MARCHI APRIL, 1987 Vol. II No 2 ISSN 0314 - 0598 A publication of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust· Sugar Babies - The Quintessential Burlesque Show personality and his own jokes. Not all the companies, however, lived up to the audience's expectations; the comedians were not always brilliant and witty, the girls weren't always beautiful. This pr'oved to be Ralph Allen's inspiration for SUGAR BABIES. "During the course of my research, one question kept recurring. Why not create a quintessen­ tial Burlesque Show out of authentic materials - a show of shows as I have played it so often in the theatre of my mind? After all, in a theatre of the mind, nothing ever disappoints. " After running for seven years in America - both in New York and on tour - the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust will mount SUGAR BABIES in Australia, opening in Sydney at Her Majesty's Theatre on October 30. In February it will move to Melbourne and other cities, including Adelaide, Perth and Auckland. The tour is expected to last about 39 weeks. Eddie Bracken, who is coming from the USA to star in the role of 1st comic in SUGAR BABlES, received rave reviews from critics in the USA. "Bracken, with his rolling eyes, rubber face and delightful slow burns, is the consummate performer, " said Jim Arpy in the Quad City Times. Since his debut in 1931 on Broadway, Bracken has appeared in Sugar Babies from the original New York production countless movies and stage shows. Garry McDonald will bring back to life one of SUGAR BABIES, conceived by Harry Rigby, happened to be at the con­ Australia's greatest comics by playing his , Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby ference and suggested that the material be role as "Mo" (Roy Rene). Directed and choreographed by Ernest developed into a "quintessential bur­ Joan Brokenshire will be the radiant Flatt lesque show". female star and Peter Regan, Rhonda Music by Jimmy McHugh Not too many people these days are Burchmore, Marty Coffey and Barry Rugg­ familiar with burlesque which had its less lead the supporting cast. Musical direction by Dale Ringland There will be TWO special nights for Scenery and costumes by Raoul Pene du heyday between 1905 and 1930. It had a Trust members - Monday June I and Tues­ Bois language and stylised format all of its day June 2. Members may purchase as Starn·ng Eddie Bracken, Garry own. In the first three decades of this cen­ many tickets as they wish at a very special McDonald, Peter Regan and Joan tury, there were more than 80 burlesque discount price. See page 3 for details. Brokenshire shows touring the two American circuits, Lyric Theatre as well as many stock troupes. There was no stripping, but lots of innuendo, high kicking and titillation. Spectacular dance BOOKING INFORMATION he final, definitive statem~nt on the sequences were interspersed with comedy Season begins Thursday May 28 T wonderful world of burlesque, sketches involving a variety of stock Mon to Sat at 7.30 p.m. characters - I st comic, 2nd comic, Mats Wed 10.30 a.m. Sat 2.00 p.m. SUGAR BABIES, had an unlikely begin­ AETT $24.90 (except Sat eve) ning. It grew out of a scholarly paper straight man, juvenile, soubrette. The $20.90 (June I & 2 only) presented at a conference of theatre outlines of the comedy routine were also G.P. $29.90 historians in New York by Professor standard - the restaurant scene, hotel Stu/ Pen $18.90 Ralph G. Allen who had compiled it with scene, schoolroom scene and courtroom Two AETT tickets per member. the help of a grant. Broadway producer, scene but each comic put into it his own 2 At the end ofthe school year a perform­ The capital city of OZ ance of A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to the final curtain and the Christ­ EMERALD CITY mas holidays begin. by David Williamson But the Shakespearean themes of suf­ Directed by Gregory Gesch fering, regeneration ~nd reconciliation Designed by Broce Auld continue to haunt the lIves of players and Suncorp Theatre audience alike. Three Australian families set off to the HIS latest play by Australia's most Miles and Celia in play three ojaJour play successful playwright will have been Gold Coast - the headmaster and his wife T series, Intimate Exchanges, A CRICKET are headed for a lUXUry hotel, another seen by Australian audiences in almost all MATCH. capital cities by the end of this year. couple with their schoolgirl daughter, to a caravan park, and the third, an English Audience acceptance and recogmtIon For instance, depending