'Boy' heading home to Oz
Jackman's tuner head to Australia
Hugh Jackman will headline a new arena version of the Broadway show, based on the life of Australian entertainer Peter Allen, that cemented Jackman's reputation as a musical star.
"Hugh Jackman the Boy From Oz" is set to be the biggest musical theater event in Australia this year, and will mark the thesp's first national stage tour of his homeland.
Producers Ben Gannon and Robert Fox, director Kenny Ortega and Jackman launched the A$10 million ($7.4 million) show to a packed media conference in Sydney on Feb. 13.
They announced 16 dates, commencing Aug. 3 in Sydney, with Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane to follow, saying strong demand could result in a two-month tour.
The 1970s Aussie pop diva Colleen Hewett joins the cast as Allen's mother, while former Divinyls lead singer Chrissy Amphlett and Angela Toohey will reprise the roles, respectively, of Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, which they played when the original tuner preemed in Sydney in 1998.
That show played for two years in five cities, with Todd McKenney widely praised for his portrayal of Allen. Now a judge on the Seven Network's "Dancing With the Stars," McKenney was reported to be bitterly disappointed that the producers reneged on their promise to recast him in the substantially reworked show that played Broadway.
The new arena staging will be twice as big as the original, with new sets and costumes, a 50-strong cast and 30-piece orchestra playing to auds of up to 10,000 per night.
"It's really great to be able to get Hugh onstage in Australia, because you know how in demand he is," Gannon tells Variety.
Early in his career, Jackman appeared onstage in Melbourne productions of "Sunset Boulevard" and "Beauty and the Beast." His stage career took him to the West End before he returned to Oz to make movies.
Gannon is confident tix will sell strongly, despite one in 20 Aussies having seen the original show.
"I have no doubt it will be a worthwhile exercise financially," says the producer.
The Broadway "Boy From Oz" played for a year despite mostly cool notices toward the show overall -- in contrast to glowing personal reviews for Jackman. Despite discussion of potential replacements, the show shuttered when Jackman's contract was up. However, with a reported gross of $42.7 million, Gannon and Fox say the production registered a 20% profit.
A successful Japanese version staged with local actors has since played Tokyo.
If the upcoming Australian tour is a success, Fox is suggesting a return to New York to play Radio City. But Gannon plays down those plans, saying, "This production is being done for this market."
