Do Australia Have any Other Female Leading Ladies?

[sng]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 8:34pm

beside Caroline O'Connor. 

I mean I love her and she's so talented but I'm tired of seeing her in every musical in Australia. Give someone else a chance tbh.

and how old is Fanny Brice supposed to be here  

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 8:45pm

Jenna rix is pretty popular

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 8:51pm

Nicole Kidman?

Naomi Watts?

Hugh Jackman?  

[sng]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 8:55pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "

Hugh Jackman?  

 

"

idk if this is intentional but i laughed

 

Call_me_jorge said: "

Jenna rix is pretty popular

 

"

*Jemma, she's great but beside Ghost, she's been stuck with Wicked for like the last 10 years

 

[HopesS]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 9:20pm

Lucy Durack but she really is awful . Thats why I go to Broadway.

But Aladdin I might see it has a real leading lady

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 9:53pm

I have a few questions about Australian professional theatre.

what's the union? What's minimum wage? Is it more alike British equity or AEA? I noticed the Matilda cast in Australia have three sets of child actors like London so I'm guessing labor laws are strict there too. Is there an exchange program between AEA or British equity?

sorry for these random questions. I'm just really curious.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 10:55pm

http://www.equityfoundation.org.au/industrial-admin/about-us.html

[Broadwayhunk]

Posted: 10/21/16 at 11:14pm

yes it do

[SweetLips]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 12:56am

Looking forward to seeing Amy Lehpamer as DUSTY next month [and Todd McKenny-He was the original Boy from Oz--fantastic, then Hugh Jackman took over for Broadway]

Updated On: 10/27/16 at 12:56 AM

[phantom phan2]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 1:58am

Anna O'byrne!! 

Guys, Andrew Lloyd Webber hand picked her to play Christine in Love Never Dies Australia! She was a wonderful Christine in Phantom West End, and has enjoyed other productions in London too [such as Guys and Dolls]

In Australia, she recently did West Side Story, and probably the biggest of them all, was hand picked [again] by Dame Julie Andrews to play Eliza Doolittle in the 60th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady! Now if that's not a leading lady, I don't know what is!

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 3:46am

Suzie Mathers 

[sparepart973]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 5:23am

They do, but Caroline O'Connor has played this role in the past (as she has done in Gypsy) and I think there's high demand to see her recreate the role. 

They actually have a terrific roster of leading ladies in her age group, or older, like Jodi Conelli, Maria Mercedes, Dalia Hannah, etc etc but the new and younger ones seem to be very Elphaba-ish. 

 

 

[verdigris]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 7:20am

I thought Marika Aubrey (currently Mrs Wormwood) was fantastic when I saw Matilda in Sydney, I'm hoping to see more of her in the future. Elise McCann (Miss Honey) is also wonderful. 

I second Suzie Mathers. I was thrilled when I heard she was cast as Glinda on the West End.

[SweetLips]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 8:47am

sparepart973 said: "They do, but Caroline O'Connor has played this role in the past (as she has done in Gypsy) and I think there's high demand to see her recreate the role. 

They actually have a terrific roster of leading ladies in her age group, or older, like Jodi Conelli, Maria Mercedes, Dalia Hannah, etc etc but the new and younger ones seem to be very Elphaba-ish. 

 Sorry--Just have to correct you with my all time favourite performer-JUDI CONNELLI-was/is a powerhouse voice and stunning in Sunset.

and it's Delia Hannah---just so if anyone cares to google them, and, I agree with everything you say re Caroline and would love to see her in the Bobby Darin musical in Sydney[as his Mother] before heading to Broadway in Anastasia
-so Australia won't be seeing Caroline for a while sng so that should make you happy.
 

 

"

 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 8:57am

PS...Chelsea Gibb ,fresh out of performing school was chosen to join Caroline O'Connor for the Australian tour of 'Chicago'---mega successful under the guidance of Ann Reinking.

and she,Chelsea, still looks and sounds great .[watch this space].

Updated On: 10/22/16 at 08:57 AM

[StephieElise]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 9:24am

Yes, Caroline O'Connor as Fanny was absolutely ridiculous. For the record though, that was a very limited (1 or 2 week) run done by a theatre company that is headed by an 80 year old and which is largely dependent on subscriptions from similarly aged patrons, rather than a true commercial production as such.

However, we do have countless AMAZING leading ladies: Esther Hannaford, Amanda Harrison, Jemma Rix, Lucy Durack, Suzie Mathers, Jaz Flowers, Christie Whelan-Browne, Amy Lehpamer, Lisa McCune, Lucy Maunder, Marika Aubrey, Patrice Tipoki, Kerrie-Anne Greenland, Emily Langridge, Sophie Wright, Hilary Cole, Samantha Hagen, Laura Bunting, Gretel Scarlet, Marney McQueen, Verity Hunt-Ballard, Queenie Van de Zandt, Teagan Wouters, Nat O'Donnell, Alinta Chidzey, Anna O'Byrne, Sharon Millerchip, Marina Prior, Sylvie Palladino, Jayme Lee Hanekom (adding her to the list after seeing The Color Purple tonight!) and so many others! 

Saying that the only talent we have is Caroline O'Connor or that we need to import 'a real leading lady' (yeah, that Jasmine is American - despite there being several Aussies who would've been amazing!) is just offensive to our fantastic industry and the incredible performers who work in it! As of tonight I have seen 20 different shows in Melbourne this year (by tomorrow it'll be 21!), all of them starring amazing Aussie talent but only one starring Caroline O'Connor!

