Musical time

It seems that Australian audiences just can’t get enough of their musicals.

The classic musical Singin’ in the Rain opens at the Arts Centre Melbourne on August 21.  Currently enjoying a sellout season in London, the Australian production is directed by Gary Young and choreographed by Kelley Abbey, with John Foreman as musical director.

The Australian cast stars Rohan Browne as the matinee idol Don Lockwood, Matt Lee as his sidekick Cosmo Brown, Alinta Chidzey as aspiring actress Kathy Selden, and Christie Whelan-Browne asLockwood’s leading lady, Lina Lamont.

With songs like "Good Morning", "Make ‘em Laugh", "All I Do is Dream of You" and, of course, "Singin’ in the Rain", this musical has all the charm, romance and glamour of a bygone Hollywood era.

Bookings/more info:  www.artscentremelbourne.com.au

From a classic to a contemporary musical, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be hitting Sydney’s Theatre Royal, October 24.  The Australian production will be directed by Roger Hodgman and choreographed by Dana Jolly, with musical direction by Guy Simpson.

Tony Sheldon returns to Australia following his huge success on the West End and Broadway in Priscilla Queen of the Desert to lead the cast as Lawrence Jameson, a suave conman who believes in tricking corrupt, rich people out of their money to finance his lavish lifestyle. The cocky small-time American hustler Freddy Benson will be played by Matt Hetherington, who won a Green Room Award for playing the same role in the Production Company’s 2010 concert presentation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Christine Colgate, the naive and wealthy American heiress who is the target for Lawrence and Freddy’s con, will be played by Amy Lehpamer (Rock of Ages, Margaret Fulton: Queen of the Dessert), while veteran actor John Wood plays Lawrence’s “bodyguard” Andre Thibault.  Two of the women conned by the pair, Muriel Eubanks and Jolene Oakes, are played by musical theatre favourites Anne Wood (Mamma Mia!, The Sound of Music) and  Katrina Retallick (The Addams Family, A Little Night Music).

Bookings:  www.ticketmaster.com.au

More info:  www.dirtyrottenscoundrels.com.au



Cast members of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Amy Lehpamer, Matt Hetherington, Katrina Retallick and Anne Wood.  Photo: Matt Watson.