on whether or of Williamson's characters and scenarios migrant couple, to a campsite. not Celia Teasdale decides to have a In The Australian the critics said is such that major companies place a new cigarette in the first five seconds, several work in their production schedules almost "Hard to fault - fascinating, exciting, people are divorced, start affairs, have crt;g; and believable. .. before it is completed. .. children, die or live happily ever after. Williamson is an entertammg WrIter - Always entertaining, often very funny, no matter how serious his subject, he the playwright has two possible endings BOOKING INFORMATION Thu May 7 to Sat June 13 makes us laugh at ourselves - our Aus­ for each play and leaves final decisions to tralian selves - and he rarely lectures. Wed to Sat at 8.15 p.m. Tue at 6.00 p.m. the audience. Wed at 10.30 a.m. & Sat at 2.00 p.m. EMERALD CITY is Sydney and the Alan Ayckbourn is one of Britain's bare bones of the story are the problems of AETT $11.90 most successful playwrights - he now sur­ G.P. $17.50 a Melbourne teacher, now successful passes Shakespeare as the most per­ Stu/Pen $12.50 script writer, who has moved to Sydney formed playwright in England. Two AETT tickets per member. accompanied unwillingly by his wife. The imaginative play within a play The film industry makes a good back­ CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL is cur­ ground, there are tantalisi.ngly auto­ rently enjoying a most successful season Double ballet bill biographical parallels and BrIsbane aud­ by the Royal Queensland Theatre Com­ LEPAPILLON iences will assuredly enjoy EMERALD pany at the Suncorp Theatre. CITY as much as they did SONS OF Choreography by Harold Collins CAIN by the same author last year. Music by Jacques Offenbach BOOKING INFORMATION Design/direction by Da~id Be{1 Season begins Tue Mar 3 Lighting design by DaVid Whilworth BOOKING INFORMATION Tue to Sat at 8.00 p.m. SAVAGE EARTH Thu Mar 26 to Sat Apr II Sun at 6.00 p.m. Choreography by Pamela Buckman Wed to Sat at 8.00 p.m. Tue at 6.00 Mat Sat 2.00 p.m., Wed 11.00 a.m. p.m. Mat Wed at 10.30 a.m. , Sat at AETT $13.90 (except Fri& Sat Music by Peter Sculthorpe 2.00 p.m. eve) Design by Michael Pea~ce . AETT $11.90 G.P. $18.90(Fri & Sat eve) Lighting design by Davtd Whttworth G.P. $20.00 $16.90 The Lyric Theatre Pen/Stu $15.00 $14.90 Wed Mat Two AETT tickets per member. Stu/Pen $12.90 (except Fri & Sat N exciting double programme of eve) dramatic works opens The Queens­ $ 9.90 Wed Mat A Two AETT tickets per member. land Ballet account for 1987. One of Aus­ An Ayckbourn quartet tralia's most dynamic classically based AFF AIRS IN A TENT dance companies, The Queensland Ballet INTIMATE EXCHANGES Tue Mar 3 to Sun Mar 8 regularly wins enthusiastic reviews. by Alan Ayckbourn Tue Mar 31 to Sun Apr 5 LE PAPILLON is an enchanting story An Ensemble Theatre Production of a beautiful girl who, after being trans­ Directed by Sandra Bates A CRICKET MATCH formed into a butterfly is tragically con­ Tue Mar 10 to Sun Mar 15 sumed by the mesmerising flames of love. Designed by Tom Bannerman Tue Apr 7 to Sun Apr 12 Starring Gil!ian AXlell and Brian With Offenbach's sparkling music and i Young A GARDEN FETE popular ballerina Rosetta Cook dancing Twelfth Night Theatre Tue Mar 10 to Sun Mar 15 the role of Le Papillon, this ballet has Tue Apr 14 to Sun Apr 19 proved to be a great favourite with aud­ OLLOWING a five month Sydney iences wherever it has been performed. season playing to capacity houses, A ONE MAN PROTEST F Tue Mar 17 to Sun Mar 22 INTIMATE EXCHANGES offers Tue Apr 21 to Sun Apr 26 Brisbane audiences a chance to see the virtuoso performances by Gillian Axtell and Brian Young in this series of four Family contrasts separate but related plays. It is a saga centred on the lives of head­ AWAY by Michael Gow master Toley and his wife Celia. Each Directed bl' Babs McMillan play starts from the same part but quickly Designed by Bruce Auld changes direction as the characters (all Cremorne Theatre played by the same two actors) make small but seemingly inconsequential deci­ REMIERED in Sydney at the be­ sions: but as in life these decisions can P ginning of last year AWAY is the Dianne SLOrer( Le Papillon) and Benita have a dramatic impact on the life of latest success of Michael Gow, winner of Whalley (Hamza)Jrom The Queensland everyone around. the 1986 Writers' Fellowship. Ballet's LE PAPILLON 3 The Australian said of its 1983 pre­ ney's cartoon characters and you have the season continues to Saturday, March 28.