While the frequent rotation of tribute acts throughout the country has covered the South West pretty regularly, there hasn’t been a show for a while which has encapsulated the energy and passion of the musical genre in general.
That’s all set to change when World Of Musicals brings a healthy mishmash of the world’s greatest musical performances to the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on Friday April 21.
Show lead Rebekah Johanne stepped on board the production after finding success in shows from her native Scotland, England, Canada, the U.S, Europe, China and more, and is relishing the opportunity to find out more about the quirky national love of all things musical.
“It's been fantastic. I have to say, I love the regional towns,” she said.
“There's so much appreciation and passion in the arts, you get to know people a little bit more than you might otherwise. We’ve had standing ovations every night, it’s just unbelievable.
“People have been coming to shows all dressed up, and no-one has really had a problem coming up to us and telling us how they enjoyed the show after. And we have no problem with that either, so let's hope that keeps happening."
For Johanne herself, assumedly like many of her peers, the love of musicals came from her parents. Being a Scottish native, the influences of traditional Scottish and Celtic folk music made a large impression, but so did more contemporary styles popular from the region, like jazz.
“There were a lot of shows, especially around Christmastime, and a lot of those kinds of things were what our parents really exposed to us, and I think it really hardened this passion I’d had from a young age,” she said.
“Right from the start, I remember looking up at the stage and thinking, ‘Oh, I want to do this, I want to wear these beautiful costumes and dance beautifully’. And I still get to feel that every night.”
World of Musicals plays at Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre April 21. For tickets and information, go to bunburyentertainment.com.au or call the Box Office on 1300 661 272.
