Wicked cast to perform at Light The Night

The upcoming Light The Night charity concert has been bolstered with news that Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack will perform at the event on November 10.

Harrison and Durack are currently starring in the blockbuster musical Wicked and will be joined at Light The Night by fellow cast members Anthony Callea, Penny McNamee and Maggie Kirkpatrick.

Now in its fourth year, Light The Night has become an extremely popular annual concert, raising funds for leukaemia research and the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.

Amanda, Lucy, Anthony, Penny and Maggie will join other performers giving freely of their time for this worthy cause. Those already confirmed are singer/songwriter Lior, country stunners the McClymonts, television and musical star Tim Campbell, the inimitable Maria Venuti, jazz star Emma Pask with Phil Stack, All Saints actor Virginia Gay, winner of the 2008 AussieTheatre.com Rising Star competition Erin Cornell, and musical theatre divas Margi de Ferranti, Emma Powell and Francesca Arena.

Light The Night is inspired by Matthew Rennie, a brave young man who fought a three year battle against leukaemia. Unfortunately Matthew passed away in late October last year, shortly before the 2007 concert. Light the Night was created by Matthew’s two brothers, musical theatre performers Shaun Rennie and Adam Rennie, and friends Monica Smith and Greg Smith.

Light The Night 2008 will be held at the City Recital Hall in Sydney at 7.30pm on November 10. Bookings: (02) 8256 2222.

Aussietheatre.com

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Wicked girls score top gig

Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack will perform the National Anthem at this year's AFL Grand Final, one of world sport's biggest events.

The Grand Final on September 27 will be watched by almost 99,000 people at the ground, an Australian television audience of 4.3 million, and another 120 million viewers internationally.

Harrison and Durack, who star in the smash hit musical Wicked, say they are thrilled with the honour.

"The MCG on Grand Final Day, what a stage!," Harrison said.

Durack added: "What an audience – around 125 million!’ And above all, what a privilege!"

John Frost, Wicked's co-producer, said he was thrilled when the AFL invited the girls to sing the Anthem.

"Amanda and Lucy sing together in Wicked, and bring the house down, but they’ll never have a duet to match this," he said. "I think it’s every Australian performer's private dream: singing the Anthem, hearing the roar of 100,000 and taking the bows before the bounce of the ball for our biggest sporting event.

"Wicked is playing to sell out audiences at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. And at the MCG there won’t be a seat unsold. Showbusiness and Australian footy – there’s no business like them!"

Harrison and Durack follow a long line of distinguished artists who have sung the National Anthem at the Grand Final, among them Peter Allen (1980); Rolf Harris (1982); Olivia Newton-John (1986); Archie Roach and Yothu Yindi (1993); Tina Turner (1995); Julie Anthony and INXS (2001); Killing Heidi (2002); Christine Anu (2003); Guy Sebastian (2004); Delta Goodrem and Michael Buble (2005); Irena Cara and John Paul Young (2006): and, last year, Jet and Natalie Bassingthwaite.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said: "The AFL is delighted and honoured to have Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack as part of the 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final to perform the National Anthem. Amanda and Lucy have been the stars of Australian theatre in 2008 with their roles in Wicked and we are extremely pleased to be able to bring our country’s finest stage talent to the biggest sporting event on the Australian calendar."

The Grand Final will be broadcast live on free-to-air television.

Aussietheatre.com

Will Poppins delay opening to avoid clash?

The forthcoming production of Mary Poppins may delay its opening to avoid a potentially dangerous clash with runaway hit Wicked in Sydney, sources close to the production say.

Mary Poppins is expected to open at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney in October 2009 but a clash with Wicked could prove disastrous. Wicked, which opened in Melbourne in July, is doing big business at the box office and has exceeded all expectations.

If Wicked lasts 14 months in Melbourne - which is said to be the current theory - it would move to Sydney's Lyric Theatre as early as late September 2009 and would be open for just a matter of weeks before Mary Poppins commenced performances.

While there is little doubt Mary Poppins will be a major success - particularly with families - it would be dangerous to run two mammoth musicals in the one city at the same time.

It is understood that the producers of Mary Poppins are in the very least considering putting off their opening for several months until the excitement surrounding Wicked dies down.

Wicked producers have never confirmed a Sydney season, instead promoting the Melbourne run across the country in an attempt to lure the tourist market.

Aussietheatre.com