News

SIMON CREAN ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CULTURAL POLICY

Arts Minister Simon Crean today launched Creative Australia, a $235 million vision and strategy to place arts and culture at the centre of modern Australian life.

Creative Australia, the new national cultural policy, promises to create jobs and encourage a new generation of artists and creative industry business with sweeping reforms to Australian Government support for the arts, cultural heritage and creative industries. 

Casts of Three Musicals Unite for Melbourne Concert

Cast members from three majpr musicals, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, King Kong and Jersey Boys along with a number of guest performers, will come together to perform a variety of songs from their personal repertoires to support the Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) on Sunday, 15th March at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne commencing at 7.30pm.

FORKING OUT MILLIONS FOR A TICKET.

If you think tickets are expensive, imagine underwriting an entire production. Some patrons are doing just that  – paying millions to bring whole shows to the stage. David Spicer looks at the state of philanthropy in Australia and the surprising donors behind the Ring Cycle being staged in Melbourne and The Secret River, the epic  play which led the Sydney and Perth Festivals.

GET WITH THE PROGRAM!

Theatre Programs: Who needs them? Who makes them?

So, you’ve spent $279.80 on two tickets for Legally Blonde at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre. Paid for parking and dinner. Oh, and Ticketmaster charged you a $7.45 ‘Handling Fee’ on behalf of their hardworking computers. ‘Let’s get a program!’ says your date. Ker-ching! ‘That’ll be $20 extra, please.’

Barry Otto Forced to Withdraw from The Kreutzer Sonata

State Theatre Company of SA announced today Barry Otto has regrettably been forced to withdraw from its production of The Kreutzer Sonata due to exhaustion. Mr Otto, 72, gave the first two preview performances of the production, directed by State Theatre Company SA Artistic Director Geordie Brookman, to a rapturous reception last Friday and Saturday but is in such a state of physical exhaustion that he has been advised against attempting to continue.

Hugh and Me.

I have a lot in common with Hugh Jackman. Now stop laughing. If you are less than charitable you might point out that Hugh is a six foot something global movie star, singer and dancer with chiseled good looks and an all-round nice guy who could charm the pants of anyone. He has a Tony Award, A Golden Globe and maybe soon an Oscar.

Whereas I am five foot something, a tiny bit overweight, ever soslightly balding, occasionally grumpy with two left feet etc., etc.

THE FACE OF KONG

For the first time the face of the King Kong puppet has been revealed in advance of the June 15 world premiere of the musical that bears his name. Kong was built entirely in Global Creatures’ West Melbourne workshop and is the product of nearly five years of development.  Weighing 1.1 tonnes and standing 6 metres tall, the sculptural look of the Kong puppet was designed to emphasise his musculature, making him an embodiment of raw masculine energy on stage.

Adelaide Fringe Festival 2013

The 2013 Adelaide Fringe Festival, which runs unabated until Sunday March 17, got off to a fine start on Friday February 15 with an Opening Night Parade along King William St.

Robert Dunstan reports.

Threatened with cancellation earlier in the day due to the forecast of thunderstorms – the 2011 Opening Night Parade had been completely washed-out and had to be rescheduled later during the festival as a much smaller affair – the festivities were given the go-ahead late in the afternoon.

2012 Green Room Awards Nominations

What do Geoffrey Rush, Lisa McCune, Bob Downe, Silvie Paladino, Colin Friels, Tony Bartuccio, Chunky Move, John Bell, Richard Gill, Neil Armfield, Chambermade, Bangarra, MKA, Simon Stone, Pamela Rabe, Todd McKenney all have in common?

They’ve all received nominations for the 30thAnnual Green Room Awards for excellence on the Melbourne stage for the period January 1s tthrough to December 31st 2012. The recipients will be announced at a ceremony to be held on Monday 6thMay, at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne.

Wicked Returns to Australasia

WICKED, the international Broadway musical blockbuster, returns to the Australasian region later this year as part of its 10th Anniversary Year, playing Auckland for the first time at The Civic Theatre from September 17,  2013, and returning to its original Australian home at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, from May, 2014 for a strictly limited season, followed by an Australian tour.

Australian cast detils announced.

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