[StephieElise]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 10:12am

Call_me_jorge said: "I have a few questions about Australian professional theatre.

what's the union? What's minimum wage? Is it more alike British equity or AEA? I noticed the Matilda cast in Australia have three sets of child actors like London so I'm guessing labor laws are strict there too. Is there an exchange program between AEA or British equity? 

sorry for these random questions. I'm just really curious."

Replying to you separately because you brought up some interesting questions! ??

There actually isn't an exchange program or any sort of import/export agreement between Australia and other countries, which is a serious problem for our industry. Up until 4 years ago there was the Imported Artists Agreement which meant that productions were limited to only 1 imported principal and to cast an import the producers had to show Equity that they'd conducted a very thorough Australian casting process but were unable to cast anyone suitable. I believe there was also provision to allow emergency imports where an Aussie cast member was sick or injured, like when they brought Carmen Cusack out for Wicked in 2009. 

However, in 2012 Live Performance Australia (the producers union) tore up the agreement without notice and have reportedly refused to even discuss entering a new one. So now producers can import as many performers as they like and Equity Australia has no leg to stand on. The issue really came to a head a few months ago with imports being brought in for Aladdin (Jasmine and Genie), My Fair Lady (Higgins) and Kinky Boots (Lola) and reportedly for the leads in next year's production of Book of Mormon. 

As for child labour laws, they vary by state, but yes, they are very strict! Even in 1978 they had 2 girls playing Annie! Matilda actually has 4 Matildas, but only 3 sets of the other children. Every show with kids has multiple casts - Love Never Dies had 5 Gustaves! - and they usually have to recast for each city (unless they are only doing short runs in e.g. Perth and Adelaide, in which case they sometimes take kids from Sydney or Melbourne). The tour of The Sound of Music ended recently and the girl who played Liesl posted that she'd played big sister to 78 Von Trapp children across just over 300 shows! 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 12:07pm

I didn't realize that issue had changed four years ago. I do remember when JC Sheets went down to play Valjean in the '80s, since it was such a new show and the Australian production had no one available due to various emergencies.

I was surprised you ended up with an American Genie and Jasmine, until I read Chloe Dallimore's public post about it. I'm intrigued to see who ends up in Mormon...

[SweetLips]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 4:40pm

Back in the early days of J C Williamsons, they as a theatrical Company didn't 'trust' Australian performers to star in imported musicals-Mame. Hello Dolly and imported 2nd rate no-name artists from America,

It wasn't until Nancye Hayes [still performing and directing] [Sweet Charity] and Jill Perryman [Funny Girl] that confidence was found and lead roles given to well deserved Australian talent.

Thanks to legend Betty Pounder who used to go to Broadway, watch the shows and come back and 're-create' all that she had seen. She worked for J C Williamsons at Her Majestys Theatre in Melbourne.

I often see local productions and just wish the world of musical theatre could be exposed to the talent that is here--Rhonda Burchmore-another amazing talent/voice but because of the size  and population of this country-there just aren't the shows for all this talent-so many have to invent their own one person show-or entertain on cruise ships.

What about Marina Prior--was busking then became our biggest star Christine in Phantom[with Anthony Warlow]

Thank goodness for The Production Company[and I was offended by the remarks of someone above] that this company has existed for 20 years-thanks to the '80yo' and her generous nature and love of musicals-that they have given work to thousands and entertained tens of thousands of patrons. If it's not for you--don't go--simple-like Andre Rieu-if you don't like his style stay away, but millions do.

So Australia does have amazing talent-just saw Singin' in the Rain and the male lead Rohan Browne should be Broadway bound[his wife Christie Whelan-Browne was an amazing Ula].

Enough rambling if you have read this far but you can see I am passionate about 'local' talent.

PS--I have also left at interval many shows-the most recent was Little Shop of Horrors-hated it.

[StephieElise]

Posted: 10/22/16 at 11:08pm

SweetLips - I do enjoy a lot of what The Production puts on. I thought their production of Chess was outstanding and loved Anything Goes, the Producers, Nice Work If You Can Get It and Curtains. However, you have to admit that as a 25 year old I am not their target audience and that they have made some casting decisions to satisfy their subscribers rather than for artistic integrity. Compare that to other small companies like Stageart (their current production of The Color Purple with a largely unknown cast is magnificent!), BlueSaint Productions (ditto their production of Violet) and Luckiest Productions (Sweet Charity was brilliant and how you could walk out of Brent Hill's performance in Little Shop is beyond me!). 

[SweetLips]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 1:10am

StephieE--Just got my tickets for Dusty--am sure you have yours-hope so as selling out.

Being so young--do you know the story and music of Dusty Springfield? If not I am sure you will have heard her songs but not know where they originally came from.

Her life story is remarkable and hopefully this will be revealed[or some of it] written by John Michael Howson.

[HopesS]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 3:00am

Lucy is the worst theater performer ever

[StephieElise]

Posted: 10/26/16 at 6:20am

SweetLips said: "StephieE--Just got my tickets for Dusty--am sure you have yours-hope so as selling out.

Being so young--do you know the story and music of Dusty Springfield? If not I am sure you will have heard her songs but not know where they originally came from.

Her life story is remarkable and hopefully this will be revealed[or some of it] written by John Michael Howson."

I sure do - front row centre! I'm a big fan of Amy so booked that one (and Curtains) right away - held off for discount tickets for Funny Girl. I'm going on one of the nights that John O'Hara is on for Todd McKenny as I love him too.

I definitely do know a lot of the songs, but none of the story, so that will all be new to me. John Michael Howson sure likes jukebox musicals based on singers doesn't he though? Shout, Dusty and now Dream Lover!