Cabaret and Witches of Eastwick update

[Talissa]

I saw this at www.theatrepeople.com.au

Half-way through CABARET's Brisbane season, Rachael Beck will take over the role of Sally Bowles from Lisa McCune. Then when the show transfers to Perth, Beck will be joined by her SINGIN' IN THE RAIN co-star Todd McKenney who will take over the role of the MC for the rest of the Australian tour.

After nearly two years in MAMMA MIA!, Rhonda Burchmore will leave the show and will be replaced by Angela Toohey who was last seen in THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK. Angela will take over the role of Tanya during the Sydney season and will continue to play the role for the rest of the tour.

It'd be interesting to hear how Rachel Beck goes as Sally.

~Julia

[Tinechorwen]

Yeah...I saw her (as you already know Julia) in singing in the rain. We had to do a drama critique on it and my drama teacher absolutely ripped her performance apart, but I actually thought she was good. She has a decent voice and she certainly can dance.

Is Marina Prior and that dude from Good new week, argh...what's his name? Well, those two..are they still in Witches of Eastwick? Saw an interview on Rove....go rove.

[Talissa]

Do you think Rachel will be able to play the right type of character for Sally? I remember when I heard about Lisa getting the role, I thought she'd be too sweet for it. I wish I'd gone to see it now.

That'd be Paul McDermott. I think Witches of Eastwick has finished (correct me if I'm wrong), but I'm pretty sure they were in it until the end. I heard that at the moment Marina Prior is doing a non-musical play called Noises Off. I would have liked to see it, but I'm going to see The Last Five Years instead.

~Julia

[Buff]

Talissa said:

I heard that at the moment Marina Prior is doing a non-musical play called Noises Off.

Noises Off is a classic - so funny. There's a movie version out, so if you want you could track that down at a video store.

Buff

[ghostee]

hallo! i know her- she was the blonde one. my friend liz went to that and sat in the 2nd row where they got soaked during a scene where it rained. jheejhee... that'll teach her for not taking me along...

[Tinechorwen]

My friend went to see it last night, (Cabaret) the lucky guy, and he said it was absolutely fantastic. He said Rachel Beck started off a bit weakly but then managed to warm up and was quite good at the end. And some of the improvisation Todd Mckenny was doing during audience interaction time sounds rather amusing.

Kind of wishing I'd seen it now.

[Lana]

I just can't imagine Todd as the MC.
Am sorry I never got to see Cabaret, though, and would love to see Rachael.
As far as Witches is concerned, nope it's over. They foolishly put it in the REgent theatre (where Mamma Mia! had been playing prior to Witches) and of course the theatre was never filled. Even Paul McDermott and Marina Prior and Angela Toohey couldn't fill that theatre night after night in an unknown musical.
So it didn't sells as well as they were hoping.. it would have filled a smaller theatre, but not the Regent. I think a lot of people thought because it was at the Regent it'd be there awhile and they'd see other shows first and THEN that.
Anyway, the Sydney/Brisbane seasons were cancelled and the Melbourne season closed early.

Bit of a disappointment because it was actually a pretty good show, although not one of the best I've seen.

[Tinechorwen]

Wow, I didn't realise it had been such a flop, it would have been pretty hard to compete with Mamma mia though, they were brave with that. It's a shame as they are all such talented actro/actresses and singers, of course they'll all move on to other goods things as they are such well knowns.