Australian Leading Ladies Sing the Best of Music Theatre this Mother’s Day
St Kilda’s MEMO Music Hall continues its transition from Dance Hall to Digital Venue with a very special Mother’s Day event at 7.30pm 10 May featuring an all-star line-up of leading ladies of Australian Music Theatre: Rhonda Burchmore (Mamma Mia, Mame), Alinta Chidzey (Chicago, West Side Story), Lucy Durack (Wicked, Shrek), Amanda Harrison (Wicked, We Will Rock You), and Queenie van de Zandt (Funny Girl, Thoroughly Modern Millie). It is the first in a series of music theatre Live Stream concerts.
This is the fourth MEMO Live Stream concert, that to date have featured hugely successful performances by Kate Ceberano & Co. and The Black Sorrows. Renee Geyer performs on Saturday 2 May.
MEMO was the first, and is still the only, music venue in Australia streaming concerts with professional camera and sound – courtesy of MEMO’s partnership in the venture with Renegade Films the makers of RocKwiz They are bringing the immediacy of live performance into houses all over the country.
Digital Producer Rod Gilbert said
“At this time, having musicians recording and streaming performances from their homes is wonderful, but nothing beats the energy of live performance and the elegance of a venue like MEMO. The feedback on social media from The Black Sorrow’s concert on Sunday has been phenomenal.”
MEMO has an iconic place in the Australian entertainment industry from its beginnings as a Dance Hall in 1924, to a cinema, the home of Telefil Recording studios where Normie Rowe recorded his 1965 hit It Ain’t Necessarily So, headquarters of the Pan Pacific film company (Heath Ledger’s Ned Kelly) and in the last five years one of the country’s leading music venues. In that time it has presented almost 600 shows featuring international acts and legends of the Australian music industry including: Paul Kelly, Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier, Kate Ceberano, The Sports, Mental As Anything, The Black Sorrows, Dragon, Vika & Linda, Renée Geyer, Shane Nicholson, Diesel, Boom Crash Opera, Spectrum, Chain, Ross Wilson, Vince Jones, Normie Rowe, and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Music Theatre Director, Tyran Parke (Barnum, Follies) and Musical Director Stephen Gray (Priscilla, South Pacific) have assembled an intimate, elegant concert, celebrating musical theatre and the great Australian talent, famous for interpreting it.
Tyran said:
“Having all of these women on the same bill is a tour de force and, though socially distanced, the energy and warmth of the music will provide a much-needed boost of hope on a very special day. Where else will you see stars reliving their acclaimed performances from Funny Girl, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Boy From Oz and of course, Wicked? This remarkable line up makes it truly thrilling, very poignant and a perfect gift to share with mums, young and old,”
Given the size of MEMO Music Hall, which is 750 metres square, musicians are be able to perform on the grand Art Deco Proscenium Arch stage the required 2 metres apart, meeting current Government indoor workplace social distancing guidelines.
Tickets for ‘Here’s to the Ladies’ are available at www.memomusichall.com.au and are $15, proceeds are split between MEMO, Renegade films and the artists.
