Centre stage over summer
THE spectacular stage production War Horse has its Australian premiere at the State Theatre, Melbourne Arts Centre, on New Year’s Eve before touring to Sydney in March.
Since opening in London in 2007, the production by the National Theatre of Great Britain has won numerous awards and is currently being staged in London, New York and Toronto.
Based on Michael Morpurgo’s book, War Horse is a drama set during World War I about a boy named Albert and his beloved horse Joey.
When Joey is shipped to the front line, Albert – who is not old enough to enlist – embarks on a dangerous mission to find him and bring him home.
At the heart of War Horse are amazing puppets created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which bring the horses to life on stage.
Steven Spielberg made a film adaptation of War Horse which was released in late 2011.
The family musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang continues its Sydney season until January 19 before opening at Her Majesty’s Theatre on January 30.
With its blend of whacky adventure, catchy songs and a dazzling car that flies, it stars David Hobson as madcap English inventor Caractacus Potts and Rachael Beck as confectionery heiress Truly Scrumptious.
They face the forces of evil from the European nation of Vulgaria, led by Alan Brough as Baron Bomburst and Jennifer Vuletic as his child-hating wife, the baroness. Tyler Coppin has the plum role of the wicked Child Catcher.
Producer Tim Lawson says the musical is “an absolute joy for all ages packed with romance, comedy and adventure”.
Singer Bernadette Robinson is back for a return season of her hit show Songs for Nobodies, where she plays the role of five ordinary women who each tell the tale of how their lives were transformed by iconic singers Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas.
In the solo show directed by Simon Phillips, Robinson seamlessly brings to life each “nobody” and each legendary singer. Her voice shifts from the smoky blues of Holiday to the thrilling soprano of Callas.
Songs for Nobodies is at the Fairfax Studio in Melbourne from January 2-13 and in Sydney from January 21-27 at the Concourse Theatre, Chatswood.
Cirque du Soleil’s spectacular production Ovo, which was staged in Sydney from September to November, comes to Melbourne on January 17 under the Big Top at Docklands.
Ovo is set in the enchanting world of insects and features breathtaking acrobatics, colourful costumes, clownish humour and catchy music.
The action starts when an unknown bug arrives unannounced at the insect colony with a giant egg strapped to his back. While the beetles, spiders, ants and cockroaches appear awestruck, a ladybug promptly falls in love with the stranger.
The show takes the audience through an action-packed day in the life of the insects, with a variety of acrobatic routines, dances and comedy routines.
The hit musical Jersey Boys is returning to Melbourne for a 14-week season at the Princess Theatre from January 10. More than a million people saw the show’s original season, which ran for 13 months in Melbourne from July 2009 and 15 months in Sydney from September 2010. Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their rise to became one of America’s most successful groups of the 1960s with hits such as Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Rag Doll and Oh What a Night.
This production stars Graham Foote as Frankie Valli, Declan Egan as Bob Gaudio, Anthony Harkin as Tommy DeVito, and Glaston Toft as Nick Massi.
Geoffrey Rush leads the cream of Australian comedy actors in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, until January 6.
This revival of Stephen Sondheim’s classic farce sees Rush playing the wily slave Pseudolus, ably supported by Shane Bourne as the hen-pecked Senex, Magda Szubanski as his domineering wife Domna, Mitchell Butel as their neurotic slave Hysterium and Gerry Connolly as slimy brothel owner Lycos.
Other key roles are Christie Whelan-Browne as the ditzy blonde Philia and her love interest, Hero, played by Hugh Sheridan. Troy Sussman plays one of the proteans, energetically performing many roles.
The traditions of the circus, cabaret, variety and burlesque are combined in Empire, an acrobatic adventure show that starts its Australian tour in Sydney under the Spiegeltent at The Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park on January 4 before coming to Melbourne in March. Directing the fast-paced show is Wayne Harrison, former artistic director of Sydney Theatre Company.
Award-winning actress Angela Lansbury teams up with Oscar winner James Earl Jones to perform in the stage play Driving Miss Daisy about the decades-long relationship between an elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her compassionate African-American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn.
After opening in Brisbane in February, Driving Miss Daisy comes to Sydney’s Theatre Royal on March 1 and will be staged in Melbourne at the Comedy Theatre in May.
The Broadway musical The Addams Family, based on the bizarre antics created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will start its Australian premiere season in Sydney on March 10 at the Capitol Theatre.
Starring John Waters, Chloë Dallimore and Russell Dykstra, The Addams Family will be directed by Broadway legend Jerry Zaks.
There’s lots of family fun with Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and other Disney favourites in Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show, a 90-minute stage show packed with music, dancing, adventure and lots of laughs, which tours in January.
The hit show Legally Blonde The Musical is currently playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre with a cast including Lucy Durack, Helen Dallimore, Rob Mills, David Harris and Cameron Daddo.
Based on the hit movie of the same name starring Reese Witherspoon, the musical is set around Elle Woods (Durack) who, after being dumped by her boyfriend Warner (Mills), decides to follow him to Harvard Law School and win him back.
After the Sydney season, the show moves to Brisbane in March and then opens in Melbourne in May.
REPORT by Danny Gocs
PHOTO from the National Theatre of Great Britain’s stage show, War Horse.
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