Australian productions of Green Day, Carole King musicals win at awards

A number of Australian productions of musicals centred around rock names made their mark at awards held in Brisbane and Sydney.

The Queensland production of Green Day’s American Idiot had two wins at the Matilda Awards in Brisbane last night.

It took out Best Musical or Cabaret, and Best Design – Set for Josh McIntosh.

American Idiot had its Australian premiere in early 2017 in Brisbane with an exclusive six week by the independent Shake & Stir Theatre Co and QPAC (Queensland Performing Arts Centre).

In an inspired piece of casting, the lead role played by Green Day’s Billy Jo Armstrong on Broadway was shared by The Living End’s Chris Cheney and Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson.

The theatre’s executive producer, Nick Skubij, said that it drew many rock audiences to the theatre for the first time.

The success of the 2017 run return for a national run this year.

After staging at the Sydney Opera House and Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre last month, American Idiot is currently on at the Crown Theatre Perth.

It moves to Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from February 23 and back to QPAC from April 13.

Sam Cromack of Ball Park Music also won last night as composer for Laser Beak Man, a collaboration on the life of artist Tim Sharp by La Boite, Brisbane Festival, Dead Puppet Society and PowerArts.

Rock-themed musicals had more wins at the Glugs Theatre Awards in Sydney.

Esther Hannaford, the lead in The Michael Cassel Group’s Beautiful: The Carole King Musical took out Most Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical.

The Michael Cassel Group’s also won on the night with Kinky Boots (Most Outstanding Main Stage Musical) while Cassel was lauded with the Outstanding Contribution to Theatre gong.

Actress and singer Queenie van de Zandt’s Blue: The Songs of Joni Mitchell (with Neil Gooding Productions) won Most Outstanding Cabaret Performance.