The Production Company in 2017

by Julie Houghton
by Julie Houghton

Now in its 19th year of bringing musical delights to Melbourne audiences, The Production Company’s 2017 season is an eclectic one. We have a popular traditional musical in Hello Dolly! a rarely-performed classic in Brigadoon, and a rock musical revival with Jesus Christ Super Star. Definitely a case of something for everyone!

The 2017 season kicks off on 27 May at the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne with Jerry Herman’s Hello Dolly!  Marina Prior is champing at the bit to get her teeth into this marvellous role, and judging from her cameo performance of it yesterday’s launch, it’s going to be an excellent match. Playing her hard-to-get swain Horace is her real-life husband, comic king Grant Piro, (so at least getting time to rehearse shouldn’t be a problem!) Gary Young will direct, with Vanessa Scammell in charge of the music.

Something that could be a good one to bring the Millennials into the theatre, as well as attracting nostalgic baby boomers is the July production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice hit, Jesus Christ Super Star. Opening on July 29 at the State Theatre, it features charismatic newcomer to the Production Company, Zoy Frangos as Judas, with successful pop reality TV graduate Rob Mills as Jesus. Many readers will have seen fine performances from Mills in the musicals Ghost and Wicked. Production Company favourite Alinta Chidzey is Mary Magdalene. Star director Gale Edwards is at the helm of this one, along with Anthony Gabrielle as musical director.

And a visit to the town that only appears once every hundred years completes the season. Brigadoon features the excellent triple threat Rohan Browne as Tommy, matching him with emerging talent Genevieve Kingsford as Fiona. Matilda’s Miss Honey, Elise McCann will play Meg Brockie while Australian stage living treasure Nancye Hayes will be matriarch Mrs Forsythe. Gary Young directs, with Michael Tyack as musical director. Brigadoon opens at the State Theatre on October 28.

This looks like another fun season from a company that remains determined to provide work for our great Australian music theatre performers, and to widen our choice of musical theatre delights for yet another year. You can find all the details here.

Julie Houghton is an actor, broadcaster and journalist, specialising in voicework. She is a professional narrator at Vision Australia, and has worked in professional live shows. She was an ABC Radio and Television News reporter before becoming a producer and later an ABC announcer. Currently, she is an arts reviewer/commentator on 3MBS Classically Melbourne.