Hugh Is Coming Back To OZ

[Markyjay]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 5:25am

Hi Everyone, I just read an "official" article online in Australia about The Boy From Oz coming to Australia.
Hugh Jackman brings The Boy from Oz home

I have pasted it below. I hope you enjoy it. Take care all.

Sunday Oct 16 18:34 AEST
After more than a year of speculation, Hugh Jackman has confirmed he will star in an Australian arena tour of the Boy From Oz.

The A-list Hollywood actor has a number of film commitments to complete and will return to the Australian stage by mid-2006.

"The Boy From Oz is a celebration of not only a great Australian, but of what it means to be Australian and I look forward to celebrating Peter Allen's life in a thrilling tour with a great Australian cast," Jackman said.

Critics lauded Jackman's portrayal of Allen - the flamboyant and energetic boy from Tenterfield in north-western NSW, who helped define the disco era in the 1970s and `80s, before succumbing to AIDS in 1992 - in the Broadway production.




Producers of the hit Broadway musical have been planning to bring the production back to Australia for some time.

"Hugh's got an incredibly busy movie career now and trying to find a window in between his movie commitments has taken us a little time," producer Ben Gannon told AAP from London.

"He fell in love with performing live and fell in love with Peter Allen (the character) and he was always talking about doing it again. It was just a question of how it was going to fit in with everything else."

The first ever Boy From Oz production was held in Sydney in March 1998 and went on to become the most successful new Australian musical ever staged.

Dancing with the Stars judge Todd McKenney was in the lead role then with Jackman taking on the Broadway lead in October 2003.

That production ended in September last year and there has been much speculation about Jackman possibly taking the musical to London's West End, Las Vegas or Los Angeles.

"They may happen in time," Gannon said.

"It's certainly been talked about as something that could well happen in the future and I think Hugh would be interested but he really wanted to perform in Australia."

Jackman, who is currently in the United States filming X-Men 3, last performed on the Australian stage eight years ago, playing screenwriter Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard.

Since then he has focused on his film career with roles in Hollywood films X-Men, Swordfish and Van Helsing.

Jackman's portrayal of Peter Allen showed his versatility as a performer, winning him a Tony Award and an Emmy.

The upcoming Australian tour will be held in large venues in capital cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, where Jackman studied to be an actor.

The production is likely to be held in July or August next year and Gannon said the Boy From Oz was one of the most gruelling productions around.

Gannon added that the production would cost more than $10 million to stage.

"We are doing a complete reconception of the show for large-scale venues," Gannon said.

"It's going to be the same story and the same music but we are going to scale it up very considerably with a large cast and big orchestra."


Updated On: 10/16/05 at 05:25 AM

[Marquise]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 5:39am

I picture Addy reading this and making plans to be in Australia around the time this production opens. She's a huge Hugh Jackman fan.

[jo]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 6:04am

Oops, I posted the same thing on the other current TBFO thread -

https://seven.com.au/news/entertainment/113960

It would be interesting to see how they will scale up the show for large production venues. I understand venues like the Rod Laver arena ( which was rumoured to be one of the venues) could sit something like 12000 - 15000 people.

I think I may be flying that way when that happens

[Markyjay]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 7:11am

Yeah Rod Laver Arena is a huge venue. I heard that they may even do it in the rounds even? I dont know how that would go, but I also heard that there may be some other BIG names in the show to support, for example a Toni Collette as Liza perhaps - we'll have to wait and see when casting is announced. But it should be awesome CAN'T WAIT!!!

[glenwj]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 7:17am

tragic
why bother?
i cant begin to tell you how lazy both Ben gannon and hugh jackman are.
money for the coffers.
what about artistic integrity.
talk about flogging a dead horse.
can they get Christina amphlett back? I hope so. otherwise why bother.

[IssaMe]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 7:42am

Jackman is dedicated to give up so much time of his movie career to do stage work (see below for further comment about him being "lazy").
Updated On: 10/16/05 at 07:42 AM

[IssaMe]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 7:42am

While all this makes me wince, I have to take issue with Ben and Hugh being accused of being "lazy"....they are quite the opposite.

