Monday, 18 June 2012

Chugg Entertainment, Back Row Productions and Dein Perry Productions present

TAP DOGS TO TOUR AUSTRALIA

IT’S UN-AUSTRALIAN NOT TO SEE THIS SHOW

11 MILLION PEOPLE CAN’T BE WRONG!

“...Tap Dogs is as perilous as it is exhilarating” - The Times

“The hottest show on legs!” Timeout, London

Australia’s very own TAP DOGS first appeared at the Sydney Festival in 1995. The tapping feet of this internationally acclaimed dance sensation has now reverberated around the world in 330 cities; 37 countries, and been seen by more than 11 million people. Now they are coming home – stronger, faster, louder and more outrageous than ever to tour Australia from July to September 2012.

The 2012 winter tour commences in Canberra 3 to 8 July; then Newcastle 10 to 15 July; followed by Adelaide 17 to 22 July, Hobart 16 to 18 August, Albury 21 to 23 August, Wollongong 24 & 25 August and Cairns from 28 August to 2 September 2012.

Created by Olivier Award winning choreographer Dein Perry, this global dance phenomenon combines the strength and power of workmen with the precision and talent of tap dancing and is part theatre, part dance, part rock concert and positively electrifying.

“sexy, rough-and-ready appeal. These guys can dance anywhere they put their feet

– even upside down.” The Sydney Morning Herald

“Still stomping up a storm. Great stuff” - The Sunday Telegraph

“splendidly done by all” The Australian

The adrenalin pumped touring cast includes the best tap dancers from around the world. Leading the pack is Sheldon Perry (brother of Dein) along with fellow Aussies Matthew Papa, Nathaniel Hancock, Jesse Rasmussen and from the US Anthony Russo and Richard Miller. In addition to the macho line-up, TAP DOGS now has two beautiful female percussionists, Cat Hunter and Lyndsay Evans joining the testosterone fuelled action on stage.

TAP DOGS was originally created and choreographed by Dein Perry and directed and designed by Nigel Triffitt. In the last 15 years TAP DOGS has won 11 major international awards, including an Olivier for Best Choreography.

www.tapdogsontour.com.au

CANBERRA

VENUE CANBERRA THEATRE CENTRE

SEASON Tuesday 3 July to Sunday 8 July

TICKETS from $49 to $99

BOOKINGS www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au or 02 6275 2700

Groups 10+ Call Group Bookings on 02 6275 2700

NEWCASTLE

VENUE CIVIC THEATRE

SEASON Tuesday 10 July to Sunday 15 July

TICKETS from $49 to $99

BOOKINGS www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

ADELAIDE

VENUE HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE

SEASON Tuesday 17 July to Sunday 22 July

TICKETS from $49 to $99

BOOKINGS www.bass.net.au or 131 246

HOBART

VENUE DERWENT ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

SEASON Thursday 16 August to Saturday 18 August

TICKETS from $59 to $99

BOOKINGS www.ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100

ALBURY

VENUE ALBURY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

SEASON Tuesday 21 August to Thursday 23 August

TICKETS from $49 to $99

BOOKINGS www.alburycity.nsw.gov.au/entertainment or 02 6043 5610

WOLLONGONG

VENUE WIN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

SEASON Friday 24 August to Saturday 25 August

TICKETS from $59 to $99

BOOKINGS www.ticketek.com.au or 132 849

CAIRNS

VENUE CIVIC THEATRE

SEASON Tuesday 28 August to Sunday 2^nd September

TICKETS from $49 to $99

BOOKINGS www.ticketlink.com.au or 1300 855 835

For media enquiries contact:-

Amanda Buckworth, AB Publicity –

T: (02) 9451 0847 M: 0413 949 140 E: amanda@abpublicity.com.au

TAP DOGS – A HISTORY

TAP DOGS has performed in 37 countries and over 330 cities on six continents with up to four companies touring at any one time.

But the show’s origins can be traced back to the NSW steel city of Newcastle in the early 90’s, where Dein Perry was working as an industrial machinist by day and continuing to tap dance with his mates in the evening.

A dream of a career in show business was at the forefront of a young Dein Perry’s mind and he took his chance in the Australian production of 42^nd Street. This was followed up with a an Olivier Award winning stint as Best Choreographer for West End Musical Hot Shoe Shuffle in 1995.

