Music Theatre Melbourne has announced the full cast for its exciting new concert production of Australian rock musical PARIS, which pays homage to one of Australia’s great performers, Jon English, at the Melbourne Recital Centre this July.
John Waters (Ulysses), Ben Mingay (Achilles), Tim Freedman (Agamemnon), Matthew Manahan (Paris), Madeleine Featherby (Helen), Brian Mannix (Sinon), Scott Johnson (Hector), Kerrie Anne Greenland (Cassandra), Mark Dickinson (Menelaus), Tod Strike (Patroclus), John O’May (Priam), Cameron MacDonald (Ajax) head a stunning cast that will bring this epic show, co-written by Jon English and music producer David Mackay, to life for just four performances from 13 July 2017 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Also appearing are: Shirley Bowen as Hecuba, Annie Aitken as the Handmaiden, Daniel Cosgrove as Aeneas, Jack O’Riley as Thersites, Jordon Mahar as Talthybius, and Caitlin Quinn as Athena. Jonathan Sora-English features in the Paris Band.
The Chorus will feature: Kinloch Anstiss; Tess Branchflower; Simon Browne; Jesika Clark; Emily Crawford; Ned Dixon; Marissa Economo; Rosabelle Elliott; Anne Gasko; Christian Gillett; Courtney Glass; Mark Horn; Aaron Hughes; Peter Jenkins; Kaori Maeda-Judge; Sophie Loughran; Morgan Phillips; Jodi Raynes; Kate Schmidli; John Tacey; Megan Tiedermann; Isabella Vallette; Julia Walker; Sam Ward; Jaylee Waters; Lachlan Whan; Casey Withoos; Lisa Woodbrook; and Michael Young.
The short season will write a new chapter in the story of the rock opera that was one of English’s most cherished works during his successful career in music, theatre and television. English was working with MTM and Stella Entertainment on future plans for PARIS at the time of his death a year ago, aged 66, in a NSW hospital from complications following surgery.
“Jon was working on this forthcoming production with us and we spent several meetings making plans,” said MTM Director, Mark Featherby. “He wanted John Waters in our show and we are so grateful John is playing Ulysses as he was on the original cast album and has such an integral association with Jon and PARIS.”
Directed by Neil Gooding, with musical direction by Isaac Hayward, PARIS tells the tale of the forbidden passion of Paris, the Prince of Troy, and Helen, the Queen of Sparta. It was a love affair that sparked the Trojan Wars and inspired the fiendishly brilliant idea of creating a giant wooden horse full of warriors to infiltrate the city of Troy.
PARIS – A Rock Odyssey
Melbourne Recital Centre, 31 Sturt Street, Southbank
Season: 13 – 15 July 2017
Bookings: www.melbournerecital.com.au
For more information, visit: www.musictheatre.melbourne for details.