krazy kat's korner

I've been so lazy about posting here. Feeling disconnected, missing the heyday of here and tWW fandom and fic and being part of something. Going to try and get back in the habit, and would love to see you all again.

Last Saturday saw the new Australian production of Les Mis. It was amazing. The new staging is FANTASTIC!

Valjean and Javert were perfect. The only other production I saw back in ~97, they'd imported both from the UK and the Valjean couldn't reach the notes. So thrilled to see such fabulous portrayals. Eponine and Fantine were also great.

A few minor issues, but not enough to take away from the overall fabulous. Marius was a bit wishy washy & always found Marius/Cosette boring (forget Marius, Eponine! Go for Enjolras.). I felt that one of the other students who had a few solo parts & a stronger voice would have been a better choice for Enjolras.

And found Master of the House strangely lacking. It's the number that usually gets your feet tapping and the audience clapping, but nothing. Wondering whether it might be because they have a lot more props & staging to deal with? Because Beggars at the Feast was great with a lot more energy.

So wish I could see it multiple times. I hate the limited seasons as opposed to 15-20 years ago when shows would stay for a year or two.

But it was all a bit complicated by us all having throat/cold bug. Sis was up from Canberra but was so sick that she decided not to go. Plus it's winter and we're having colder nights. Usually for theatre, sis drives us into Sydney, but that wasn't possible. So mum and I were going by train, and hoping against hope that dad would be able to come in and pick us up (he was terrible with the bug). We were calling around to see if anyone wanted to take sis's ticket, finally called long-time neighbour up the back and she thought her sister might be interested. And yes! Caroline is ~6 years younger than I am. We met her in at the theatre, and Belinda (her sister) and Ros (her mother) offered to come and pick us up after and drive us home. So thankfully it solved all our problems and meant I didn't have to face the even colder 11pm train trip home.

Plus my overheating issue and not being able to dress to the weather and risking chilblains. I wore a summer maxi dress, socks and sandals (proof I'm old and don't give a shit), and sis's red winter coat. I basically looked like a waif who belonged in Les Mis ;) In the theatre I took off the socks and the coat, was too warm.

Thankfully mum and I waited till after to get sicker, so we weren't coughing through it. Been a not nice time since, called in sick to work on Monday. We're finally feeling better but still bit coughy and sniffly. Thankfully my eyes aren't bloodshot anymore.

LEADING Australian theatre star Rob Guest has died in Melbourne after suffering a massive stroke.

Guest, 58, who had been starring in the musical Wicked, died at Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital last night, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.

Guest was one of the good guys of Australian music and will be missed professionally and personally, close friend and co-star Marina Prior says.

He was starring as the Wizard of Oz in the musical Wicked, playing at Melbourne's Regent Theatre.

Prior starred with Guest in Les Miserables in the late 1980s, and The Phantom of the Opera, for which he had the world record as longest serving Phantom.

Prior said the music theatre fraternity was devastated by Guest's death.

"He had an amazing ability to gain the audience's empathy straight away, and he was incredibly charismatic," she told Fairfax Radio Network.

"As the Phantom he had this extraordinary magnetism and charisma.

"He's really going to be terribly, terribly missed, professionally, personally as well, because he really is one of the good guys."

Prior said Guest never missed a performance as the Phantom.

"We used to always laugh that he would go on in an iron lung if he had to," she said.

"I think that's just why everybody has been so shocked, he's such a robust and vital person.

"I only saw him about a month ago and he looked fantastic, he looked really well and healthy.

"He's one of those people that gives 400 per cent and ... he's a man of great integrity, a great family man."

A St Vincent's Hospital spokeswoman released a statement on behalf of Guest's family, saying he passed away peacefully overnight, surrounded by his family and friends.

Guest was born in Britain but enjoyed fame as a pop star in New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s and spent a decade in Las Vegas before his stage musical career took him to Australia.

