Digital variety series Arts Centre Melbourne's Big Night In with John Foreman has been extended until July 8 due to popular demand. The additional five episodes, made possible by the Victorian Government's Victoria Together initiative, will see some of the best performers across Australia and the world brought to viewer's lounge rooms for interviews and songs with John Foreman and the Aussie Pops Orchestra. The digital show was developed as part of Arts Centre Melbourne's digital hub Together with You, in response to the temporary closure of Arts Centre Melbourne's venues due to COVID-19.
Arts Centre Melbourne's Big Night In has achieved more than 37.8k views during the first five episodes, plus more than 252k views of the five Aussie Pops Orchestra finale songs on Facebook. All episodes are available on the Big Night In section of Together with You.
Episode 6 on Wednesday June 3 will feature much-loved singer, stage performer and television presenter David Campbell, Australian theatre performer Jemma Rix, actor and singer Rob Mills and popular soprano Mirusia.
David Campbell is considered one of Australia's most popular and versatile entertainers, working as a television and radio host while also headlining theatre, cabaret and concert performances and being a multi-platinum recording artist. The popular co-host of Channel Nine's Today Extra was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia as part of The Queen's Birthday 2019 Honours List for service to entertainment and the arts. The Helpmann Award-winner is one of Australia's leading musical theatre stars and performed the title role in the world premiere of Dream Lover the Bobby Darin Musical in Sydney, before returning to Arts Centre Melbourne's State Theatre to reprise the role, making history as the highest selling show of all time at Arts Centre Melbourne in the process.
Jemma Rix is one of Australian musical theatre's prominent leading ladies, having starred in the stage hits Wicked, Ghost and The Wizard of Oz, and more recently as Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde, opposite Anthony Warlow, and the alternate Eva Peron in Evita. She is best known for her portrayal of 'Elphaba' in Wicked, performing throughout Australia, New Zealand and Asia and receiving a Helpmann Award nomination and a Theatre People Pro Choice Award. Jemma later made her Sydney Opera House debut in 2016 in a production titled Witches, conducted by Kelly Dickerson with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and alongside a cast of some of Australia's finest leading ladies of musical theatre.
Rob Mills recently finished a three-year stint as a series regular in Neighbours, and has worked tirelessly to establish his impressive credentials in musical theatre, with his credits including playing the title role of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, Danny Zuco in a national tour of Grease and Fiyero in Wicked. He is also a regular on our television screens, with roles in the critically acclaimed Peter Allen Story: Not the Boy Next Door, Winners & Losers and Underbelly - Razor. Rob first came to the nation's attention in 2003 as a finalist on the first series of Australian Idol. Following this success and a national Idol Tour, his first single Ms. Vanity debuted at #6 on the Australian charts and his debut album Up All Night was released in 2004.
Mirusia Louwerse, better known as Mirusia, is familiar to millions around the world as the "Angel of Australia" - a name given to her by famous Dutch violinist Andre Rieu. The acclaimed soprano toured with Rieu and the Johan Strauss Orchestra for more than a decade, playing sold-out shows all over the world. Mirusia still tours with Rieu when she can, but also has a flourishing solo career - including her latest album, A Salute to the Seekers, which reached number 1 on the Aria Jazz & Blues Chart.
Big Night In regular Trevor Ashley will continue to delight and Jonathan Biggins as former Prime Minister Paul Keating will provide some satirical political commentary. Past guests who have joined John Foreman include Human Nature, Christie Whelan Brown, Rohan Browne, Courtney Act, Lucy Durack, Tania Doko, Ben Gerrard and the cast of American Pscyho: The Musical, Casey Donovan, Rhonda Burchmore, Bert and Patti Newton, Vika and Linda Bull, Gretel Killeen, Aled Jones, Sam Mac, Josh Piterman and Meghan Picerno.
Arts Centre Melbourne announced on 15 March the cancellation of all scheduled performances and events and temporary closure of its buildings to the public due to COVID-19. Now Arts Centre Melbourne is focussed on finding new ways to engage with audiences, including the digital online hub - Together with You.
Audiences can access Arts Centre Melbourne's Big Night In with John Foreman via Together with You on Arts Centre Melbourne's website.
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