This Monday night Magnormos finishes the celebration of JERRY HERMAN with the world-wide sensation HELLO, DOLLY! Let’s meet one of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
NONI MCCALLUM (who plays Minnie Fay)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character? Noni: Minnie Fay is Mrs Molloy’s overexcitable millinery assistant. Whilst she maintains an air of naive decorum she embraces the outrageous adventure Mrs Molloy takes her on with a childlike enthusiasm.
Magnormos: What drew you to HELLO DOLLY? Noni: The opportunity to work with Stephen Wheat as a Director was incredibly appealing. He has such a wealth of experience to draw from and I feel very privileged to have been a part of his directional debut.
Magnormos:Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Noni: His musicals are so well balanced. Hello, Dolly! is the perfect recipe for musical theatre success - plenty of laughs, some well-placed ballads and even Sondheim would tell you no musical is complete without the expectation of seeing a stuffed whale.
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you - what’s a career highlight so far? Noni: I’ve recently returned from several years in London and found myself feeling very helpless and very far away as so many Australians suffered through the bushfire disaster of 2009. I’d have to say that holding up a 25 foot-long Australian flag whilst singing “I am Australian” next to Rolf Harris on the stage of the Palace Theatre in London in front of 1,200 ex-pats would have to be my career highlight. We went on to raise over $50,000 for the Red Cross Fire and Flood Appeal that night, it was an incredible feeling.
See Noni’s return to the Melbourne stage this Monday Night 18 July 8pm at Melbourne Recital Centre.
This Monday night Magnormos finishes the celebration of JERRY HERMAN with the world-wide sensation HELLO, DOLLY! Let’s meet one of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
SAMANTHA MORLEY (who plays Irene Molloy)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character? Samantha: I play the role of Irene Molloy. She is a New York millineress who is due to marry the wealthy Mr Vandergelder.
Magnormos: What drew you to HELLO DOLLY? Samantha: I had just finished THE HATPIN with Magnormos and HELLO, DOLLY! seemed to be a wonderful contrast to the role I had just played. Also, with a musical like HELLO, DOLLY!, you cant help being swept up in the complete joy of it all, and that seemed a good reason as any to be part of it!
Magnormos:Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Samantha: He writes beautiful music! As in HELLO, DOLLY!, the songs move in and out of the storytelling so seamlessly and they are wonderful to sing.
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you - what’s a career highlight so far? Samantha: I have been in this industry for nearly 20 years and have had so many wonderful experiences. Career highlights would have to be being part of the original Australian cast of BILLY ELLIOT and having the chance to meet and perform as the support for the legendary Barry White in his last ever Australian concert tour.
See Samantha with her ‘ribbons down her back’ in HELLO, DOLLY! this Monday Night 18 July 8pm at Melbourne Recital Centre.
Book online now or call 03 9699 3333
Meet Susan-ann Walker
This Monday night Magnormos finishes the celebration of JERRY HERMAN with the world-wide sensation HELLO, DOLLY! Let’s meet one of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
SUSAN-ANN WALKER (who plays Dolly Levi)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character? Susan-ann: Dolly Levi is the ultimate charming manipulator. She has a real talent for matchmaking and generally putting her nose into every one’s business yet she is not unlikeable. The book of DOLLY is a dream to play…it is such clever dialogue. There are some moments of true insight into her loneliness which are so beautiful next to the crazy comedy.
Magnormos: What drew you to HELLO DOLLY? Susan-ann: I am the perfect age now to play Dolly….and I will be a very different Dolly. I sing it VERY different to Carol Channing…. more in Barbra’s keys…. and i purposely have not watched the movie or any footage since I started rehearsals. I have strong memories of the film…Barbra Streisand was perfect but too young…And I think Robert (Vandergelder ) and I will have a lot more chemistry than Barbra and Walter!!! It’s a WONDERFUL role…I hope I get to do it again but if not then I’ve done it once!!!
Magnormos:Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Susan-ann: His melodies are beautiful and his lyrics are “every man”…accessible to all.
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you - what’s a career highlight so far? Susan-ann: I loved doing XANADU this year…two crazy roles….creating the role of EARTH MOTHER in MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL and then sustaining the energy for almost three years with two children under four is something i am proud of (but can’t believe I did!!) and playing “Martha” in THE SECRET GARDEN in 1996 is another highlight…I have many!! I am very blessed!!
See Susan-ann as the worlds most loveable matchmaker in HELLO, DOLLY! this Monday Night 18 July 8pm at Melbourne Recital Centre.
