Million Dollar Australian Musical Plan

Melbourne Theatre owner Jason Marriner has proposed setting up a million dollar fund to workshop and showcase Australian musicals.

As CEO of the Marriner Group, he oversees four of Melbourne’s iconic East End theatres, the Princess Theatre, the Regent Theatre, the Comedy Theatre and the Forum Melbourne.

The proposal came at the end of a symposium on Australian musical theatre, held this week at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Mr Marriner urged participants to be ambitious and think about raising a million dollars to workshop ten Australian musicals, then seeking to raise half the money need to stage a full production every three years.

Mr Marriner said he was confident of being able to raise the money in a short period.

He dubbed the plan the million dollar babies.

The symposium organised by the VCA's Margot Fenley (Head of  Music Theatre & Lecturer in Acting), was prompted by the publication of the Time is Ripe for the Great Australian musical by Currency House.

The meeting identiified a range of challenges facing Australian musical theatre.

An advocacy group has been formed including musical theatre director Gail Edwards, composer Max Lambert, Brisbane theatre manager Kris Stewart and Sydney producer Neil Gooding.

A full report on the symposium will be published in the November/December edition of Stage Whispers.