StageArt Season 2016
Melbourne-based musical theatre company StageArt has announced its 2016 season, which includes Saturday Night Fever, Titanic The Musical and The Colour Purple.
Back by popular demand – a return season of In The Heights, the stand-out musical that features a groundbreaking score that mixes Latin and Hip Hop cultures with powerful Break Dancing, Latin American and Hip Hop dance styles and rapping.
‘From the start we have always wanted to put the spotlight on great productions with a strong emphasis on providing a platform for artists of all cultures to shine. We are thrilled that our 2016 season will offer some of the best and most exciting musical theatre and give artists an opportunity to play diverse character driven roles, says executive producer Katherine Armstrong & Robbie Carmellotti.
Saturday Night Fever
11 – 28 February 2016, Chapel off Chapel
The date is 1976 and Brooklyn heartthrob Tony Manero is a young man with an extraordinary ability to dance. Stuck in a dead-end job he has only one ambition in life - to become the disco king. When he meets Stephanie who also dreams of a world beyond Brooklyn, they decide to train together for a dance competition and their lives begin to change forever.
This brand new production of Saturday Night Fever, one of the most loved dance stories of all time, is packed with legendary hits from The Bee Gees including classics: Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, Jive Talking, You Should Be Dancing, Immortality and How Deep Is Your Love.
A cast of twenty singer/actor/musicians will play instruments, dance and sing in this new production.
Director/Choreographer Luke Alleva, who starred in the West End production of Saturday Night Fever in 2005, will bring this revival to life. Luke’s credits include: We Will Rock You, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Mamma Mia, Xanadu, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and A Chorus Line.
Titanic The Musical
7 – 24 July 2016, Chapel off Chapel
Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.
In the final hour of 14 April, 1912 the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York, collided with an iceberg and ‘the unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. 1517 men, women and children lost their lives.
This Tony Award winning musical is based on the actual characters from this ill-fated voyage and reflects on their hopes and aspirations.
Unaware of the fate that awaits them, the third class immigrants fantasise of a better life in America, the newly liberated second class aspire to attain a more grand lifestyle of the rich and famous, while the millionaire aristocrats of the first class dream of their supremacy lasting forever.
Directed by James Cutler (In The Heights, Parade), the scene will be set with a six piece string orchestra with a cast of twenty accomplished musical theatre and operatic singers. Each actor in this revival will portray three different roles that cover a character from first class, second class and third class.
The Color Purple (an Australasian premiere)
13 October – 6 November 2016, Chapel off Chapel
From Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller and Stephen Spielberg's Oscar-nominated film comes this breathtaking stage musical.
Spanning four decades and three continents, The Color Purple chronicles the feminist evolution of Celie a battered and downtrodden African-American woman. This awe inspiring saga tells her unforgettable story of overcoming adversity in a heartening tale that is a testament to the healing power of love and faith.
The Color Purple celebrates life with a joyous score of jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music and blues and was nominated for eleven Tony Awards, including: Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score.
Director Robbie Carmellotti's (Hair, Rent, Bare: A Pop Opera) minimalist direction focuses on the core message of the story – love, believe and letting your heart be your home.
RETURN SEASON In The Heights
11 & 12 March 2016, National Theatre, St Kilda
In a community where everyone knows your business, things are about to get a shake-up as romances bloom and dreams are challenged. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical, and Pulitzer Prize nominee, In The Heights is a fun and fresh hip-hop musical set in a sizzling summer filled with music and possibilities.
It features a groundbreaking score that mixes Latin and Hip Hop cultures with powerful Break Dancing, Latin American and Hip Hop dance styles and rapping.
A musical about the importance of home, family and finding where you belong, In The Heights, features a cast of 20 dancers and singers from across Australia.
Established in 2011, StageArt is independently owned and managed by Katherine Armstrong and Robbie Carmellotti.
Three show season subscription available. A Reserve seats to all three shows, includes access to VIP opening nights and complimentary programs. Adults: $145 (save $80). Conc/students: $133 (save $80)
Three show season plus In The Heights. A Reserve seats to all four shows, includes access to VIP opening nights and complimentary programs. Adults: $194 (save $100). Conc/students: $178 (save $100). Bookings: www.stageart.com.au
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