| Breast Wishes | |
|---|---|
| An Uplifting Musical | |
 | |
| Music | Bruce Brown |
| Lyrics | Bruce Brown |
| Book | Merridy Eastman, Jonathan Gavin, Richard Glover , Wendy Harmer , Sheridan Jobbins , James Millar , Debra Oswald |
Breast Wishes is an Australian musical comedy produced by Anne Looby, Simone Parrott and Neil Gooding with music and lyrics by Bruce Brown.
In January 2005, Anne Looby's sister, Amanda, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Wanting to help her in a meaningful way, Anne began work on a show to raise awareness and funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Following several developmental workshops in 2006 and 2007, Breast Wishes premièred as a concert performance at The Sydney Theatre on 31 October 2008 as the closing event of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. [1] In 2009 the musical opened at Everest Theatre Seymour Centre, Sydney, where it was part of the events for International Women's Day 2009. [2] It then embarked on a national tour, playing in the Riverside Theatre Parramatta, [3] the Playhouse Canberra and the Twelfth Night Theatre, Brisbane. [4]
Breast Wishes is an official fund raising supporter of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
The cast for the premier season at the Seymour Centre in April 2009 and touring nationally in 2009:
Robert Mills is an Australian actor, television host and singer-songwriter. He was one of the finalists from the first season of Australian Idol. He co-hosted the late-night quiz show The Mint, and was a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network. Mills took part in the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars, and appeared on Celebrity Apprentice. In 2008, Mills won the lead male role of Fiyero in a production of Wicked, and continued the role when it moved around Australia. He has since starred in a number of popular large scale musical theatre productions. In 2012, Mills was announced as the host of Network Ten's revamped Young Talent Time. He played teacher Finn Kelly on Neighbours from 2017 until 2022.
Christine Joy Amphlett was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive humour in lyrics, performances and media interviews.
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Anne Looby is an Australian actress, producer and stage director. She is known for playing character roles in TV serials.
Virginia Gay is an Australian actress, writer and director, mostly known for her work on the Australian TV dramas Winners & Losers, and All Saints.
Caroline Ann O'Connor is a Helpmann Award-winning, Olivier Award-nominated Anglo-Australian singer, dancer and actress. For her theatre work she has won three Helpmann Awards: Best Female Actor in a Play for Edith Piaf in Piaf in 2001 and the same category for Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow in 2006, and Best Female Actor in a Musical for Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes in 2015.
Nick Simpson-Deeks is a NIDA-trained Australian actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayal of Archie McMahon in the SBS drama series The Circuit, and Rhys Mitchell in Seven Network's Winners & Losers.
Drew Anthony is an Australian performer, director, choreographer and producer. His productions of the hit musicals Grease and Chicago - A Musical Vaudeville recently played to sell-out audiences at Perth's The Royale Theatre at Planet Royale. He has been commissioned to present three new musical theatre productions in 2023 - Strictly Ballroom, A Chorus Line and Gypsy. He was the Director/Choreographer for the 2021 production of The Boy From Oz, starring Ethan Jones as Peter Allen, at Crown Theatre, Perth. From 2019 to Covid he was the Creative Director for Flash Entertainment in Abu Dhabi. In 2017 and 2018 he was the Creative Director for Kaleidoscope, Perth's light and illumination festival, before which he spent 6 years as Associate Artistic Director/Producer for David Atkins Enterprises (DAE),. He was the Associate Artistic Director/Producer for the 2017 edition of White Night Melbourne and White Night Ballarat and was the Associate Artistic Director for the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games, the Ceremonies of the 12th Arab Games, Doha 2011, Rugby World Cup 2011, and the 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, in Vancouver. Anthony directed the Sony IFA event in Berlin, Germany and the Olivia Newton-John and Friends charity gala event at the State Theatre in Sydney.
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The Seymour Centre is a multi-purpose performing arts centre within the University of Sydney in the Australian city of Sydney. It is located on the corner of City Rd and Cleveland St in Chippendale, just south-west of the city centre.
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Nicholas Brown is an Australian actor, screenwriter, playwright, singer and songwriter.
Stephen Mahy is an Australian born tenor from Sydney, NSW, best known for originating the role of Bob Gaudio in the Australian production of Jersey Boys. After graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2006, Stephen toured the country in Miss Saigon, covering the lead role of Chris and playing the role to every audience in the country. Mahy toured nationally in Grease, playing the role of Kenickie alongside notable cast members Rob Mills, Gretel Scarlett, Anthony Callea, Lucy Maunder, Todd McKenney and Bert Newton as Vince Fontaine. In 2015, Stephen joined the cast of The Rocky Horror Show, playing the role of Brad Majors alongside Craig McLachlan, Amy Lehpamer, Jayde Westaby, Bert Newton and Richard O'Brien, just to name a few. He featured in "Stephen Schwartz in Conversation" at Sydney's Theatre Royal, where he performed on stage for the noted composer.
Lucy Maunder, is an Australian cabaret and theatre performer. She originated the role of Lara in the Australian premiere of Doctor Zhivago opposite Anthony Warlow, and has toured with her own cabaret Songs in the Key of Black, releasing an album with the same name. Maunder toured with the national touring company of Grease playing the role of Rizzo. She then starred in the role of Miss Honey in the Australian tour of Matilda the Musical, replacing Elise McCann. She is currently starring in the Australian production of Fun Home, in the adult lead role.
Gretel Scarlett Jahnke, known as Gretel Scarlett is an Australian actress and performer. Having appeared in theatre productions including Wicked and Mamma Mia!, she is best known for starring as Sandy in the 2013–2015 Australian production of Grease and Kathy Selden in the 2016/2017 Australian production of Singin' in the Rain which opened at Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne. She most recently appeared in Disney's Frozen as the Elsa understudy.
Suzie Mathers is a Scottish-Australian actress and theatre performer best known for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the Australian, Asian tour, and London productions of Wicked as well Sophie in the 10th Anniversary Australian tour of Mamma Mia! the Musical. Spouse: Laura Francis (7/3/2019)
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