Hamilton back in action and on stage, but not for long - Sydney Morning Herald

Live performance is back, according to the inimitable Brent Hill, who took to the stage at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre on Tuesday night as a barnstorming King George III in the return of Hamilton The Musical.

“Life without theatre and the arts has been so very dull, wouldn’t you agree? Which is why I am overjoyed to officially declare; Sydney, we’re back!” the King declared to an audience of more than 1500 guests. Watching on from a prime seat in the centre of the auditorium, a top-knotted Justin Hemmes nodded his head behind a mask, as did outgoing Nationals leader John Barilaro who was the guest of theatre owner Stephen Found.

Brent Hill in all his regal glory as King George III. Credit:Daniel Boud

But it was producer Michael Cassel who had the widest grin on the night as he watched the blockbuster and its cast of 35 return to the stage after a four-month lockdown-induced hiatus. And it wasn’t the only good news on the night. In Melbourne, Cassel’s group had just achieved the green light to schedule a return of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage musical, which has played in Melbourne’s Princess Theatre since February 2019. It will reopen on November 18.

Spotted inside a private function at the theatre, which included former prime minister John Howard and wife Janette, ABC newsreader Karina Carvalho and Seven programming boss Angus Ross, producer Michael Cassel was relieved the 16-and-a-half week hiatus – totalling 135 shows – was behind the production, even if audience caps limiting capacity to 75 per cent remain in place.

NO SPARE SEATS

But the extended lockdown will not result in an extension to the Sydney season. By February, Hamilton will have wrapped up and headed for Melbourne where it is scheduled to open at Her Majesty’s Theatre in March. Sources close to the theatre said there was audience appetite and demand for Hamilton to continue in Sydney later into 2022 – just not the venue. Turns out, the Lyric Theatre is booked to present Cassel’s Mary Poppins from March onwards, and the Capitol Theatre – which is Sydney’s only other large-scale auditorium – is also booked out. By comparison, Melbourne has four theatres that can accommodate an audience of more than 1500. Something to ponder.

THANKS NO THANKS

Deliberations on a climate target within The Nationals are causing no end of frustration inside the Coalition. But it’s good to see Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce still knows how to make light of a tense situation, even when he’s one of the primary agents behind the Nationals’ net zero go-slow. Take a light-hearted exchange in the Coalition Party Room meeting on Wednesday when Joyce told assembled MPs to start thinking about an upcoming campaign and the priorities within their electorates. The Nationals leader told MPs to start considering what issues are at the front of mind for constituents, investments that need to be made in the electorate, and the sort of practical help – including appearances – that colleagues want from Cabinet members during the campaign.

Joyce himself obviously knows that he can carry votes in some electorates but not others, telling the meeting how Wentworth MP Dave Sharma had said he “didn’t need” the Deputy PM’s help in his inner city electorate – where the Coalition’s inaction on setting more aggressive emissions reductions targets is regarded as a serious political weakness.

But that was okay, Joyce said, because less time in Wentworth frees him up to spend more time in fellow moderate Liberal Jason Falinski’s seat of Mackellar on Sydney’s northern beaches – and perhaps Sydney’s capital of climate change concern.

Yes, he was joking.

BEST OF BAD BUNCH

The Gold Ernie Award for Sexist Remarks has been won by Tasmanian Toughie Senator Eric Abetz and the great man is unhappy, denying that he ever muttered the words that have been attributed to him.

Abetz, now sadly relegated the unwinnable third spot on the Tasmanian Liberal Senate ticket, won the top prize for an alleged incident recounted by former speaker of the Tasmanian Parliament Sue Hickey, who claims she quizzed Abetz if Christian Porter was the unidentified minister in media reports who was accused of rape.

Eric Abetz and Meredith Burgmann.Credit:John Shakespeare

Hickey told the Tasmanian Parliament that that Senator Abetz responded and said “yes … but not to worry, the woman is dead and the law will protect him ... as for that Higgins girl, anybody so disgustingly drunk who would sleep with anybody ... she could have slept with one of our spies and put the security of the nation at risk.”

Hickey’s speech in Parliament was widely reported at the time and Abetz strongly denied making the remark.

But Ernies’ founder Meredith Burgmann said Abetz was “an outstanding winner, having ‘podiumed’ on previous occasions.”

She noted his Senate ticket relegation and added: “In excellent form though, the Senator has blamed his relegation on sexism and ageism.”

Typical stuff for the Ernies, which has been calling out sexism for 29 years. But the awards didn’t take into account Abetz’s denial and the fact that Hickey had never repeated the words outside the Parliament chamber.

Burgmann then reissued the citation with the word “allegedly” attached to Abetz’s remarks. Neat. CBD hears that the controversy may well be one of the last for the awards. Next year the Ernies turn 30. Word is the anniversary may well be its swansong.

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2021-10-20 18:00:00Z
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