ll return for a Summer season from January 5 to 16, 2011 (now with extra February dates and a March season at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney). David Spicer, the agent for the musical, spoke with Todd and previews community theatre productions in other parts of Australia.

ELECTION MESSAGES FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRES ASSOCIATION (APACA), THE AUSTRALIAN MAJOR PERFORMING ARTS GROUP (AMPAG) AND LIVE PERFORMANCE AUSTRALIA (LPA)

AMPAG, LPA and APACA acknowledge that it is not the role of Government to ensure the sustainability of the sector. However with comparatively small additional funds, inefficiencies in the current system of support could be addressed, improving outcomes for communities throughout Australia.

Some of the key recomendations include:

ROB GUEST ENDOWMENT 2010

THE STARS COME OUT TO HONOUR ROB GUEST

The inaugural Rob Guest Endowment Concert in 2009 was acclaimed by the audience and the entertainment industry as a wonderfully successful evening to both honour Rob Guest OBE and judge the first year of the Rob Guest Endowment.

On Monday October 4, 2010, at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne, the second annual Rob Guest Endowment Concert will be held, hosted by Bert Newton. Some of Australia’s biggest music theatre stars will perform, including:

Stephen Lynch - Exclusive

A Q & A with Geoffrey Williams.

On the eve of his first Australian tour – The 3 Balloons Tour – Tony Award nominee and YouTube sensation STEPHEN LYNCH took a moment to give Stage Whispers some insight into the world of the self-proclaimed “musician trapped in the body of a comedian” … and one whose balls hang very low.

EXCLUSIVE: Mary Poppins' Composers Sing

The legendary composer of Mary Poppins - RICHARD M SHERMAN - has given a performance with the two young composers George Stiles and Anthony Drew who updated the Disney Musical.

Their singing can be heard EXCLUSIVELY at the bottom of this article.

In the 20 minute documentary Richard M Sherman explains how Walt Disney approached him and his brother Robert Sherman to write and compose the musical.

Simon Phillips Set to Depart MTC

Artistic Director and Chief Executive of MTC Simon Phillips will leave the Company at the conclusion of the 2011 Season.

Chairman of the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Board, Derek Young today (July 28) announced that after more than 10 years at the helm of the MTC, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Simon Phillips would leave his roles with MTC at the conclusion of the 2011 Season. Simon will continue to direct and program the 2011 Season whilst an international search is undertaken to find a new Artistic Director and Chief Executive for the Company.

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