2011: A year in review

2011: We look at the year that has been.

It certainly has been a big year in the world of Australian Theatre; check out our ‘year in review’ below, and Erin James’ ‘Thank you’ column.

A year in Review

There are so many things that have happened this year. Here are just a few that I can remember… a month by month look at 2011!

January

• The devastating floods which ripped through much of Queensland and NSW set theatres in a flurry in Brisbane. QPAC was shut down due to flooding and Wicked was forced to cancel performances.
• Flood relief concerts took place in Melbourne and Sydney to raise funds for the victims of this natural disaster.

February 

• Composer Jason Robert Brown kicks off his Australian season of shows.
• Brand new musical Dr Zhivao opens in Sydney starring Anthony Warlow, Lucy Maunder and Taneel Van Zyl.
• Ben Lewis and Anna O’Byrne (pictured) are announced as Phantom and Christine for the re-worked production of Love Never Dies.
  
  
• The Boy From Oz opens at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney

March

• Erin James announced as the 2nd ever Editor and together with co-director Matt Edwards, begins the take-over process for AussieTheatre.com

• The troubled ‘tent’ production of Xanadu opens at Melbourne’s Docklands, March 3
• New Musicals Australia launches 2011 season in Sydney
• STC announces plans to tour Uncle Vanya (starring Cate Blanchett) to the USA in August
• Sharon Millerchip announced as Meg Giry for Love Never Dies
  
  
• Priscilla opens on Broadway, starring Australia’s own Tony Sheldon as Bernadette (pictured).
• Melbourne’s Green Room Awards take place at the The Famous Spiegeltent, Arts Centre.
• 25th Annual Melbourne International Comedy Festival begins

April

• Love Never Dies begins rehearsals in Sydney
  
  
• Rock of Agesopens in Melbourne at the Comedy Theatre
• Xanadu producers go into administration; the production, which starred Christie Whelan and Sam Ludeman (pictured) closes on April 10.
• The Wheels of A Dream phenomenon (starring Adam Rennie, Tessa Hurst and Nat Jobe) sweeps across Australia and the world
  
  
• Dr Zhivago opens in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre, April 14
• Black Swan State Theatre Company broadcasts a live stage performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in real time to audiences across regional Western Australia.
• MTC’s Next To Normal opens in Melbourne, April 28

May

• Mary Poppins (pictured) opens in Sydney after 9 months at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne.

• Plans to ‘derail the Phantom sequel’ with the Love Should Die campaign

  

• $9 Million production of Love Never Dies opens in Melbourne, 28 May. Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber comes to Melbourne for the premiere.
• Tony Sheldon nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Priscilla on Broadway
• Sondheim praises our Caroline O’Connor’s portrayal of Mrs Lovett (Sweeney Todd) in Paris
  
  
• Wicked celebrates 1000 performances in Australia, 7 May
• Anthony Warlow and Todd McKenney named for 2012 revival of Annie
  
  
• Addams Family musical announced for Sydney, 2013
  
  
• Strictly Ballroom announced for Sydney 2013
• Acting legend Bill Hunter loses battle with cancer, aged 71

June

• Hairspray, starring Trevor Ashley and Jaz Flowers (pictured) opens in Sydney

• John Foreman’s musical Strange Bedfellows is announced for Melbourne, October 2011 (cast announced are Lucy Durack, Peter Cousens, Melissa Langton and John Wood)
• The much anticipated original cast recording of Dr. Zhivago is cancelled
• Adelaide Cabaret Festival begins
• Volcanic Ash cloud from Chile stops air traffic, affecting Adelaide Cabaret Festival and several large musicals with cast unable to return from weekend trips to see family.
• Kevin Spacey is announced to be performing Richard III at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre, December 2011

July

• Erin James takes over from Troy Dodds as Editor of AussieTheatre.com (and does Dry July to keep her head on straight!)

• Cast of Jersey Boystake part in Dry July (pictured)
  
• King Kong The Musical workshops take place in Sydney
• Magnormos’ Jerry Herman Triptych begins in Melbourne
  
  
• Twisted Broadway raises money for OZ Showbiz Cares/Equity Fights Aids, Melbourne
• Tick Tick Boom opens in Sydney and plays a short but very successful season at NIDA
• Melbourne Cabaret Festival begins
• Actress Googie Withers dies, age 94

August

• Jonothan Biggins hosts 2011 Helpmann Awards at the Sydney Opera House. Mary Poppins scoops the pool with 8 awards.
  
