Anything Goes for Amanda Harrison

In what is sure to be a hot ticket and news that will please her multitude of die hard fans, Amanda Harrison will make her long awaited return to the stage in The Production Company’s ‘Anything Goes’ in July (20^th - 24^th).  Harrison was to play Liza Minnelli in last year’s The Boy From Oz, and withdrew due to the pregnancy of her second child.  She will play the lead role of Reno Sweeney alongside Alex Rathgerber (an absolute standout in The Boy From Oz) as Billy Crocker; and Anne Wood (Mamma Mia) as Evangeline Harcourt.  Anything Goes is one of Cole Porter’s most popular musicals and features a fine collection of standards such as ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’, ‘It’d De-Lovely’ and of course the title track.  The production will be directed and choreographed by Andrew Hallsworth (Choreographer The Boy From Oz) who will return from a current Broadway engagement.  Rising musical theatre talent Dean Bryant (Next to Normal) will co-direct.  

The 2011 season which was officially launched today also includes Kismet in August (17^th – 21^st) and the Australian Premiere of multiple TONY Award winner, Grey Gardens (25^th Nov – 4^th Dec).

Kismet stars Janet Todd (The Magic Flute), Josh Piterman (West Side Story) and double Helpmann Award winner Mitchell Butel (Avenue Q, The Venetian Twins).  The score, based on the music of Great Russian composer, Alexander Borodin, includes the songs ‘Baubles, Bangles and Beads’ and ‘Stranger in Paradise’.

Closing the season is Grey Gardens which tells the intriguing story of the Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter ‘Little’ Edie; the eccentric aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.  Once the darlings of the social set, the two women were eventually reduced to squalor, living in a home that was repeatedly cited for health code violations.   The musical, based on a 1975 television documentary of the same name, takes place in two eras; the first when the estate was in it’s prime and the second when it was rundown. In what promises to be an exciting partnership, AFI Award winner Pamela Rabe will return in the virtuoso roles of Edith Bouvier Beale and ‘Little’ Edie, and industry veteran Nancye Hayes will play the role of the aged Edith.  Roger Hodgman (Wonderful Town, Strange Bedfellows) will direct, with Kellie Dickerson (Dr.Zhivago, WICKED) as Musical Director.

2011 Season subscriptions are available on the company’s website:

http://www.theproductioncompany.com.au/subscribe

Single performance tickets will be available to purchase on Monday June 6^th on 1300 182 183, or online at http://www.theartscentre.com.au/