All three musicals, according to the Australian-based company, "focus on actor-driven storytelling, which guides all Kookaburra productions."
The season will kick off with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black's song cycle, Tell Me On a Sunday, featuring Jolene Anderson ("All Saints") in the role of an English woman who comes to America. Peter Ross will direct the production, which runs July 29-Aug. 2 at the Merrigong Theatre, Wollongong; Aug. 5-16 at the Glen Street Theatre, Belrose; and Aug. 19-30 at the Everest Theatre, Seymour Centre, Sydney.
The Broadway musical Little Women will follow, playing Nov. 4-Dec. 7 at the York Theatre, Seymour Centre in Sydney. Stuart Maunder will direct the Allan Knee-Jason Howland-Mindi Dickstein musical based on Louisa May Alcott's famed novel. The cast will include Trisha Noble, Judi Connelli and Hayden Tee.
The Kookaburra season will conclude with the long-running Off-Broadway revue I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which features book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. Darren Yap will direct the production, which is scheduled to play April 21-May 24 at the Downstairs Theatre, Seymour Centre in Sydney. Hayden Tee will also be featured in this company opposite Katrina Retalick.
Kookaburra has also announced that is has commissioned Peter Rutherford and James Millar to write a new musical. The duo's first collaboration, The Hatpin, is currently being performed at the Seymour Centre. In a statement, Peter Cousens, the CEO and artistic director of Kookaburra, said, "James and Peter are two of the most exciting creative talents in Australian musical theatre right now. Kookaburra is delighted to be unleashing their creative talents once again to develop a new Australian musical." Kookaburra is also launching 5 in 10, which will present five new Australian musicals over a ten-day period. This project will be offered twice in 2008. Directors for the five musicals include Stephen Colyer, Peter Cousens, Gale Edwards, Neil Gooding and Peter Ross.
*
Kookaburra was established in 2006 as a not-for-profit arts organization to "develop and promote musical theatre and make it accessible and affordable for all Australians." For more information visit www.kookaburra.org.au.
