THE VIEW UPSTAIRS Extends Run

Due to popular demand, new tickets have been released to the upcoming Australian Premiere of the hit Off-Broadway musical, The View UpStairs, which is part of the 2018 Mardi Gras Festival. Invisible Wall Productions and Sugary Rum Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co have announced an additional week of performances of this provocative new musical, written by Max Vernon, which commences on 8 February with tickets now available until Sunday 11 March. Tickets are available from hayestheatre.com.au or by calling (02) 8065 7337.

The View UpStairs draws you inside the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant '70s gay bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans. This forgotten community comes to life in all its gritty, glam rock glory when Wes, a young fashion designer from 2017, buys the abandoned space, setting off an exhilarating journey of seduction and self-exploration that spans two generations of queer history. While Wes gets to know the joys and struggles of this exuberant and flamboyant community, he too learns about his place in the world.

The View UpStairs is inspired by one of the U.S.A's most significant yet all-but-ignored arson attacks that killed 32 people in The UpStairs Lounge, a sanctuary for the gay and lesbian community from a hostile outside world. It examines what has been gained and lost in the fight for equality, and how the past can help guide all of us through an uncertain future.

The stellar cast includes Henry Brett (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening) in the lead role of Wes, a young fashion designer who embarks on this exhilarating journey. The role of Willie, an UpStairs regular and flamboyant queen of a certain age, is being played by Madison McKoy (Miss Saigon, South Pacific). Stephen Madsen (Rent, Heathers), currently appearing in Muriel's Wedding The Musical, is playing Wes' love interest, Patrick, while Ryan Gonzalez (Kinky Boots, Strictly Ballroom), plays Freddie, a Latino drag queen who overcomes shame to achieve self-actualization. The role of Richard, a kindly preacher and spiritual leader, is being performed by Thomas Campbell (Misterman, Downton Abbey) while Anthony Larkin (Kinky Boots, The Sound of Music) plays Buddy, the bar's resident and conflicted pianist. Rounding out the cast are Markesha McCoy (The Bodybag The Panto) as Henri, Martelle Hammer (Blue Heelers) as Freddie's mother, Inez, David Hooley (Fiddler On the Roof) as Dale and recent WAAPA graduate Nick Errol as COPS.

Following the popular and critical success of Only Heaven Knows earlier this year, Shaun Rennie returns to Hayes Theatre Co to direct this sensitive, original piece. Costume designer is Anita Yavich (The View UpStairs, Off-Broadway) and set designer is Isabel Hudson (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest). Making his Hayes Theatre Co debut is musical director Nicholas Griffin (Disney's The Little Mermaid) while Hayes Theatre Co favourite Cameron Mitchell (Calamity Jane, High Fidelity) returns as choreographer. Trent Suidgeest (Muriel's Wedding the Musical), also from the Only Heaven Knows team, returns as lighting designer as does Neil McLean (Xanadu, Only Heaven Knows) as sound designer.

From the opening piano chords of this Off-Broadway sensation, the five-piece band and cast of ten blasts into the glam rock world of the 1970s. In our ever-changing world, The View UpStairs looks at the then and now to explore our ideas of love, regret, defiance and resilience. With a 'badass' goose bump-raising score, the story induces both laughter and tears. See why Ru Paul said the show was "FABULOUS! It was fantastic."

Tickets for The View UpStairs are available at hayestheatre.com.au or by calling the Hayes Theatre Co box office during business hours on (02) 8065 7337.

More info is available about the original Off-Broadway run at www.theviewupstairs.com

Original Cast Album on Broadway Records available on iTunes, Amazon and www.broadwayrecords.com

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