Mr Stoner said the Australian premiere season of Matilda The Musical would give visitors yet another reason to experience Sydney, Australia’s global city.
“The NSW Government is proud to have secured the Australian Premiere Season of Matilda The Musical for Sydney, which will open in July 2015 at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre,” Mr Stoner said.
“There is no doubt that internationally acclaimed productions such as Matilda are a major draw card for visitors to our beautiful Harbour City, making them an important aspect of the Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.
“Pier 2/3, in the heart of Sydney’s arts and culture precinct, was the perfect setting to launch Matilda The Musical with the show’s Australian composer and lyricist, Tim Minchin, and representatives from The Royal Shakespeare Company,” he said.
“Based on the beloved novel by best-selling author Roald Dahl, the award winning Matilda The Musical is yet another Australian premiere of an internationally renowned production, secured for Sydney by the NSW Government.
“The story of Matilda, an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny, has inspired and encouraged people of all ages for many years, and it is fantastic to be able to bring this world renowned musical production of this classic novel to our harbour city,” he said.
Featuring music and lyrics by Australian comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, Matilda The Musical has proven to be an enormous success in London’s West End and on Broadway, where productions play to packed houses and capture the imagination of young and old alike.
Tim Minchin said, “I am incredibly excited that Matilda is opening in Sydney. Ten years ago this month, I was writing songs for the 2004 Christmas show at the Old Fitz in Woolloomooloo. The first time I straightened my hair and put on thick eye make-up was downstairs at the Seymour Centre. I even wrote songs for the musical that opened the Joan Sutherland centre in Penrith, (the opening song of which I extensively stole from when I wrote the opening number for Matilda). Last year I fulfilled a dream of acting in a Stoppard at the Sydney Theatre Company. Long before anyone took much notice of my silly tunes, Sydney offered me some of the most edifying and hilarious experiences of my career. The thought that in less than a year, the Lyric’s curtain will be opening on our darling Matilda feels just perfect.”
Tickets for Matilda The Musical are on sale from 9am tomorrow. Book at Ticketmaster 1300 795 267 www.ticketmaster.com.au, for group bookings (20 plus people) call (02) 8240 2290 or email groups@ticketmaster.com.au
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