Back in NYC!

T.T.'s show

We got back to Australia in time to see Tony Taylor's show, the third he's written for Clovelly Public School and directed by Garry Scale (pictured on the proscenium he built). 

The first show TT wrote for the school, LAST POST, was about World War I, the second, LEND ME YOUR EARS, about Shakespeare. The new show is a look at the golden days of Australian vaudeville/variety.

It was an absolute TRIUMPH. The kids (aged 10 and 11) mastered sketch comedy, tap dancing, juggling, the whole shmear, with the assistance of seasoned experts such as Toni Lamond, Nancye Hayes, Caroline Kaspar, Peter Blackburn and Linda Nairn.

The director Garry Scale joined the cast for the curtain call and was given the gift of a big pink box

which contained a custard pie

right in his kisser.

The perfect vaudevillian ending!

And of course there were cries of "Author! Author!"

Which TT emotionally acknowledged. A FABULOUS show.

An Evening at the Hayes

What an unexpected joy! The Hayes Theatre in Sydney scheduled AN EVENING WITH TONY SHELDON as a fundraiser and it almost turned out to be a musical version of This Is Your Life!!

The brilliant Michael Tyack was the musical director and David Campbell hosted and interviewed.

My darling Donna Lee sang "The Sailor of My Dreams" from DAMES AT SEA which we did in 1986.

Genevieve Lemon and Max Lambert recreated our "family act" The Amazing Browns from the Tilbury in 1989.

Geraldine Turner and I returned to the Baker and his Wife from INTO THE WOODS (1992) and sang "It Takes Two"

Geraldine also revisited our production of COMPANY (1986) with "The Ladies Who Lunch"

Chloe Dallimore stopped the show with "If You Got It, Flaunt It" from THE PRODUCERS (2003)

and as the event coincided with the 10th anniversary of PRISCILLA opening in Australia, several of the original cast joined us to sing "We Belong" as the finale

A huge thrill, beautifully directed by Trevor Ashley.