An offer from the Sydney Theatre Company led to the collaboration with designer and director Nigel Triffitt and composer Andrew Wilkie - the result was the creation of TAP DOGS – which premiered to critical acclaim at the Sydney Theatre Festival in January 1995.

A young Australian theatrical producer – Liz Koops, of BACK ROW PRODUCTIONS saw the potential of the show and began what would become one of the most successful producing partnerships in Australian musical theatre history.

TAP DOGS was catapulted to international acclaim at the 1995 Edinburgh Festival and a subsequent sell out season at London’s Sadler’s Wells.

Perry won his second Olivier Award in 1996 for Best Choreography for TAP DOGS, something he would replicate a year later when the show moved to New York for an off-Broadway season, earning him the prestigious Obie Award.

BACK ROW PRODUCTIONS produced the global phenomenon of TAP DOGS right around the world with critical and commercial success from Australia to America and Asia to Europe.

TAP DOGS has earned a total of 11 top international performance awards, made a sensational return home in 2000 for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Game – a performance seen by 3.4 billion TV viewers world wide – and continues to sell out tours around the world.

The TAP DOGS story was also immortalised in the AFI-winning movie Bootmen, directed by Perry and inspired by his early experiences in creating TAP DOGS.

TAP DOGS remains one of the most successful Australian productions of all time, and has been universally acclaimed for taking dance in an entirely new direction.

TAP DOGS is an 80-minute show performed without an intermission.

TAP DOGS – THE CRITICS SPEAK

AUSTRALIA

“TAP DOGS is better than ever.” – The Sydney Morning Herald

“A shot in the arm of pure energy.” – The Age

“sexy, rough-and-ready appeal. These guys can dance anywhere they put their feet

– even upside down.” The Sydney Morning Herald

“Still stomping up a storm. Great stuff” - The Sunday Telegraph

“splendidly done by all” The Australian

“TAP DOGS is a real success story in the Aussie arts industry.” The Daily Telegraph

UK

"The hottest show on legs." – Time Out

"Kill to get a ticket." – The Scotsman

"Tap Dancing will never be the same again." – The Times

"Raw pulsating energy." – Daily Mail

"Does to steel capped boots what Gene Kelly did for umbrellas." – Independent On Sunday

"The hard lads of the international dance circuit." – The Guardian

USA

"High-energy...raw-edged tap." – Los Angeles Daily News

"A high voltage tap sensation ... a hell of a good time." – Time Out New York

"TAP DOGS is positively electrifying." – The New York Observer

"Spectacular! Triumphant! An amazing achievement!" – The Los Angeles Times

"Sexy, fast and fabulous." – San Francisco Chronicle

BACK ROW PRODUCTIONS - THE PRODUCER

Since 1995, BACK ROW PRODUCTIONS (BRP) Managing Director, Liz Koops, has been creating international touring circuits for non-language productions.

One of her first productions was TAP DOGS - which has performed in over 37 countries, in over 330 cities, on six continents, with up to four companies touring at any one time. Other shows produced included Gumboots, Slava’s Snow Show, Circus Oz & Mum’s The Word.

From 2000-2005 BRP was acquired by the US based Clear Channel Entertainment (CCE) – the largest live entertainment company in the world.

Liz consolidated the European and Asian touring circuits for first class musicals, as well as opening up new markets including Portugal (Miss Saigon, Cats), Greece (Chicago), Monte Carlo (Grease). Scandinavia (Starlight Express), Dubai (Beauty & The Beast) and (Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake).

After re-acquiring BRP from CCE in 2005, Liz went on to consult on international tour booking and from 2006-2011 produced with her partners the box office hit stage musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to sell out seasons in Sydney, London’s West End, New York’s Broadway, Milan & Sao Paulo.

Lennard Promotions Presents: Rick Astley 2012 Australian Tour

Lennard Promotions are proud to present the return of Rick Astley live in Australia in 2012

For the first time in 23 years Australian audiences have the chance to experience live all the songs that have made Rick Astley one of the world's best known pop stars - including the hits Never Gonna Give You Up, Whenever You Need Somebody, When I Fall In Love, Together Forever, She Wants To Dance With Me and Cry For Help amongst many others.

