Stage Briefs

Uncloaked: Satirical Cabaret Fantasy for Adelaide Fringe

Melbourne-based Rosie Rodiadis debuts her unique solo cabaret show at the Adelaide Fringe from 24th February until 1st March, 2014.

Rosie stars as Gracie, a cloak room attendant who longs for a better life and spends her time imagining what it would be like to wear other people’s coats.

Alone in the cloakroom, Gracie is surrounded by the magnificent coats and luggage of the people who leave the items there. The coats and bags represent the paper-thin façade of people such as politicians, as well as secretive lovers.

Madonna vs Annie Lennox:

Michael Griffiths takes them head to head in the Garden of Unearthly Delights.

Not one, but two shows, from one performer; that’s what audiences can look forward to when Jersey Boys star Michael Griffiths stages his In Vogue and Sweet Dreams shows, alternating them nightly during the 2014 Adelaide Fringe.

This is a consummate performer, hot on the heels of sell-out seasons in New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Hobart, Auckland, Perth and the Edinburgh Fringe, where he earned five stars.

Xanadu, The Musical

The Adelaide Fringe is an event where almost anything goes, a little like the heady days of the eighties, which was a time that brought us turtles performing martial arts and a man named Marilyn.

Davine Interventionz has decided to go back to the eighties for the 2014 Fringe and dust off roller skates, slide on leg warmers and wear the shortest of shorts. The company is presenting the Adelaide premiere production of the Broadway musical comedy, Xanadu, staged by arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd, exclusive agent for Music Theatre International (N.Y).

Anthony Warlow Headlines Opera in the Alps

Anthony Warlow, alongside conductor Guy Noble, will take centre-stage in Beechworth on January 18 to lead the ensemble of singers and instrumentalists at the 18th year of the ‘Opera in the Alps’ event, transforming Beechworth’s historic Baarmutha Park along Broadway-proportions.

Drowsy Chaperone for Hayes Theatre

Independent Sydney Musical Theatre company Squabbalogic will present the exuberant musical within a comedy The Drowsy Chaperone, in association with Hayes Theatre Co from March 14 – April 6, 2014.

Squabbalogic’s recent productions of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and Carrie The Musical have both been nominated for Best Musical at the 2013 Sydney Theatre Awards.

Strictly Sydney

The largest outdoor ballroom dancing event ever seen in Australia – a ballroom dance-off with 4,000 dancers under the direction of Baz Luhrmann will take place on Sunday 23 February from 9am around Sydney Opera House in a promotional event to celebrate the imminent opening of a truly Sydney musical, Strictly Ballroom The Musical (previewing from 25 March).

Alison Whyte replaces Greta Scacchi in STC Travelling North

Greta Scacchi has had to withdraw from Sydney Theatre Company’s forthcoming production of Travelling North by David Williamson, due to a recently sustained back injury. Unfortunately, on medical advice she is unable to continue with the production and Alison Whyte will take on the role of Frances.

FULL LINE-UP ANNOUNCED FOR 11TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CABARET CONTEST

The Your Theatrics International Cabaret Contest (formerly the Australian Cabaret Showcase) has announced the diverse pool of talent taking to the stage in heats across Australia and New Zealand ahead of the commencement of the 2014 event on January 6.

The contestants, who will compete for the largest cabaret prize in Australasia, have been hand picked by a selection committee who assessed all applicants from the largest pool of submissions received in the contest’s 11 years. They are:

A New Alice Tumbles into Wonderland at Geelong and Rippon Lea

WAAPA-trained musical theatre performer Sage Douglas to the cast of Australian Shakespeare Company ‘s Alice in Wonderland at Geelong Botanic Gardens and Rippon Lea House & Gardens this summer.

An accomplished triple-threat performer, Sage trained at the Centrestage

Performing Arts School from a young age, winning the Michael Finlay Award at West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).

Marian Street Theatre Suddenly Closed

Marian Street Theatre for Young People (MSTYP) wishes to advise that its January production of Snow White will now play at the Lighthouse Theatre, Macquarie University, North Ryde in January, instead of at the theatre in Killara.

The reason for this change came about suddenly when Ku-ring-gai Council voted at the 10 December meeting to close the theatre immediately on the basis that it is no longer compliant with the Australian Building Code.