Overture in Parkes with Lucy Durack and Josh Piterman

Parkes is set to host an enormous celebration of musical theatre and opera at the new Cooke Park Pavilion under the beautiful night sky of Parkes at Overture on Saturday 2 April 2022.

Headlining the impressive event will be Lucy Durack, one of Australia’s leading stars of the stage and screen, and the dynamic Josh Piterman, who has graced the stage in lead roles in both Australia and the West End. Josh will be starring as The Phantom in the upcoming Opera Australia production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Sydney Opera House in mid-2022 onwards. Lucy and Josh will be supported by other well-known performers including Central West’s own Jarrod Draper, who is currently starring in Moulin Rouge, and Billie Palin as well as other local and regional talent.

Tourism and Major Events Specialist Cathy Treasure:

We are thrilled to be hosting an event of this calibre in our brand new Parkes Pavilion.  An event of this size with this breadth of talent is an incredible coup for Parkes. It will help position Parkes as the new cultural centre of regional NSW and we can’t wait welcome visitors to the region to enjoy this calibre of entertainment.

Overture not only brings some of the best voices in Australia to regional NSW, but it also gives some of our local students the opportunity to work and perform alongside them, including a massed choir of 150 choristers, featuring children and adults from across the Central West.

As part of the event, Music Director Nicholas Gentile,

will be conducting a 40-piece orchestra made up of professional and student musicians to ensure a truly unforgettable evening.

He added:

Overture will be a magical evening celebrating some of the most loved repertoire from the stage and screen. The event will host repertoire from Broadway to Hollywood lead by two of Australia’s best artists, supported by a 40-piece orchestra and a 150 piece choir, and will be an evening celebrating the magical, transformative power of music that’s not to be missed

UpStage Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to create links between metropolitan and regional young artists, have partnered with Parkes Shire Council to deliver the concert, as well as bring a series of workshops, classes and seminars to the Central West.

Event proceeds will support a number of community initiatives, including benefiting the McGrath Foundation to provide funding for a specialist breast care nurse in the Lachlan region and to UpStage Australia to foster continuing arts development in the region.


Season Details

Venue: Cooke Park Pavilion
Date: 2 April 2022

For more information click HERE

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