If you mean artistically lazy, well so-what? This is Australia's most successful musical and the only one that has worked commercially abroad - so why not make it into an event as well? It never was exactly Shakespeare to begin with. And you have to be anything but "lazy" to bring this off. It is a major restaging project.

It is no different really than Harry Miller's various arena productions of musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar...and TBFO is the perfect candidate for such a type of presentation (alas).

It will certainly be a major crowd pleaser!

[Urban]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 7:55am

God, that is a horribly sad thought 'Australia's Best Musical'. It is (well not counting Moulin Rouge! anyway).

My problem with the production is (I have mentioned it before) Arena tours are known for dumbing down the show to appeal to Frau Housewive who doesn't give a sh*t about the show but just wants to sing along loudly to songs she knows.

[IssaMe]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 12:53pm

"Best" and "most successful" are not necessary synonymous! I wouldn't call TBFO Australia's "best musical" by a long shot...but it certainly is "the most successful" commercially and eventually will probably be seen around the world more than any other Australian stage musical to date.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 12:56pm

Is "The Boy from Oz" art?: Not really.

Is Hugh Jackman's performance in "The Boy from Oz" one of the greatest I've seen on stage?: Oh, yes.

[Unmasked05]

Posted: 10/16/05 at 4:29pm

Will this show ever have a National Tour ????

[IssaMe]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 7:50am

No.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:17am

I just hope it comes to the movies because believe me iwould totally see this movie alot then. With Hugh of course.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:17am

*books plane*

Marquise, wanna join m?

[Fan2]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:53am

A website is open:

http://www.theboyfromoz.com.au

[jo]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 8:57pm

I'm glad I live on the side of the world where OZ is located in the map - no jet lags

Interesting how two ticket agencies in Australia are now receiving requests for information on the pre-sale ( Ticketek and Ticketmaster) - just like Amazon.com gauges interest on something that is not for sale yet, with their survey of interest in the release of a certain item at a future date. Is this ever done on Broadway - see what kind of interest a show generates even before performance dates or venues are decided?


Updated On: 10/17/05 at 08:57 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:09pm

Money for jam! No it's not the best Australian musical just popular. Which version will it be though? The original Australian version of the re written Broadway version?

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:13pm

Jo, this is done with nearly everything in Australia, Rock Shows, Theatre...nearly everything....People have wait listed for "Hairspray"..."Wicked" even thou these's shows have not even been annouced..

[mother cabrini]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:30pm

the original australian production was a b-grade and amaturish at best....bring on the broadway production with a REAL star in the lead!

[alterego]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 9:55pm

Is that you Todd?

[jo]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 10:22pm

The song " I Still Call Australia Home" didn't create as much impression on Broadway as it probably did when the show first ran in Australia. Hence, "Once Before I Go" became the 11 o'clock number and drew the pre-finale standing ovations at the Imperial.

This production would be a homecoming of sorts for Hugh ( back on stage in Australia after 8 years...with a career mostly in America in the intervening time). I am expecting a much stronger crowd reaction to his rendition of "I Still Call Australia Home" there.

I wonder if they might change the sequence of music in the new arena style production.

Posted: 10/17/05 at 11:31pm

Since Peter Allen used to play venues as cavernous as Radio City Music Hall, I don't see a big problem with expanding this into an arena production - he'd probably love it.

And the thought of Jumbotron images of Mr. Jackman makes me weak in the knees.

[bwayfan24]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 11:43pm

Interesting. Updated On: 10/17/05 at 11:43 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 10/17/05 at 11:53pm

I believe I Still Call Australia Home reduced every Australian to tears when they saw the show on Broadway.

Posted: 10/17/05 at 11:59pm

The Australians weren't the only ones - it really was very moving. And the time I saw it, there were many Australians in the audience who made us feel how special it was.