Tom Lehrer's TOMFOOLERY Comes to Melbourne Fringe
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 16, 2018
The words and music of acclaimed American musician, singer-songwriter satirist and Harvard mathematician Tom Lehrer is celebrated in TOMFOOLERY. The musical revue comes to Melbourne for a limited season as part of the Melbourne Fringe from 12 - 22 September 2018 at Gasworks, Albert Park.
Tom Lehrer is still alive and kicking in California at the grand age of 90. "Writing 37 songs in 20 years is hardly what I would call a career," Lehrer once commented. But what songs! Classic anti-establishment songs that in Lehrer's words are not so much "preaching to the converted, it's titillating the converted".
Directed by Theresa Borg and starring Susan-Ann Walker, Michael Dalton and Sean Weatherly with pianist Peter Hurley, the show features performances of 23 of Lehrer's most famous songs including: Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Pollution, I Got It From Agnes, National Brotherhood Week, The Masochism Tango, The Old Dope Peddler, The Vatican Rag and We Will All Go Together When We Go. TOMFOOLERY will also include 5 songs that were banned from performance during Lehrer's Australian tour of 1960 (a tour Lehrer later said was the highlight of his career).
Melbourne cabaret and music theatre performer Susan-Ann Walker was most recently seen in her acclaimed show SUBTLE and the Tony Award winning musical ONCE.
Michael Dalton is not only a great friend of Melbourne's queen of cabaret Dolly Diamond (regularly appearing on ABC Breakfast TV, radio JOY FM and as Artistic Director of the Melbourne Cabaret Festival for the past two years) but also an original member of A cappella comedy group The Phones.
Sean Weatherly returns to the stage following his hit with Price Check! The Musical, which premiered at Theatre Works (2015) and then toured to Adelaide (2016).
Peter Hurley last appeared at the Fringe in 2013 with his own hit-show Laughing Behind the Piano and has inspired generations of students at Melbourne University with his unique and inspirational music lectures (a legacy not unlike Lehrer's own).
On top of a long career as an actor/singer as well as writer/director of musicals for children (in conjunction with Disney, Silvergate, eOne and Warner Bros), Theresa Borg has directed acclaimed productions of La Cenerentola (CitiOpera), The Consul (Gertrude Opera) and The Light in the Piazza (Life Like Touring). She hopes to more or less offend everyone in the TOMFOOLERY audience, equally.
TOMFOOLERY: The Words and Music of Tom Lehrer
Gasworks Main Theatre
21 Graham Street, Albert Park, 3206
12-22 September 2018
Wednesday to Saturday 9:30pm + Saturday matinees 2pm
Ticket Prices: Adult $40, Concession $35, Group 10+ $32
(03) 8606 4299
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