In 1987 Rick Astley was the biggest and brightest thing happening in pop music. Teaming up with the production wonder team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, Rick's first 8 singles made the UK top 10 and his smash hit Never Gonna Give You Up was number 1 in 25 countries across the globe. The following years saw Rick continue to dominate the worlds charts eventually selling in excess of 40 million records before his premature retirement in 1993. Though he continued to write and record music throughout the 90's and into the new millennium it was the power of the internet that brought Rick back into the global spotlight. The phenomenon of 'Rickrolling' saw his biggest ever single Never Gonna Give You Up viewed by millions upon millions of people reigniting public interest and a desire in the blue eyed soul singer to return to the stage.

Upon its release Never Gonna Give You Up shot to Number 1 in the UK and remained there for 5 weeks. It was Britain’s largest selling single of that year. Whenever You Need Somebody was the follow up single and this hit Number 1 in 7 countries. Including 4 Astley-penned songs, the album Whenever You Need Somebody entered the UK album charts at Number 1 and sold over 15.2 million copies worldwide, making him the top selling British act of the year. At the 1988 BPI Awards (the UK’s Grammy equivalent), Rick scooped Best Single Award for Never Gonna Give You Up. He performed the song in front of an estimated television audience of 100 million viewers!

Christmas 1987 was marked with a double AA single release. It featured a cover of Nat King Cole’s When I Fall In Love, and in the New Year it was flipped to My Arms Keep Missing You. Together Forever completed the released tracks from the album, peaking at number 2. It was a similar success story in the USA, as Rick became one of the few British artists to crack their market. Rick’s American success was reinforced with a second Number 1 single, Together Forever. It Would Take a Strong Strong Man became another Top 10 single and the album also reached a position within the Top 10 selling close to 2 million copies. It earned him a 1988 Grammy nomination as Best New Artist.

A fire in the PWL studios, destroying the majority of Rick’s new material delayed the release of his 2nd album. Hold Me In Your Arms finally surfaced in January 1989 it contained Rick’s first self-penned single She Wants To Dance With Me which he also co-produced. Reaching another Top 10 position, it was followed later in the year by Take Me To Your Heart and another song written by Rick, Hold Me In Your Arms. In December, Rick set off on a World tour. The UK, US, Canada, Australia and Japan were amongst the 15 countries visited and contained over 70 shows. Both concerts held at Wembley Arena were sell-outs.

Wanting to explore more avenues as a musician Rick parted ways amicably with Stock Aitken & Waterman and signed directly to RCA/BMG Worldwide, which allowed a greater degree of artistic control. Now under the management of Tops Henderson, his former road manager, Rick began co-writing material with the likes of Level 42′s Mark King and Climie Fisher’s Rob Fisher. Rick co-produced an album, aptly named “Free” which was released in 1991.

Rick's next single Cry For Help featured contributions from Art of Noise’s Ann Dudley and gospel star Andrae Crouch who arranged the choir that featured on the track. The single silenced Rick's critics becoming yet another Top 10 record that placed him in the Guinness Book of Records becoming the first male solo artist to have his first 8 singles reach the Top 10 in the UK, an achievement which has still to be beaten.

In 1993, Rick returned with the album Body & Soul. Rick scribed all of the tracks on this album himself, co-writing with artists such as Rob Fisher and Lisa Stansfield. There were two singles taken from Body & Soul, The Ones You Love and Hopelessly. At the same time Rick’s family was also flourishing with the birth of his daughter. Not wanting to compromise his family life, the album didn’t get the promotion it could have had. Despite this, the singles still charted but Rick felt it was time to ‘hang up his boots’ and retire from the business as a performer.

While continuing to write and record music throughout the 90's and into the new millennium it was in 2008 that saw the internet phenomenon of ‘Rick-rolling’ come to mainstream news. The internet meme involved enticing someone to unwittingly click on a link to something else but instead were taken to Rick’s video of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’. The prank became something of a craze with the story hitting major TV and paper news all around the world making ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ one of the most viewed videos on YouTube and Rick one of the world’s best known and loved pop stars as a result.

Lennard Promotions Presents:

Rick Astley

2012 Australian Tour

Friday 16^th November, Twin Towns, Tweed Heads, QLD

Tickets available from the venue: 1800 014 014

No pre sale. Tickets on sale July 9th

Saturday 17^th November, Ipswich Civic Hall, Ipswich, QLD

Tickets available from the venue: 07 3810 6100