Rhonda Burchmore News

The 2018 Helpmann Awards Act II tonight was a star-studded ceremony in front of a full house at the Capitol Theatre Sydney on the set of Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical. Hosts for this stellar evening were music writer Glenn A Baker AM, acclaimed choreographer Rafael Bonachela, celebrated musical theatre star and TV host David Campbell, multiple Helpmann Award winning mezzo soprano Jacqueline Dark, comedian Anne Edmonds and Olivier and Tony Award Nominee Tony Sheldon.

On Tuesday, The Brisbane Festival launched its fabulous new line-up for this year's program, including even more world premieres, big-name acts and a brand new light and laser show off of the river, which will illuminate Brisbane for the entirety of the festival celebrations. Running from the 8-29 September, the festival will feature close to 600 performances, with 100 of them being free to the public, of 70 shows across seventeen venues in Brisbane, involving more than 1000 artists and hundreds of volunteers. Not only that, but the festival will premiere eight brand new works from leading Australian company's including Legs On The Wall, Circa and Dancenorth, as well as two major music events at the Riverstage, with Ball Park Music performing on the opening night and Violent Soho on the closing night. This year, the mammoth program is divided into three distinctive acts which frame the scope of the performances with Act One revolving around the idea of gender, memory and home. Amongst these performances is Memorial, a grand theatrical experience which 'gives life to the exquisite life to each of the 215 dead soldiers named in Homer's Iliad', starring the incredible Helen Morse and a community chorus of 215 choreographed by Circa's Yaron Lifschitz, featuring a soundtrack by Golden Globe nominee Jocelyn Pook. Performances featured in the first act include Home, a piece from the United States in which a house is magically built onstage from nothing and ends in a lively house party, Queens on King, an inner-city garden soiree in which eight real-life same sex couples tie the knot in a public ceremony and LIFE the show, a world premiere by Strut & Fret which showcases the extraordinary abilities of the human body. Other headlines include tv personality Hugh Sheridan's return in the 2016 smash hit the California Crooners Club; Yothu Yindi and the Treaty Project, the return of Symphony For Me, Michael Leunig and The Camerata in Gratitude & Grief and Katie Noonan's Elixir. Act Two is made up of performances which cast the individual against the forces of society, fate and nature, including Circa's En Masse, Dancenorth's Dust and Rhonda Burchmore and Rob Mills' BANG! BANG! And, the festival's closing week includes a variety of acts such as the scary movie homage HORROR; the world premiere of The Man with The Iron Neck from Legs On the Wall and the vibrant children's opera The Owl & The Pussycat. According to Brisbane Festival Artistic Director David Berthold, "Each act has its own explosion of story, and each opens a window to the world that will entertain and enlighten. We hope this festival is altogether alluring and will bring us all together, breathing as one, as we witness artists from here and around the world working at the very limits of their imaginations to blow our minds." For the full program here: www.brisbanefestival.com.au

This year, the winners of the 2018 Helpmann Awards will be announced at two events over two big nights. Both events will be directed by one of Australia's most internationally renowned producers, Olivier and MTV Award winner, choreographer and director David Atkins OAM. This year, for the first time, the Helpmann Awards will be broadcast live across the country, exclusively on the ABC.

Director and Producer, Bonnie Lythgoe is thrilled she now has the perfect cast announcing, MELISSA TKAUTZ will play the 'Good Fairy' in SLEEPING BEAUTY - "A KNIGHT AVENGER'S TALE" when it opens at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre on 29 June playing to 8 July and then to Sydney from 13 to 22 July 2018. 

Director and Producer, Bonnie Lythgoe is thrilled to announce she has cast three of the roles to star in SLEEPING BEAUTY A KNIGHT AVENGER'S TALE when it opens at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre playing from 29 June to 8 July and then moving to Sydney's State Theatre from 13 to 22 July.

Haul out our Dolly Erect a tree before your spirits fall again Hitch up your stockings We may be rushing things so grab your Xmas balls again now!

TWISTED BROADWAY is coming back to Melbourne bigger, better and more twisted than ever at the spectacular Regent Theatre on Monday 2nd October. Due to huge demand, final tickets have just been released.

You asked for it Melbourne, and we heard you! TWISTED BROADWAY is coming back in 2017 bigger, better and more twisted than ever at the spectacular Regent Theatre on Monday 2nd October. Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster.

The concept plans for the redeveloped of Her Majesty's Theatre by local firm Cox Architecture were unveiled on stage last night at the historic theatre.   

The World Premiere of Dream Lover - The Bobby Darin Musical takes place tonight, Thursday 6 October, at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in front of a star-studded capacity audience.

BWW PHOTOS: 2016 HELPMANN AWARDS Red Carpet

This was a high camp performance, with no holds barred.

The grand opening of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2016 is, as always, the Variety Gala Performance

?Exploring what Cabaret can be is what Artistic Directors Ali McGregor and Eddie Perfect set out to explore in this year's Adelaide Cabaret Festival.  If you have a desire to dive into the unknown and find out just WHAT COMES NEXT, the 2016 program is for you! Opening tonight the 16 day spectacular features 150 performances starring more than 425 artists from Australia and worldwide all produced and presented by Adelaide Festival Centre.

Full program and tickets are on sale to subscribers from Sunday 3 April and the general public from Wednesday 6 April through BASS 131 246 or online www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au Program details are available in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival brochure, get one free by calling BASS 131 246 or log onto the Cabaret Festival website.

Join Australian singer, musician and comedienne Chelsea Plumley in a witty live musical variety show, Follow Spot, at Chapel Off Chapel in February 2016.

Arts Centre Melbourne's acclaimed daytime entertainment program Morning Melodies is pulling out even more stops for its Christmas concert this year as it celebrates 30 years of performances. The popular Christmas Melodies on 14 December will feature musical theatre star Kane Alexander, opera soprano Teresa Duddy, The Salvation Army Melbourne Staff Band and The National Boys Choir of Australia.

The Cole Porter favourite Anything Goes comes to Limelight Theatre this November and December, directed and choreographed by Terry Pirlo, with its all-singing, all-dancing tale aboard the ocean liner SS American. BroadwayWorld brings a first look at the production below!

Stage legend Rhonda Burchmore and Olympic gold medalist-turned-theatre sensation Matthew Mitcham bring the vibrancy of the Midsumma Festival to Arts Centre Melbourne's Fairfax Studio this summer.

The Production Company today announced additional performances in its season of Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman masterpiece, La Cage Aux Folles. These additional performances in the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne are on November 21 and 30 and December 2 and 7.