I have to admit, I am really excited at the moment about all the excellent theatre that I will be able to see and be involved in over the next few months.
Locally, the theatre group I am involved in, Allegro, will be staging a production of the classic comedy, Blackadder Goes Forth, sure to be a must see for comedy fans.
Elsewhere, my good friends at Albury Wodonga Theatre Company are involved in staging a "pro-am" production of a new stage musical based on the movie Strange Bedfellows, which is already starring such high profile Australians such as John Woods, Peter Cousens and Colette Mann. Both of the above shows will be opening in late October and are sure to draw huge crowds to local theatre.
Wangaratta Players, meanwhile, will be staging the taut drama 12 Angry Jurors in the next few months, while Benalla Theatre Company will put on a production of White Christmas at the end of July.
And that's just local amateur theatre!
As if that wasn't enough, a host of irresistible shows will be staged in Melbourne in coming months.
I will be heading along to the Melbourne production of Mary Poppins in a few weeks, and am keen to see how it translates to the stage, and am especially curious to see Matt Lee performing on stage as Bert!
I am also keen to see the revival of West Side Story this winter, as I have never been lucky enough to see it on stage, just the movie...
Of course, the show I am looking forward to the most is Hairspray. I have loved it since seeing the movie, even to the point of dressing up as Tracey Turnblad for a friend's costume party! If only I had a stronger voice, it'd be a part I'd love to play.
This weekend, I had my first free weekend in months, and spent some time catching up on my video of this year's Tony Awards, which were screened here in Australia in mid June.
As always, the awards were an intriguing snapshot into current theatrical hits and trends in America, and possibly a sneak peek into what might soon grace Australian stages.
For me, one of the highlights of the night (being a Glee fan) was seeing Glee stars (and Broadway veterans) Matt Morrison and Lea Michele getting to strut their stuff on stage.
Matthew had an old-school song and dance number, "All I Need Is The Girl" from Gypsy, and Lea busted out "Don't Rain On My Parade" from Funny Girl. Nice.
Sean Hayes was an affable host, although I really wished Neil Patrick Harris was hosting again.
I wasn't too sure about most of the new musicals shown - although Million Dollar Quartet seemed interesting, showcasing the music of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Carl Perkins, and Everyday Rapture looked to have an interesting storyline.
The revival of La Cage Aux Folles, with Kelsey Grammer in the lead, also looked like a lot of fun, and that show has some classic tunes.
Out of the shows that got an airing on the night, I would most like to see Green Day's American Idiot. It's my generation's rock music, and seems to have a "Rent-esque" feel to it...I'm betting it will make its way to Australia in the next few years.
Anyway, dear reader, I'll leave you with that long and rambling entry..au revoir.
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