Cirrus@Austlit

The definitive history of a century of musical theatre in Australia, including behind the scenes stories of achievement and disaster, fully illustrated in colour.

'Musical theatre has a special place in the hearts of Australians. Whether it is The Boy from Oz, Bran Nue Dae or Muriel's Wedding, we love to see Australian stories on the big stage with all the glamour, energy and vibrancy a musical can offer.

'However magical they are on stage, performances leave behind few traces. Australia has a rich, hidden history of achievement in musical theatre which is now largely forgotten. Drawing on their long careers in musical performance, and extensive research in public and private collections, Peter Wyllie Johnston and Peter Pinne have compiled a definitive account of the history of musical theatre in Australia.

'From small amateur performances in the early days, to international achievements, to the new wave of Australian musicals from the 1990s right through to the explosion of creativity in the 21st century, they recount the emotional roller-coaster of successes and disappointments of one of the most demanding art forms. Also included is an authoritative guide to over 300 Australian musicals.

'Richly illustrated with colour photos from the early days to the present, The Australian Musical is a book to treasure for years to come, and an invaluable resource for anyone involved with theatre and music.' (Publication summary)

'Australian writer Don Battye, who has died at his home in the Philippines aged 77, wore many hats during a long career but is best remembered for his television work with Crawford Productions and Grundy Television on the iconic series Homicide, Sons and Daughters and Neighbours.

Revue.

Billed as 'a musical comedy revue for the new millennium,' Mavis Bramston - Reloaded is a sketch-comedy show in the style of the original iconic 1960s Australian televsion series The Mavis Bramston Show. In this production, the writers target the new millennium, poking fun at Australia's sacred cows, celebrities, and institutions and the world in general. The production featured the voice of John-Michael Howson.

The program running order was as follows:

• 1. 'Opening' (company).
• 2. 'Bronwyn and Amanda' (Rowena and Geraldine).
• 3. 'Is There a Doctor in the House?' (Hazel and Karen).
• 4. 'A Woman's Best Friend' (Geraldine).
• 5. 'That's What You Are' (Hazel and Andrew).
• 6. 'Football Rules' (Karen and Rowena).
• 7. 'I Never Do Anything Twice' (Geraldine).
• 8. Raffle 1 (Hazel).
• 9. McLeod's Daughters (Geraldine, Karen, and Rowena).
• 10. 'Second Hand' (Hazel).
• 11. 'Como Te Gusta Mi Pinga' (Andrew).
• 12. 'Tracey and Naomi' (Geraldine and Rowena).
• 13. 'Pauline Hanson: The Musical' (company).
• 14. 'Starbucks' (Andrew).
• 15. 'Medical Register' (Geraldine and Rowena).
• 16. 'An Opening for a Prince' (Karen).
• 17. 'Myrna and Dulcie' (Geraldine and Hazel).
• 18. 'Thai Golden Hands' (Andrew and Karen).
• 19. 'New Bed' (Geraldine and Hazel).
• 20. 'Botox Blues' (Rowena).
• 21. 'Face Lift' (Karen and Hazel).
• 23. 'Good Morning Atlanta' (Geraldine).
• 24. 'Fatima' (Rowena and Hazel).
• 25. 'Cell Phone' (Geraldine).
• 26. Raffle 2 (Rowena).
• 27. 'Bali High' (Hazel and Karen).
• 28. 'Taboo' (company).
• 29. 'Laughing Matters' (company).

Peter Pinne examines the Phillip Theatre and the intimate revue it produced between 1954 and 1970, as well as the effect television had in eroding audience numbers (Part 3 of a 4 part series).

A collection of 14 songs from five of the Don Battye/Peter Pinne children's musicals. All date from 1973 to 1980s and were previously unreleased. The CD was named as one of the top ten show tune releases in the USA during 2000.

The tracks are : 1. 'Pantomime' ; 2. 'From a Paper Boat'/'It's the Custom Here' ; 3. 'At the Fair' ; 4. 'Back Up on Top' ; 5. 'No One's as Handsome as Me' ; 6. 'Let the Sun Put a Smile in Your Hand' ; 7. 'Silver Sequin' ; 8. 'Lullaby' ; 9. 'Terribly, Terribly Me' ; 10. 'Happy Shoes' ; 11. 'Will She Love Me?' ; 12. 'Great Big Country Shoehouse' ; 13. 'Right Hand Man' ; 14. 'All the Colours of the Rainbow.'

Especially written for English audiences, this pantomime-style spoof of the original Australian drama series was 'played strictly for laughs' with intentional overacting and sets that sometimes wobbled (satirising the urban myth that the television series did this in some scenes).

Songs from the show include : 'Not Above the Law,' 'I'll be a Star,' 'Trouble,' 'I'm Innocent,' and 'Style' (all sung by Lily Savage) ; along with 'I Feel Like I Want to Boogie,' 'I Never Told Him I Loved Him,' 'Give Me a Man' and 'Why Not For Me?'

Another Grundy soap opera, Possession was, like the ill-fated Taurus Rising, designed to challenge the American soaps Dynasty and Dallas, in that it was (to use Moran's description from his Guide to Australian TV series) 'nicely set to gravitate betweem motifs of material wealth and unbalanced, emotionally wrought behaviour'.

Like Taurus Rising, the program was unsuccessful, and was pulled from its 7:30pm slot early in its run, to run out the rest of its episodes in a late-night slot. Moran notes that the program was 'one of a long series of misses' for Channel Nine, as they struggled to find a replacement for The Sullivans and The Young Doctors.

Moran also notes, 'For industry watchers--the serial was producer Eric Taylor's first dip in the waters of commercial television after many years' flotation in ABC TV Drama'.