Annie Aitken News

The Committee for the Rob Guest Endowment, one of Australia's most exciting scholarship programs providing financial assistance and industry support to the next generation of musical theatre stars, today announced major changes to the Endowment. The winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Award will now be awarded a $50,000 prize along with the coveted RGE Trophy, making the award the largest single Musical Theatre scholarship in Australia. Melbourne's East End Theatre District Artist Development award will also be increased to a $10,000 cash prize. The competition will now be offered biennially with the next Endowment in 2020 boasting a total prize pool of over $75,000.

The 2019 Helpmann Awards Act II tonight was a star studded black-tie gala event hosted by the fabulous dynamic duo of comedian, writer and actor, Susie Youssef, and Artistic Director of State Theatre SA, Mitchell Butel.

This year, for the very first time, 43 Helpmann Awards are being presented across two nights and two events in Melbourne, at the Victorian home of the performing arts, Arts Centre Melbourne.

Live Performance Australia (LPA) today announced a very special addition to the 2019 Helpmann Awards at Arts Centre Melbourne.

Thoroughly Modern Millie opens in Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre on August 3 for a season of 11 performances.

We are pleased to announce the winners for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Sydney Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and voted on by you - the local theatergoers!

It's the last week to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Australia - Sydney Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Australia - Sydney Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Australia - Sydney Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Australia - Sydney Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Australia - Sydney Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

The winner of the 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award was announced tonight at the conclusion of the Grand Final Event held at Sydney's Capitol Theatre. Competing against five other outstanding Semi-Finalists, Annie Aitken (Melba, Muriel's Wedding) took out the prestigious award after being chosen by an expert panel of judges, which comprised Kellie Dickerson, Jason Langley, Sharon Millerchip and Guy Simpson.

The Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sydney Youth Orchestra and a stellar cast of performers join to present a wonderful expression of Leonard Bernstein's CANDIDE under the baton of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Artistic and Music Director Brett Weymark and theatrical direction by Mitchell Butel. 

The Rob Guest Endowment is delighted to announce the 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Finalists. Competing against over 200 applicants, six outstanding artists were chosen by an expert panel of judges, which included Dave Skelton, Kellie Dickerson and Chris Parker.

Explore the music of Leonard Bernstein's Candide and take a sneak peek behind the curtain at the stars of the show in rehearsal!

Earlier this month, the Rob Guest Endowment held auditions in Melbourne and Sydney to search for this year's winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Award. After careful consideration, the 30 Semi-Finalists for the 2018 Rob Guest Endowment Award were chosen and announced today.

Explore the music of Leonard Bernstein's Candide and take a sneak peek behind the curtain at the stars of the show in rehearsal!

Join Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for the highlight of their 2018 season, a rare concert performance of Leonard Bernstein's genius musical comedy masterwork, Candide, performed by an all-star Australian cast including Caroline O'Connor, Alexander Lewis, Phillip Scott, Annie Aitken and Kanen Breen.

2018 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein. Sydney Philharmonia Choirs will acknowledge thissignificant anniversary by participating in the global celebrations to honour Bernstein's legacy, with two planned performances of the choral masterpiece, Candide (1956) on Saturday 29th September and Sunday 30th September 2018 at the Sydney Opera House.

Here comes the bride! Muriel's Wedding The Musical original cast recording is out now through Sony Music Entertainment Australia.