01 August 2012
Two of the world's greatest living actors— five-time Tony Award® and three-time Academy Award® nominee Angela Lansbury and two-time Tony Award® winner and Academy Award® winner James Earl Jones —are coming together in Brisbane in Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic play Driving Miss Daisy. It was announced today by Events Queensland and Australian theatre producer John Frost that Driving Miss Daisy will play an exclusive Australian season at the Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane from February 5, 2013.
A timeless American play, which inspired the beloved Academy Award®-winning film, Driving Miss Daisy tells the affecting story of the decades-long relationship between an elderly Southern Jewish woman, Daisy Werthan, and her compassionate African- American chauffeur, Hoke Colburn. Their iconic tale of pride, changing times and the transformative power of friendship has warmed the hearts of millions worldwide. Driving Miss Daisy has recently played sell-out seasons on Broadway and in the West End, directed by David Esbjornson and featuring James Earl Jones. Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones have most recently been performing together in the Broadway production of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man.
Queensland Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Jann Stuckey, said the production was another great win for Brisbane – adding to an impressive and growing arts and cultural event calendar. “To host the Australian premiere of Driving Miss Daisy is a fantastic coup for Queensland – shining an international spotlight on Brisbane as a world-class cultural centre and leading event destination,” said Ms Stuckey. “We anticipate it will attract more than 15,000 people through the doors of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC); with 24 performances delivering an estimated economic boost of $2.23 million.”
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Australian audiences to see two of the finest actors in the world today,” said John Frost. “Driving Miss Daisy has proved to be one of the most enduring and popular stage plays of our time, and we’re lucky enough to have assembled a cast of Broadway and Hollywood royalty. Rarely in our lifetime do we get to see such experience, such talent, such life on an Australian stage. As the New York and London reviews have said; race, don’t walk to get a ticket, as Driving Miss Daisy is unmissable!”
Angela Lansbury has garnered many of the industry’s top awards in film, theatre and television in a career that has now spanned seven decades. Nominated for three Oscars including one for her feature film debut in Gaslight (1944), she has continued to build a dazzling and varied body of work on film (The Manchurian Candidate, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Disney's Beauty and the Beast), television (Murder She
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Wrote, Law and Order) and stage (Mame, Dear World, Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, Blythe Spirit, A Little Night Music, Hamlet, All Over).
James Earl Jones’s voice is known by people of all ages and walks of life – the Star Wars fans who know him as the voice of Darth Vader, children who know him as Mufasa from Disney’s The Lion King. Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957, and has conquered Shakespeare (Othello, Macbeth, King Lear) as well as stage classics (The Iceman Cometh, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, On Golden Pond), film (Dr. Strangelove, The Hunt for Red October, Cry the Beloved Country, Field of Dreams) and television (Roots: The Next Generation, Two and a Half Men, House). This year he was honoured with an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of his long and distinguished career.
Events Queensland is proud to be a presenting partner of Driving Miss Daisy.
“A Perfect night on Broadway. This production is so rich and real. It's as fine a production as I can imagine. James Earl Jones is giving a performance that is going to be talked about of the rest of his life … Boyd Gaines is one of the best stage actors we have. If you want to know what Star Quality means, this is it. Tickets are going to be hard to obtain, so do whatever you have to do to get one.” - Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
“This enchanting revival is the best theater can be. Alfred Uhry’s play is absolutely honest and beautifully written about real people learning as they live, caught on the wing by an author who has something very human to say. The acting is simply superb.” - John Simon, Bloomberg News
“Well-crafted, funny and moving! This gilded revival of Driving Miss Daisy is Broadway's Lexus. A smooth, classy ride! The acting is fantastic! ….. Esbjornson's staging is stunning; it brings a tear to even a hardened theater reviewer's eye.” - Jesse Oxfeld, The New York Observer www.daisyonstage.com.au
Playhouse, QPAC, Brisbane Season: From Tuesday 5 February 2013 Opening Night: Saturday 9 February 2013 Performance Times: Tues 7pm, Wed–Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm & Sun 3pm Price: From $79.90 Bookings: qpac.com.au or phone 136246 Groups of 12 or more A Reserve (excluding Sat nights) phone 07 3840 7466 VIP, Premium & Travel Ticket Packages visit showbiz.com.au or 1300 4 SHOWS
TICKETS ON SALE 13 AUGUST 2012
Please note media can access headshot cast images, media release kit pdf, preview video and password details for the media FTP where there will be broadcast quality of the video via the following link: http://www.daisyonstage.com.au/media/images.html
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Media enquiries, please contact: National – Ian Phipps, IP Publicity, at [email protected] or 0419 977 649 Brisbane - Cindy Ullrich, Publicity Manager, QPAC, [email protected] or 07 3840 7589/ 0434 366 038