"A broomstick stop in Perth"
from InMyCommunity.com.au - Perth, 3 April 2009
Cut for larger photo and complete article:
THE Wicked witches of Melbourne’s Regent Theatre flew into Perth briefly last week.
Lucy Durack and Amanda Harrison - who play Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the blockbuster musical Wicked - took time out of their whirlwind publicity duties to give a talk to musical theatre students at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
WAAPA plays a part in each of these ladies rise to the top echelon of the Australian musical theatre industry.
City Beach-born and bred Durack, graduated from the arts institution in 2002, whilst Sydney native Harrison spent just weeks studying there in 1997 before making the decision to leave when she scored a role in Sunset Boulevard opposite Hugh Jackman.
“It was nice having an audience who were so interested because they are studying to do what we are doing,” Durack said.
“We were in these amazing new buildings, I think they had demountables when I was there,” Harrison added.
“Obviously they have had a lot of renovations since I graduated six years ago and now it is looking very glamorous,” Durack said.
“It brought back a lot of memories; I had such a wonderful time while I was at WAAPA.
“Walking through there, it was so lovely seeing some of my old lecturers and so nice to see that they are so proud that we are still doing it.”
Coincidentally, Durack recalled being a student there and having a similar visit from Harrison, who had already begun on her successful career path.
“I was a first year student when Amanda came to speak to us, when she was playing Liza Minnelli in The Boy from Oz, and so I know what it is like to be one of those students,” Durack said.
“I remember being very excited because I was 18 and in the course. I hadn’t even imagined what it would be like to be in a musical, so to see someone who was doing it was amazing.”
“At that time, it was like only three years since I left and I had only done six weeks of WAAPA, so I was feeling a bit like an impostor,” Harrison said.
“So this time, I was really glad that I had a bit more experience and knowledge under my belt to impart to these youngsters.”
The pair - who play rivals in the show - are about to come head to head with each other during the coming theatre awards season.
Both have just been nominated for Melbourne’s esteemed Green Room Awards in the Best Female Artist category, a strong sign that a Helpmann Award nomination will be next.
“We are going to fight it out for the accolades,” Harrison joked.
“I have been nominated and won awards in the past, and it is wonderful to win but it is great to be just acknowledged.”
“I have never been nominated for anything. It literally is good for me to be nominated,” Durack said.
“We will be really upset if either of us don’t win - it has to be one of us,” Harrison added.
With July celebrating Wicked’s first anniversary in Melbourne, there is talk the production will move to Sydney by the year’s end, however, a national tour is said to be out of the question.
“Our contracts are Melbourne, but we obviously have first options for Sydney whenever it moves, but they haven’t even started about talking it yet,” Harrison said.
“We truly have no idea what is going on and we might be the last ones to know,” Durack said.
“Everyone keeps telling us these rumours that it will go there.”
Wicked was always going to be a big hit and it certainly has lived up to expectations with the 500,000th Melbourne ticket about to be sold.
“A rollercoaster, that’s the best way to describe it. It has just been all consuming really, for me and for Lucy,” Harrison said.
“It has been an amazing experience and so many opportunities have come up from it,” Durack said.
“We got to sing the National Anthem at the AFL Grand Final and, of course, eight shows a week and getting to meet some people.”
Even with the financial crisis, it seems there is no slowing this show down.
“People want to have something to look forward to and entertainment is that, the chance to escape - the chance to escape that phone bill that is waiting to be paid,” Harrison said.
“And that is what is so wonderful about Wicked. It is set in a fantasy world, so people are truly able to escape,” Durack said.
Cut for larger photo and complete article:
THE Wicked witches of Melbourne’s Regent Theatre flew into Perth briefly last week.
Lucy Durack and Amanda Harrison - who play Glinda, the Good Witch of the North, and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the blockbuster musical Wicked - took time out of their whirlwind publicity duties to give a talk to musical theatre students at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
WAAPA plays a part in each of these ladies rise to the top echelon of the Australian musical theatre industry.
City Beach-born and bred Durack, graduated from the arts institution in 2002, whilst Sydney native Harrison spent just weeks studying there in 1997 before making the decision to leave when she scored a role in Sunset Boulevard opposite Hugh Jackman.
“It was nice having an audience who were so interested because they are studying to do what we are doing,” Durack said.
“We were in these amazing new buildings, I think they had demountables when I was there,” Harrison added.
“Obviously they have had a lot of renovations since I graduated six years ago and now it is looking very glamorous,” Durack said.
“It brought back a lot of memories; I had such a wonderful time while I was at WAAPA.
“Walking through there, it was so lovely seeing some of my old lecturers and so nice to see that they are so proud that we are still doing it.”
Coincidentally, Durack recalled being a student there and having a similar visit from Harrison, who had already begun on her successful career path.
“I was a first year student when Amanda came to speak to us, when she was playing Liza Minnelli in The Boy from Oz, and so I know what it is like to be one of those students,” Durack said.
“I remember being very excited because I was 18 and in the course. I hadn’t even imagined what it would be like to be in a musical, so to see someone who was doing it was amazing.”
“At that time, it was like only three years since I left and I had only done six weeks of WAAPA, so I was feeling a bit like an impostor,” Harrison said.
“So this time, I was really glad that I had a bit more experience and knowledge under my belt to impart to these youngsters.”
The pair - who play rivals in the show - are about to come head to head with each other during the coming theatre awards season.
Both have just been nominated for Melbourne’s esteemed Green Room Awards in the Best Female Artist category, a strong sign that a Helpmann Award nomination will be next.
“We are going to fight it out for the accolades,” Harrison joked.
“I have been nominated and won awards in the past, and it is wonderful to win but it is great to be just acknowledged.”
“I have never been nominated for anything. It literally is good for me to be nominated,” Durack said.
“We will be really upset if either of us don’t win - it has to be one of us,” Harrison added.
With July celebrating Wicked’s first anniversary in Melbourne, there is talk the production will move to Sydney by the year’s end, however, a national tour is said to be out of the question.
“Our contracts are Melbourne, but we obviously have first options for Sydney whenever it moves, but they haven’t even started about talking it yet,” Harrison said.
“We truly have no idea what is going on and we might be the last ones to know,” Durack said.
“Everyone keeps telling us these rumours that it will go there.”
Wicked was always going to be a big hit and it certainly has lived up to expectations with the 500,000th Melbourne ticket about to be sold.
“A rollercoaster, that’s the best way to describe it. It has just been all consuming really, for me and for Lucy,” Harrison said.
“It has been an amazing experience and so many opportunities have come up from it,” Durack said.
“We got to sing the National Anthem at the AFL Grand Final and, of course, eight shows a week and getting to meet some people.”
Even with the financial crisis, it seems there is no slowing this show down.
“People want to have something to look forward to and entertainment is that, the chance to escape - the chance to escape that phone bill that is waiting to be paid,” Harrison said.
“And that is what is so wonderful about Wicked. It is set in a fantasy world, so people are truly able to escape,” Durack said.