Book online now or call 03 9699 3333
Meet Angela Harding
This Monday night Magnormos continues the celebration of JERRY HERMAN with the Tony Award winning DEAR WORLD. In the days leading up we will meet some of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
ANGELA HARDING (who plays Nina)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character? Angela: I play the role of Nina - a lovely, young waitress, who works at the Cafe Francis. Nina absolutely adores the Countess Aurelia and her friends, and takes much pleasure in their magic and madness. She has a youthful idealism and has never before been in love until she meets Julian, who she falls in love with at first sight.
Magnormos: What drew you to DEAR WORLD? Angela: I was drawn to the overall beauty of both the story and the score of DEAR WORLD. There is a magical element to the story that sweeps you into the world of larger than life characters through moments of laughter, love and loss. The score is stunning and leaves you humming the melodies at the end. It’s just beautiful!
Magnormos: Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Angela: For me, it’s his ability to create a world you want to be a part of - a world which unites the extraordinary with the ordinary. Also, of course, his ability to compose stunning, memorable music goes without saying!
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you - what’s a career highlight so far? Angela: I’m a Queensland girl and have just recently made the move to Melbourne from Brisbane. Career highlights for me are shows or performances I’ve done that signify a new era in my career. Some of these highlights include performing the role of the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in 2009 with Harvest Rain Theatre Company; performing in concert with Scott Alan in 2010 which inspired me toward song-writing; and my role in DEAR WORLD will certainly be a highlight, as my debut to the Melbourne stage!
This Monday night Magnormos continues the celebration of JERRY HERMAN with the Tony Award winning DEAR WORLD. In the days leading up we will meet some of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
MAUREEN ANDREW (who plays Mme Gabrielle)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character: Maureen: Gabrielle is deliciously private, cultured, classy, well mannered, adorable, kind to dumb animals, intolerant of invisible people, especially when no one facilitates an introduction, oh, and apparently… sssssshhh!! she’s a maiden, in the biblical sense of the word.
Magnormos: What drew you to DEAR WORLD? Maureen: Dahlink! I have had the CD for years… Always wondered what it was about, but have loved so many of the songs. It is one show I always wanted to see and now I get to see it from the best possible point of view.
Magnormos: Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Maureen: Wit! Observation of the world at large! An ability to take on urban legends and turn them into something magical such as the inimitable Dolly Levi as matchmaker, teacher of dance, and magician, and all the wonderfully crafted characters in HELLO, DOLLY! who are so diverse and beautifully painted. DEAR WORLD is as opposite in it’s diversity of characters and musical style as it could possibly be as are all his musicals. There is a genius in creating such diversity and such a joy in interpreting the delicious creatures that live in his musicals. What a pleasure to play Gabrielle
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you - what’s a career highlight so far?
Maureen: Over 40 years performing makes me feel like I have lived more than one lifetime, from the original cast of Hair in 1971 with a 40th anniversary reunion at the Clovelly Bowling Club in Sydney in 2010 and the whole cast trying to fit on stage to sing the entire show, to the beautifully realised Billy Elliot which after over 600 performances still moved me. The hysterical madness of the ladies of Calendar Girls. A wonderful Australasian tour with Saturday Night Fever to Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, Australia wide tours of Cabaret, Grease the Mega Musical, Hugh Jackman’s Boy From Oz. How lucky was I to work on all those brilliant shows with so many divine people. Several roles in Neighbours, State Coroner, My Brother Jack, and all those fabulous bands I have had the pleasure to sing with over the years. What next!!!
See Maureen and her dog Dickie in DEAR WORLD, this Monday Night 11 July 8pm at Melbourne Recital Centre.
This Monday night Magnormos continues the celebration of JERRY HERMAN with the Tony Award winning DEAR WORLD. In the days leading up we will meet some of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
JACKIE REES (who plays Mme Constance)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character: Jackie: The character I am playing is Constance. She is Aurelia’s (the Madwoman of Chaillot) friend. She is a little kooky to say the least - hears voices in her hot water bottle and seems to have had quite a few encounters with the opposite sex and is still interested!
Magnormos: What drew you to Dear World? Jackie: Firstly the fact that Jerry Herman wrote the music. Then when I read the script I realised how topical its story is. Its about the greed of the Corporate Giant being overcome by the little people. That one person’s vision can make a difference - can inspire others and can win the battle against the Corporates. Its message is as important now as when it was first written. And its told in a crazy, fun way with wonderful words and music.
Magnormos: Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Jackie: He has written such memorable, beautiful music and lots of his show tunes have become standards with people recording them outside of the musical theatre arena. Recording them and having huge hits with them. He’s also one of only two composer/lyricists to have 3 musicals run more than 1500 consecutive performances on Broadway.
