Cast Announced for The Production Company's CURTAINS at Arts Centre Melbourne

The cast for The Production Company's new staging of the Broadway whodunnit, Curtains was announced today. Ken Mackenzie-Forbes, Artistic Director said 'Colin Lane, John Wood and Nicki Wendt are joining Simon Gleeson, Alex Rathgeber, Lucy Maunder, Melissa Langton and Alinta Chidzey in this Kander & Ebb murder mystery musical comedy. For this hilarious detective thriller we have cast artists with the personality and skill to create Rupert Holmes' colourful backstage characters. This cast re ects the depth of artistic excellence we have here in Melbourne.'

Curtains opens in the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne on August 20 for a season of 10 performances. This is the Australian professional premiere season of Curtains, which rst opened on Broadway in 2007. It played more than 500 performances and was nominated for eight Tony Awards.

The outstanding company engaged for Curtains is: Simon Gleeson, Melissa Langton, Colin Lane, Lucy Maunder, Alex Rathgeber, Alinta Chidzey, Zoe Coppinger, Jared Bryan, Stephen Wheat, Simon Maiden, Nicki Wendt, Tony Rickards and John Wood.

With music and lyrics by Broadway legends John Kander & Fred Ebb - creators of Cabaret and Chicago - Curtains is based on the original book and concept by Peter Stone. A parody of backstage murder mystery plots, Curtains is set in Boston 1959 at the opening night of the cowboy musical Robbin Hood of The Old West. The talentless leading lady is murdered onstage during the curtain call and the whole cast are suspects. A grand tribute to Broadway, it features a hilarious company of characters including a very camp director, a bitter critic, clueless investors and ambitious actresses It is up to Lt. Frank Ciof , a police detective who moonlights as a musical theatre fan, to save the show, solve the case, and maybe even nd love.

Award winning Director, Roger Hodgman leads the outstanding creative team. Musical Director is John Foreman and the Choreographer is Dana Jolly. Designs are by Esther Marie Hayes (costumes), Christina Smith (sets), Matt Scott (lighting) and System Sound (sound).

All performances will feature The Production Company Orchestra.

Rehearsals for Curtains start on Monday 1 August at Ministry of Dance, 64 Sutton Street, North Melbourne.

All tickets for Curtains are on sale at Arts Centre Melbourne and Ticketmaster. Adult Tickets start at just $42, Under 18's at $21.

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