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WTT MARCH NEWSLETTER 💙🗞️

Hey!

We're back with our first official monthly newsletter - March 2024!


This has been a HUGE month for our Aussie theatre community meaning we have a LOT to cover, so let's get started!





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CAST ANNOUNCEMENTS

HAMILTON - Sydney Return Season


The long-awaited Australian return of HAMILTON finally announced their 2024 cast, featuring a handful of Original Australian Cast members returning as well as some extraordinary new talent.


The OG Cast returns include Jason Arrow in his "effortlessly magnetic (- The AU Review)" role as Alexander Hamilton, Callan Purcell as Aaron Burr, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Elandrah Eramiha as Peggy & Maria and Brent Hill as King George III. Tainga Savage, who was in the company of the original Australian cast, takes on the roles of Laurens/Phillip while Australian-star Vidya Makan joins the company as the role of Eliza Hamilton.


To find out the rest of the cast, CLICK HERE.

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RIDE THE CYCLONE - Australian Premiere:

Hayes Theatre Co today announced an exceptional cast for their Australian premiere of the viral musical sensation RIDE THE CYCLONE. This striking and critically acclaimed musical blends comedy and tragedy, inspiring millions of views on TikTok and becoming a social media mega-hit.


The exciting fresh young cast that will slay on stage this May comprises Natalie Abbott (Zombie! The Musical, Muriel’s Wedding) as Constance, Bailey Dunnage (RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under) as Noel, Lincoln Elliott (The Hello Girls, Sunshine Super Girl) as Mischa, Justin Gray making his professional debut as Ricky, Ava Madon (A Little Night Music, The Lucky Country) as Jane Doe, and Karis Oka (Fangirls, Six) as Ocean, with understudies Mel O’Brien (Fangirls) and Alec Steedman (Once).


Read the full article by CLICKING HERE

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THE ODD COUPLE - Australian Tour


Comedy masters Shane Jacobson and Todd McKenney are the definitive Odd Couple in Neil Simon’s Tony Award-winning comedy of friendship, divorce and misunderstandings.


Stage and screen stars Lucy Durack and Penny McNamee add to the hilarity as Cecily Pigeon and Gwendolyn Pigeon, the giggly pair of English sisters who live upstairs from Oscar. The poker loving friends of Oscar will be played by John Batchelor, Laurence Coy, Jamie Oxenbould and Anthony Taufa, with Berynn Schwerdt and Hayden Spencer as understudies. Want to check out the cast in detail? CLICK HERE!


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PREMIERES

THE LEHMAN TRILOGY - Theatre Royal, Sydney


Directed by Academy Award, Tony Award, and Golden Globe winner Sam Mendes, THE LEHMAN TRILOGY features a cast of three playing the Lehman brothers, their sons and grandsons, in an extraordinary feat of story-telling told in three parts on a single evening. Having celebrated highly lauded runs on Broadway and in London's West End, and hailed by The New York Times as 'a genuinely epic production', THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is the story of a family and a company that changed the world.


On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish - Lehman Brothers - spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history.


THE LEHMAN TRILOGY ran for 30 performances in the month of March.

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A once-in-a-lifetime magical night of musical theatre featuring Australia’s biggest stars!


Australia’s leading lady of musical theatre, Marina Prior, headlines the ultimate cast, including Silvie Paladino, of Les Miserables, Mamma, Mia, Cats, and Chess fame, Joshua Robson, fresh from his triumphant portrayal of the title role in Handa Opera’s The Phantom of the Opera on Sydney Harbour, and Australia’s very own Catherine of Aragon and Eliza Hamilton, Chloé Zuel.


This stunning 2 1/2 hour musical journey honouring theatre giants Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, features hit songs from the best-loved musicals of the twentieth century – such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Starlight Express, Aida, Chess, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Sunset Boulevard, The Phantom of the Opera and many more – will have you falling in love all over again with the songs that have been enjoyed by hundreds of millions of people all over the world.

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ZOMBIE! THE MUSICAL - Hayes Theatre Co, Sydney


Sydney, Australia. It’s the turn of the 21st century, and a dedicated community theatre troupe is frantically rehearsing in the final hours before their big opening night. Little do they know that beyond the walls of the theatre, a highly infectious disease is rapidly spreading through the city – turning its victims into full-blown zombies.

Will humanity take its final bow, or can the power of musical theatre save the friggin’ world? 


From the creator of The Lovers, this brand-new Australian musical wields a genre-blending original score and a fast-paced, farcical script that combines two of the most subtle forms of storytelling: traditional musical theatre and cult-classic zombie films. 


ZOMBIE! THE MUSICAL follows an ambitious starlet, an optimistic understudy and an ol’ hoofer (who thought she’d seen it all) as they’re faced with an impossible dilemma – what role to play in humanity’s final act? They discover that impending doom has a funny way of revealing our true character. Grab your torch, your pitchforks, and your headshot.

The apocalypse begins in 5, 6, 7, 8… 


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MAJOR SHOW OPENINGS

WICKED - Regent Theatre, Melbourne


The Broadway sensation WICKED looks at what happened in the Land of Oz… but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships… until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

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WEST SIDE STORY - Sydney Harbour, Sydney


Musical masterpiece WEST SIDE STORY exploded onto Broadway in 1957 in a sensational storm of exuberant dance and wistful romance. It was a phenomenon that never faded, “an incandescent piece of work” (The New York Times).