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you. What’s a career highlight so far? Jackie: I’ve been working in the performing arts since I first arrived in Australia in 1973. My first major musical was the original Rocky Horror Show and I played Columbia. I did 2 performances with Reg Livermore. I was rehearsing with some of the new cast - this was 6 months into the production - and the then Columbia got sick - and they threw me on after only a week’s rehearsal. Scary but great to work with Reg. And since then I’ve worked in plays and television and film, been part of an award winning cabaret act called The Ritz Company, and continued with my love of musical theatre with roles in musicals like Me and My Girl and Nine to name a few, and had a long running affair as Madame Giry in Phantom of the Opera. I was lucky enough to be nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. I live in Melbourne with my husband who is a journalist/presenter for the ABC, and my darling dog Bella.
See Jackie and her talking hot water bottles in DEAR WORLD, this Monday Night 11 July 8pm at Melbourne Recital Centre.
As we approach the Australian premiere performance of Jerry Herman’s MILK AND HONEY on Monday night, we continue to meet some of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
JOSEPH NAIM (playing Adi)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character? Joseph: Adi is a Sabra, a Jewish man born and raised in Israel. He lives and works in a Moshav, a type of farming community, transforming desert into a blooming world of greenery. He is however, a realist, and does not entirely share the dream-like aspirations of others. Adi is a jubilant character with a strong love for his family and his land.
Magnormos: What drew you to MILK AND HONEY? Joseph: Milk and Honey is a very cultural piece. It has remarkable depth and understanding of the Jewish community and the world that they created for themselves during that time. Being part of this production has given me the opportunity to discover and explore that world. With Avigail Herman’s direction, it has certainly been both culturally educational and inspirational.
Magnormos: Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Joseph: The music that Jerry Herman produces is melodic and beautiful, yet intrinsic and very clever. Someone hearing the pieces for the first time may find themselves humming the tunes like the songs are old favourites. Jerry Herman’s music is pleasurably contagious – in the sense that when you have heard one song, or one show, you feel a need to hear more and more.
Magnormos: Tell us about you - as an emerging artist, what’s a highlight so far? Joseph: Last year I was invited to return to my former high school as an alumni member to sing at the schools’ opening assembly. It had been about 9 years since I graduated and it was a humbling experience to be asked to come back and perform at the place where I first realised my passion for the arts.
MILK AND HONEY will be presented ONE NIGHT ONLY on Monday 4 July 8pm.
Supported by Shocolate, Tisdall Wines and Hampstead Dental
Get a sneak preview of some of the fabulous choreography from MILK AND HONEY - performing for ONE - NIGHT - ONLY on Monday 4 July 8pm. Book your tickets now at melbournerecital.com.au or 03 9699 3333 or at the door.
Meet Jared Newall
As we approach the Australian premiere performance of Jerry Herman’s MILK AND HONEY on Monday night, we continue to meet some of the principal performers who will bring this landmark musical to life…
JARED NEWALL (playing David)
Magnormos: Tell us about your character? Jared: David is an optimist; a dreamer. While everyone around him sees Israel for the barren land it appears to be, David sees the future: a promised land of ‘milk and honey’. He is torn between his love for his homeland, and the love of his American wife, Barbara. It’s these two loves that bring David to question everything he believes.
Magnormos: What drew you to MILK AND HONEY? Jared: On the surface, Milk & Honey appears to be another show pulled from musical theatre’s ‘Golden Age’, with catchy songs and flashy dance numbers. But after reading the script and working it on the floor, I found the show’s great depth began to emerge. It is a beautiful period piece that deals with love; love of family, of a partner, of a people and of a land. It’s a show with a whole lot of heart.
Magnormos: Why do you think Jerry Herman is so successful? Jared: Composers like Jerry Herman are few and far between. Very few composers can boast as many hit songs, sellout shows and awards as Jerry Herman. His music has been played and performed with the almost the same regularity as when it was written, and recently a whole new generation has been introduced to his work through the movie Wall-E, whether they know it’s his or not.
Magnormos: Tell us a little about you - what’s a career highlight so far? Jared: I graduated last year from the music theatre course at the University of Ballarat. Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to work with John Bucchino on his musical It’s Only Life, which was directed by Milk & Honey’s executive producer, Aaron Joyner. Soon, I will be heading out in a new direction, as a member of the group The Ten Tenors, on their 2011-2012 Australian and International tour, which I’m very excited about.
Established in 2002 Magnormos is a producer of musical theatre with a unique focus on Australian audiences, and Australian writers.
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Magnormos: Tell us about your character?
Magnormos: Tell us about your character?
Magnormos: Tell us about your character?
See a brief snippet of Angela performing one of the memorable melodies from DEAR WORLD with our exclusive rehearsal footage - click here!
Magnormos: Tell us about your character:
Magnormos: Tell us about your character:
JARED NEWALL (playing David)
