HOLD ME CLOSER, LOGIES DANCER with Blake Erickson Set for Hayes Theatre Co., 3/16-30

Neil Gooding Productions and Hayes Theatre Co presents, Hold Me Closer, Logies Dancer starring Blake Erickson, as part of its Cabaret in Residence at the Hayes Theatre Co on every Sunday from March 16 - March 30.

Hold Me Closer, Logies Dancer tells the story of a young boy's journey from delusional weirdo to eccentric man-child as he pursues his life-long ambition of becoming a backup dancer at the TV Week Logie Awards. It is 1994, blessed with a unique mix of stupidity and confidence, 8 year-old Blake Erickson sits eating a block of cheese and watching the Logies on his living room floor. Opening the show with a spectacular 'robot' dance number, the famed Logies Dancers gyrate and high-kick their way into his imagination, sparking a paradigm shift and changing the course of his life forever. Hold Me Closer, Logies Dancer is a hilarious exploration of how the dreams of our childhood endure and shape the grown-ups we one day hope to become. Featuring music from John Bucchino (It's Only Life), Stephen Sondheim (Merrily We Roll Along), Cole Porter (Anything Goes), and Hunter Bell & Jeff Bowen ([title of show], Now. Here. This.) and many more. "To an eight year old boy, the 1994 Logie awards were a revelation. Bright lights, terrible costumes, the cast of 'Heartbreak High' doing a robot dance to herald the arrival of Ray Martin. I cannot overstate the impact this had on me. I'd always shied away from cabaret, I wanted to wait until I had something to say. With this show I have an opportunity to reflect on my life as a 90's child blessed with a perfect mix of confidence and stupidity who set out to fulfil his dream of becoming a backup dancer at the Logie awards. The show features an eclectic mix of songs that have meant a great deal to me, from composers such as Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Lo-Tel, and Glen Frey," said Blake Erickson. Best known for his long-running collaboration with Squabbalogic Independent Music Theatre ([title of show], A New Brain, Forbidden Broadway), Blake Erickson won Best Actor at the Sydney Fringe Festival for his performance in the title role of the one-man show Pearls Before Swine: An Evening With Orson Welles, which toured nationally. Blake was a finalist at the Sydney Cabaret Showcase and has worked extensively in concert and in musical theatre, most recently appearing in the new Australian/US musical, Atomic.

Hayes Theatre Co is a dedicated music theatre and cabaret venue in Potts Point which was formerly the home of the Darlinghurst Theatre Company. Named for Australian musical theatre legend, Nancye Hayes OAM, Hayes Theatre Co honours and builds on the vast history of Australian Musical Theatre and its practitioners. This not-for-profit venue is managedby Independent Music Theatre, a collaborative partnership focusing on providing a permanent home for small-scale musical theatre and cabaret. By providing venue space to newly mounted productions, Hayes Theatre Co, will be a presenting partner together with independent producers and artists.HayesTheatre Co is made possible through the City of Sydney's Accommodation Grant Program

Erickson has a mellifluous voice and natural gravitas. Sydney Morning Herald A charismatic and engrossing performer. Australian Stage His innate sense of emotional and comic timing both is what sets him apart from a good deal of actors on Sydney stages; Erickson understands his characters and represents them with skilful honestly. Aussietheatrewww.hayestheatre.com.au Hayes Theatre Co, 19 Greenknowe Ave Potts Point Dates: Every Sunday from March 16 - March 30 Times: Every Sunday at 7:30pm Tickets: All tickets $30* Bookings: www.hayestheatre.com.au or phone 02 8065 7337 *including booking fees.