In 2024, the iconic musical returns to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour in an electrifying, larger-than-life staging. Experience the greatest score ever written for musical theatre, dynamic dance numbers that soar through the open air, and a love story for the ages.


It’s war on New York’s Upper West Side in this modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The Jets and the Sharks are locked in a fierce turf battle, but as the two teen gangs hurtle down a dangerous path, Tony and Maria cross enemy lines, dreaming of a time and place where they can love freely.


Leonard Bernstein’s score is punctuated with hits: ‘America’, ‘Tonight’, ‘Maria’, ‘I Feel Pretty’, and the enduring ‘Somewhere’. Opera and musical theatre great Francesca Zambello directs a production that revels in all that’s beautiful about West Side Story, with designers Brian Thomson and Jennifer Irwin transforming Sydney into a slice of New York.

See why this staging became the highestselling ever on the harbour-top stage, delighting audiences and critics.


If you’ve never been to Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, prepare for a remarkable night out. Arrive early to enjoy the sun setting over Sydney Harbour as you raise a glass and drink in the view at one of the five pop-up bars and restaurants on site. Then take your place in the grandstand by the water to enjoy the enthralling show, complete with live orchestra hidden beneath the dramatic stage and fireworks in the balmy night air.

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GREASE - Capitol Theatre, Sydney


It’s the one that you want, Australia!

GREASE is back in an all-new production that promises to be slicker, sexier, and more electrifying than ever before. It’s one of the world’s most iconic and loved musicals and nothing beats the feeling you get, going back to Rydell High. Danny, Sandy, Kenickie, Rizzo and the whole gang are back to give you a night out, like only GREASE can.


Witness rising stars Joseph Spanti (Danny) and Annelise Hall (Sandy) take on two of the most iconic roles and light up the stage alongside an all-star cast.

Australia’s own Patti Newton will be ringing the school bell as the much-loved Miss Lynch, Jay Laga’aia is set to sizzle as Vince Fontaine and the incomparable Marcia Hines will bring Teen Angel to life in this multi-million-dollar production.


A medley of unforgettable hits that defined a generation make GREASE the ultimate and original party musical! Summer Nights, Sandy, Hopelessly Devoted to You, You’re The One That I Want, Greased Lightnin’, and Grease is the Word. There’s a reason this soundtrack will never go out of style.


GREASE is more than a musical; it’s a joyous celebration that creates an atmosphere in the theatre like nothing else. Get ready to be transported to a world of high school romance, unforgettable music, and pure, unadulterated fun!

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& JULIET - Lyric Theatre, Sydney


What if Romeo’s ending, was Juliet’s beginning?

The Emmy-winning writer from Schitt’s Creek flips the script on Shakespeare in this hilarious and poignant story of self-discovery and second chances. Legendary songwriter; Max Martin delivers one of the most addictive and joyous soundtracks to ever hit the stage, in this inspiring new musical that proves there’s life after Romeo.


After premiering on the West End and earning a staggering 8 x Olivier Awards nominations, & JULIET has also been one of the most unexpected and spectacular theatrical triumphs on Broadway, with Forbes Magazine boldly saying: “This is easily the best musical of the year”.


Alongside this laugh-out-loud and heart-warming story, comes a playlist of songs that is truly second to none in the world of pop music including, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Since U Been Gone’, Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’, Britney Spears’ ‘…Baby One More Time’, Backstreet Boys’ ‘Larger Than Life’, Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ and much more! & JULIET creates a mind-blowing concert-like atmosphere that Broadway World said: “Will blow your mind. It’s the pop musical we’ve been waiting for”.


& JULIET is directed by the incomparable Luke Sheppard with electrifying choreography from Jennifer Weber and stunning set design from Soutra Gilmour.


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THEATRE NEWS

WICKED TOURING TO BRISBANE


From September 12th, the current Australian tour of the Broadway-hit WICKED will make its way to Brisbane!

Hitting the 'Lyric Theatre, QPAC', WICKED THE MUSICAL will be in Brisbane for just over a month, closing on the 20th October.


Todd McKenny will return to his role of 'The Wizard' for this season, taking back over from Simon Burke who is starring in the role for the Melbourne season in place of Todd while he performs in THE ODD COUPLE.



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WE TALK THEATRE NEWS

ANDY KARL & ELISE MCCANN INTERVIEW


We had the privilege of seeing the current Melbourne production of GROUNDHOG DAY, and after the show we got the chance to quickly chat to stars Andy Karl (Phil Connors) & Elise McCann (Rita Hanson).


Watch the 60-second clip here - www.tiktok.com/@wetalktheatre


NEW WEBSITE

The new WTT website is finally live! Well, you obviously know this because you're on it now. But go have a look around! On the home page you can check out all the major productions we have collaborated/worked with. You can also see the team behind WTT & all our reviews and theatre news posts!


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And that's it! The first official WE TALK THEATRE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER is here! We apologise for the delay, Wix was not happy about the size of the newsletter so It took over a week to actually get it finished and live.


Stay tuned for the April newsletter coming in a few weeks.

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Written by Seb Smee

Produced by We Talk Theatre

 
 
 

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