MEDIA KIT THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE MUSICAL RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA The world’s favourite musical has returned to Australia. The London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz had its Australian Premiere in Brisbane at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC on 4 November 2017. It will play at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney from 30 December, the Festival Theatre, Adelaide from 3 April, and the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, from 15 May. Australia’s leading musical theatre star Anthony Warlow plays The Wizard and Professor Marvel, while Lucy Durack plays Glinda the Good Witch, and Jemma Rix is The Wicked Witch of the West. Rising star Samantha Dodemaide breaks out of the chorus to wear the ruby slippers of Dorothy Gale. Eli Cooper plays the role of the Scarecrow, Alex Rathgeber is the Tin Man, and John Xintavelonis plays the Lion. The ensemble cast includes Paul Hanlon as Uncle Henry and Sophie Weiss as Auntie Em, alongside Justin Anderson, Sheridan Anderson, Lewis Beer, Shay Debney, Sage Douglas, Mikey Halcrow, Zoe Ioannou, Bree Langridge, Rubin Matters, Scott Morris, Justine Puy, Michael Roache, Mitchell Roberts, Emma Russell, Dean Schulz, Darren Tyler, Caleb Vines, Stephanie Wall and Rachael Ward. “With Anthony Warlow, Lucy Durack and Jemma Rix starring, and the extraordinary Samantha Dodemaide in her breakout role as Dorothy, we have a matchless leading cast. I can’t wait to hear Samantha sing one of the most-beloved songs of all time, Over The Rainbow,” said producer John Frost. “This beautiful, sumptuous production was a huge hit in London, and audiences enjoyed revisiting the classic story that’s universally loved.” “I’m thrilled that Lucy and Jemma will reunite to play the roles that shot them to stardom in Wicked in this new Australian tour of The Wizard of Oz. They are two remarkable and talented performers, and it will be wonderful to see them weave their magic together on stage again,” added co-producer Suzanne Jones. Developed from the ever-popular MGM screenplay, the London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz contains the beloved Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg songs from the Oscar®-winning movie score, all the favourite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The new production of The Wizard of Oz had its world premiere at The London Palladium Theatre in March 2011. After a successful West End run, the production had its North American premiere in Toronto in December 2012, and then embarked on a US tour from September 2013. The production boasts a stellar creative team: Jeremy Sams (direction), Robert Jones (set and costume design), Arlene Phillips (choreography), Hugh Vanstone (lighting design), Mick Potter (sound design), Jon Driscoll & Daniel Brodie (video/projection design), David Cullen (orchestrations) and Guy Simpson (musical supervision). “Brilliant…A ten-star production if ever there was one!” - The Sunday Telegraph "Enchanting, exciting and electrifying!!" - ETalk CTV “Over the rainbow and over the top fun! 5 stars!” - Breakfast Television Toronto Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their hearts’ desires. Watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys as you rediscover the real story of Oz in this fantastic musical treat for the whole family. wizardofozthemusical.com facebook.com/wizardofozthemusical instagram.com/yellowbrickroad twitter.com/yellowbrickroad #wizardofozAU PRODUCTION CREDITS Music Harold Arlen Lyrics E.Y. Harburg Additional Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Additional Lyrics by Tim Rice Adaptation by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams Orchestrations by David Cullen Lighting Design Hugh Vanstone Sound Design Mick Potter Choreography Arlene Phillips Scenic and Costume Design Robert Jones Director Jeremy Sams THE WIZARD OF OZ: TM & © Turner Entertainment Co. (s11) From the Book by L. Frank Baum. Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co, and presented with the permission of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures and EMI Music Publishing SEASON DETAILS SYDNEY Venue Capitol Theatre, Campbell Street, Haymarket Season 30 December – 4 February Performance Times Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Tues & Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm* Prices: From $49.90** Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 795 267 Groups 12+ call 1300 889 278 ADELAIDE Venue Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre Season From 3 April 2018 Performance Times Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm* Prices: From $59.90** Bookings: bass.net.au or 131 246 Groups 12+ 08 8205 2220 MELBOURNE Venue Regent Theatre Season From 15 May 2018 Performance Times Tues 7pm, Wed-Sat 7.30pm, Matinees Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm & 6pm* Prices: From $59.90** Bookings: ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100 Groups 12+ 1300 889 278 * Performance times vary weekly ** Transaction fees apply MEDIA ENQUIRIES: NATIONAL AND SYDNEY - IP Publicity, Ian Phipps at [email