Stage Briefs

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. 

Pacific Overtures for Melbourne

Stephen Sondheim’s favourite and most ambitious work will have its first fully realised theatrical season in Melbourne in 2014, including an updated libretto from John Weidman, at Theatre Works from February 19.

Pacific Overtures is a contemporary musical whose narrative begins in 1853, with Commodore Perry’s incursion onto Japanese soil. In a fiercely protected world of shoguns, screens, rice, tea, and bows, a humble fisherman and samurai are sent to ‘stop the boats’ and hold back the tide of Western incursion. At stake is a way of life.

West End Theatre Ceiling Collapses on Audience.

A section of the ceiling and roof of the Apollo Theatre in London’s West collapsed on the audience mid way through the first half of a performance of the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time on Thursday night, injuring at least 88 people including children.

The 775 seat, 112-year old Grade II listed theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, named for the Greek and Roman god Apollo, god of music and the arts,was had a near capacity audience

Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards 2013

Wellington was host to the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards last night (15 December) at the Paramount Cinema – to celebrate Wellington’s diverse, adventurous, brave, definitely NOT dying theatre community with awards honouring the best of 2013’s performances and craft.

The evening was MC’d by Hayley Sproull, who also went on to win Best Female Newcomer for her Comedy Festival show Outsiders’ Guide.