  
• Rock of Ages announces Sydney season for January 2012
• An Officer and A Gentleman is announced for Sydney, May 2012

• Opera Australia announces its 2012 season, including a revival of South Pacific starring Teddy Tahu Rhodes

• Several London theatres close their doors in response to the violent riots taking place across the city
• Rumours about the cancellation of Strange Bedfellows, starring Peter Cousens and John Wood (pictured) begin to circulate
• AussieTheatre.com breaks the news that Strange Bedfellows is delayed, not cancelled. Initial estimate is a 10 week delay.

September

• The revival of A Chorus Line produced by Tim Lawson announces auditions

• The Concourse, a revolutionary new theatre complex in Chatswood, opens its doors for the first time.
• Entertainment Assist – a charity to help artists in need is launched in Melbourne (chairman Larry Ponting, pictured).
• The Sydney Fringe Festival begins, 9 September
• Brisbane Festival begins
  
  
• Hairspray cast given notice: show to close early in Sydney
  
  
• Wicked closes in Australia. The show opened in July 2008 in Melbourne and toured to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
  
  
• Love Never Dies is filmed for international DVD, Blu-Ray and cinema release on September 15 2011 at the Regent Theatre. Andrew Lloyd Webber visits Australia for the second time this year to oversee the filming.

• Australian idol personality and star of Wicked, Rob Mills, is announced to host revival of Young Talent Time on Channel 10
  
  
• Hats Off Melbourne raises money for OZ Showbiz Cares/Equity Fights Aids
• Amanda Harrison and Ben Mingay announced as lead roles for An Officer and A Gentleman 

October

• West End star Scarlett Strallen takes over from Mary Poppin’s Verity Hunt-Ballard for 8 weeks, Sydney in the role of Mary.

• Melbourne Festival begins
  
  
• Light The Night raises money for the Arrow Bone Marrow Foundation, hosted by Brendan Moar and Jan van de Stool
• Diane Cliento dies, age 78
• Blake Bowden (pictured) wins 2011 Rob Guest Endowment
  
  
• King Kong is officially announced for Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, 2013 as auditions commence for the final workshop and show.
  
  
• Rock of Ages announce their intention to ‘postpone’ their Sydney season.
• Short Sweet+Cabaret returns to Melbourne

November

• Short+Sweet Festival takes place in Brisbane
• NIDA appoints new head of Acting for 2012, Jeff Janisheski.

• Australian director Sarah Watt, wife of actor William McInnes, passes away aged 53 after losing her battle with cancer.
  
  
• Legally Blonde is announced to play at the Lyric Theatre, The Star, not the Capitol Theatre as originally speculated.
  
  
• Grey Gardens, starring Pamela Rabe and Nancye Hayes opens at the Arts Centre

• Ghost The Musical is announced for Melbourne, 2013.
• Two young Australians (Rarmian Newton and Sarah McCreanor) announced as lead roles inHow To Train Your Dragon 
• The award winning play War Horse is announced for Melbourne 2012
• AussieTheatre.com announces an exclusive WICKED blog for the Singapore tour, written by cast member Chris Scalzo
• A professional production of Next To Normal is announced for Sydney, 2012
• STC switch their Eliza’s for their production of Pygmalion (Andrea Demetriades will replace Jessica Marais as she awaits the birth of her first child)
  
  
• Moonshadow, the Yusuf (Cat Stevens) musical is announced for Melbourne, 2012
  
  
• Rock of Ages closes two weeks early in Brisbane.

December

• How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular’s international cast are rehearsing in Sydney’s Fox Studios ahead of a March 2012 opening.
• Kevin Spacey performs to sold out houses in Richard III at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre
  
  
• A Chorus Line is set to open on December 31 at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
• Industry in shock as RJ Rosales passes away, age 37. Rosales starred as Thuy in the recent Australian tour of Miss Saigon.
  
• Summer of the Seventeenth Doll will open MTC’s 2012 season, January.
• Nancye Hayes celebrates 50 years in showbusiness.
• Suzie Mathers (Wicked‘s new Glinda) is ill for Singapore opening night; Lucy Durack is flown in to save the day.
  
  
• Jersey Boys, Love Never Dies and Mary Poppins all close (December 17/18) and prepare to tour.
  
  
• Annie prepares to preview on December 29 at the Lyric Theatre, The Star (Sydney)