| Formation | 1999 |
|---|---|
| Type | Theatre group |
| Purpose | Musical Theatre |
| Location | |
Artistic director | Ken Mackenzie-Forbes AM |
| Website | www.theproductioncompany.com.au |
The Production Company was an Australian not-for-profit theatre company that staged a series of usually three musicals at theArts Centre Melbourne each year.[1]
It was launched in 1999 by Jeanne Pratt AC[2] with the goal of providing "professional opportunities for local artists and to entertain Melbourne audiences with the best shows from Broadway and beyond".[3] The company closed in 2020.
The Production Company specialised in revivals of popular and lesser known musicals with short (two week) rehearsal periods and short runs.[4] It also produced the Australian professional premieres ofThoroughly Modern Millie,Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,Grey Gardens,Nice Work If You Can Get It,Curtains,A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder,Lazurus andRagtime.
Its productions typically featured well-known Australian musical theatre performers such asCaroline O'Connor (Gypsy,Funny Girl),Michael Falzon (Chess),Marina Prior (Guys and Dolls,Kiss Me, Kate),Todd McKenney (The Boy from Oz,La Cage aux Folles),Lucy Durack (Kiss Me, Kate,Thoroughly Modern Millie),Christie Whelan Browne (The Producers, Sugar),Elise McCann (Brigadoon,Oklahoma) andAmanda Harrison (Anything Goes,Oklahoma!).
The list of early productions can be found on the AusStage[5] database
1990s[edit]1999 2000s[edit]2000
2001
2002 2003
2004
2005
2006 2007 | 2008 2009
2010s[edit]2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018[23]
2019[24]
|
The Production Company's production ofGrey Gardens was nominated for the 2012Helpmann Award for Best Musical.[25] Performers and creatives who have won Helpmann Awards for their work with The Production Company includePamela Rabe andNancye Hayes forGrey Gardens (forBest Female Actor in a Musical andBest Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical, respectively), and David Campbell forSunset Boulevard (forBest Male Actor in a Musical).
The Production Company's production ofChess received the 2012 MelbourneGreen Room Award for Outstanding Musical Production (as well as seven other awards).[26]