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

Oh and I am currentley uploading videos for the Video Archive, creating a layout for the forum, uploading pics to the gallery and finishing updating every page, including bios and linking everything up together, please bare with me as this is a school project and its taking sooo long to be able to do stuff on it!! If you would like to donate pics from other productions that you have seen or merchandise or anything including videos, please send them to admin.wickedaustraliafans@inbox.com, all donations are welcome and you will be credited highly, thank you in advance for all your donations

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

Wicked gets Blitzed

Blockbuster musical Wicked will feature in an episode of the hit Channel Nine reality series Domestic Blitz on Sunday night, focused on the senseless attack on Sydney woman Lauren Huxley.

Huxley was bashed, set alight and left for dead in her home in November 2005 and her story and brave recovery has inspired tens of thousands of people across the country.

This Sunday's episode of Domestic Blitz details the extraordinary resilience of Lauren and her family and provides them with a little well-deserved joy.

Wicked, which opened at the Regent Theatre in July and has been a major success story, plays a big part in the episode.Domestic Blitz airs at 6.30pm on Sunday on Channel Nine.

Aussietheatre.com

Wicked Australia Trailer

Here is the Wicked Australia Trailer








Wicked Australia Trailer
Description: Wicked Australia Trailer for Melbourne 2008
Time: 32 secs
Size: 1.23 MB
Type: FLV
[YOUTUBE] [DOWNLOAD]

Wicked cast at Hats Off

Cast members of the smash hit musical Wicked, which is currently playing at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, will be amongst those performing at Hats Off, to be staged in Melbourne on September 7.

Presented by Oz Showbiz Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (OSCEFA), Hats Off has become an annual concert institution in the diaries of Melbourne’s theatre and cabaret regulars.

In 2008 OSCEFA is donating funds raised through Hats Off to the Sister Rose Papua New Guinea Project which runs an orphanage and respite care centre for people living with HIV/AIDS. In 2004 Papua New Guinea became the fourth country in the Asia Pacific region to declare an HIV/AIDS epidemic. By 2006, a total of 18,484 people had been diagnosed with HIV in Papua New Guinea. By 2025, half a million people will be living with HIV/AIDS, and 117,000 children will have lost their mothers to the preventable disease.

OSCEFA is proud to support the Sister Rose Papua New Guinea Project in its ongoing care for HIV/AIDS affected orphans and those in desperate need of respite care. Sister Rose aims to change the fearful attitude toward HIV/AIDS with one of acceptance and education. “We are trying to get people to understand this is a sickness like any other, that it can be treated, and that those who have it can lead normal lives,” she said. While there is no cure for the virus, her program aims to combat prejudice against the disease through prevention programs and safe-sex education.

As well as cast members from Wicked, next month's event will also feature Tracy Bartram, Debra Byrne, Paul Capsis, Tania Doko, iOTA, Dave O’Neil, Marty Fields, Alan Fletcher, David Harris, Matt Hetherington, Wayne-Scott Kermond, Warren Kermond and Zan Kermond, Melissa Langton and Mark Jones, Dean Lotherington, Shaun Murphy and Anne Wood, Lisa-Marie Charalambous and Chris Parker, Anne Phelan, Chelsea Plumley, David Rogers-Smith, The Ross Skiffington Grand Magic Company, The Classics, Espero Vocal Ensemble, the Hats Off Dancers and more.

Hats Off 2008 is being held at the National Theatre. Bookings: 132 849.

Wicked TV special to air

The Seven Network will air a special behind the scenes look at the blockbuster musical Wicked this weekend, but only into Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Other states will miss out on the 30 minute special, which will be hosted by Rob Guest.

Wicked has been the talk of theatre circles since its glamorous opening night in Melbourne last month. It is one of the most expensive productions ever staged in Australia but producers look set to recoup their investment, with the show breaking box office records.Behind The Scenes Of Wicked airs in Victoria on Channel Seven at 5:00pm on Saturday.

Aussietheatre.com