protected] or 0419 977 649 or Sharonne Lipman at [email protected] or 0466 896 650 ADELAIDE – Francesca Belperio at [email protected] or 08 8216 8699 or 0402 842 204 MELBOURNE - Kerry O’Brien Publicity at [email protected] or 0418 256 503 BIOGRAPHIES ANTHONY WARLOW AM Anthony has been thrilling audiences with his versatility from the moment he arrived on the theatrical scene. From his debut with the Australian Opera in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1980, he has left an indelible stamp on the industry both at home and abroad. Anthony’s lengthy stage credits include the Australian premiere of the National Theatre production of Guys and Dolls in 1986 in which he made his musical theatre debut as Sky Masterson, creating the role of Enjolras in the Australian production of Les Miserables (1988), and the title role of the Phantom in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (1990 and 2007-2008). In 1995 he enjoyed a joyous season as Archie Craven in Lucy Simon's The Secret Garden, and collaborated with her again in 2010 creating the role of Dr Yurii Zhivago in the Australian premiere production of Doctor Zhivago. He enjoyed two Australian tours of Annie in 2000 and 2012, seasons with Opera Australia and most recently a critically acclaimed performance as Tevye in Fiddler On The Roof. Anthony made his Broadway debut in 2013 portraying the iconic role of Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks in the 35th Anniversary production of Annie, directed by James Lapine. His performance won him several Broadway nominations, and in 2015 he was invited to return to the US to reprise his performance as Miguel De Cervantes/ Don Quixote for the Shakespeare Theatre Company of Washington production of Man of La Mancha. This performance won him the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical. Later that year Anthony replaced Kelsey Grammer in the Broadway production of Finding Neverland, playing the roles of Charles Frohman and Captain Hook. Anthony made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2013 but is no stranger to the concert platform, with performances around Australia performing with our Symphony Orchestras. His studio recordings have spanned more than 20 years and include solo albums, cast recordings and live performances in concert and with Opera Australia. He was honoured by the nation in 1990 when he was made a 'Living National Treasure', a title he wears with pride. Anthony's outstanding achievements were also acknowledged this year with his investiture as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to the performing arts. LUCY DURACK Lucy is one of Australia's most exciting leading ladies of stage and screen with a list of major roles to her credit. Lucy returns to the screen as Roxy in Sisters (Network Ten), a new series coming to Channel 10 in 2017. Recent credits include Chantelle “Tugger” Waugh in the TV series Doctor Doctor (Nine Network/Essential Media) and Katie Halloway in the feature film Now Add Honey (Gritsmill). Further screen credits include the roles of Sophie in The Letdown (Giant Dwarf/ ABC), Michelle in Upper Middle Bogan (Gristmill), Judy in Here Come The Habibs (Jungle/ Nine Network), Cherry in Goddess (The Film Company/ Wildheart Films), Nicola in The Moodys (Jungleboys/ABC), Bunny in Dripping in Chocolate (Southern Star/ UKTV), Cassie Bennett in Headland (Seven Network), and roles in All Saints, Rush and Elissa Down’s film The Dripping Tap. Originally hailing from Perth, Lucy graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre). A star of the stage, Lucy’s notable roles include Glinda the Good Witch in the original Australian cast of Wicked (GFO) and Elle Woods in Legally Blonde The Musical (GFO) for which she won both Sydney Theatre and Helpmann Awards as Best Actress in a Musical. Lucy’s other stage credits include the roles of Sybil Chase in Private Lives (Melbourne Theatre Company), Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Miss Dorothy in the Australian Premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate and Laurey in Oklahoma! (all for The Production Company) as well as Cinderella in Into The Woods (Capitol Theatre/ RGE), Rikki Rose in Respect (Jim McPherson) and Mamma Mia! (Dainty/Louise Withers) in which she understudied and performed the role of Sophie. As a voice over artist, Lucy has created a number of audiobooks, most proudly an introduction to her family story, Dame Mary Durack’s Kings In Grass Castles and most amusingly the children’s book titled Lucy The Good. Performing regularly in concert throughout Australia, some highlights have been singing the British and Australian National Anthems for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke Of Edinburgh for the state reception at Perth’s Governor’s Gardens, singing the Australian National Anthem at the AFL Grand Final, the State of Origin and the Melbourne Cup, regular appearances on Channel 9’s Carols By Candlelight and Channel 7’s Carols in The Domain, performing with the Perth and Queensland Symphony Orchestras and in the concert series Disney Under The Stars (Live Nation) and Witches with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra last year.