Guest is best known for playing the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera for most of the 1990s in Australia.

He was the world's longest serving Phantom having played the role a record 2289 performances over seven years in front of Australian and New Zealand audiences.

Before the news of Guest's death, Wicked producer John Frost yesterday said the cast from the musical, in which he plays the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, were "shocked" that the actor had suffered a stroke.

"Rob Guest is one of Australian music theatre's biggest stars: there have been few bigger in our lifetime," Frost said in a statement yesterday.

"He is, nonetheless, the most easy-going of stars. He may have top billing but at all times he comes across to us - producers, fellow cast members and backstage crew - as an irrepressible, always cheerful optimist.

"An all round good bloke. All of us who know him are shocked."

Guest also played Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, starred in productions of Les Miserables and hosted the short-lived 90s TV game show Man O'Man.


Apparently he was taken off life support late last night after his family had arrived from NZ. Such a loss.

Rob Guest, a stalwart of the Australian entertainment industry, is in a critical condition in hospital after suffering a massive stroke.

Entertainment reporter Peter Ford told Radio 3AW that Guest, 57, was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital late last night.

The family of the British-born entertainer were travelling from New Zealand and other parts of Australia to be by his side.

Guest, a pop star in New Zealand in the 1970s and 1980s, spent about a decade in Las Vegas before embarking on a career in stage musicals.

He moved to Australia when he was cast in the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables.

Guest cemented his place in entertainment as the Phantom in the The Phantom of the Opera. He played the role almost 2300 times - more than any other actor - in front of Australian and New Zealand audiences.

He had been playing the role of the Wizard of Oz in the stage production Wicked. Fellow cast members were told of his stroke today.

"The family ... have given me permission to say that he is critically ill," Ford said. "However, I also have been told that the outlook is very, very grim, so it's very sad."


I heard it when the news broke on the radio this afternoon, I got a little teary. I saw him 4 times as Phantom back in 1995/96, and while Anthony Warlow is the best voice as Phantom, mum and I consider Rob Guest the Phantom. His portrayal, so forceful and menacing, was for us the benchmark.

So very sad.

Things you want at the final performance of Phantom of the Opera in Sydney before it moves on:

1. Great atmosphere - Check
2. The main cast - Check
3. An awesome and receptive audience - Check
4. Nothing to go wrong...

Things you don't want at the final performance but got anyway:

1. The Phantom's microphone cutting in and out for the last 5 minutes of the show, when he does a lot of singing. We almost didn't get the very last line sung in the show: "It's over now, the music of the night."

We think Anthony Warlow's microphone must've broken, we could see him fiddling with it. When Christine went to kiss him, I'm thinking, "Don't touch his head!" Lost Christine for one line, but think that was because they were playing with the sound board trying to get Anthony back. Felt so sorry for them. I've seen 15-20 performances of various shows, and that's the first time I've ever seen something like that happen.

*Carlotta voice* These things do happen.

Overall, other than that problem in the last 5 minutes, it was wonderful. The most magical performance we've had this version. For the first time, we got the main Christine, Ana Marina. Unlike the other two that we've had playing that role she could really act and gave a performance with nuances. We were starting to wonder whether she'd bowed out after Melbourne, as out of about 8 performances that we and other friends had seen, none of us had seen her until my sister's friend saw her last week. We're sorry she wasn't doing more shows. She's a tiny thing!

At the end during the bows, Anthony came out wearing a sparkly silver mask. It was very awesome and they got a standing ovation.

When we came out of the theatre, there was a full rainbow over the city.

As I said to my sister, it was O.G. (Opera Ghost) having the last word...

Last Saturday was the coldest September day in 30-odd years - 13C (55F).

This Saturday was the equal hottest day of the year - 32C (90F).

Bloody ridiculous. Going to be a warm night

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Council election voting across NSW today. Such fun. *eye roll* At least it looks like we've kept our Green.

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I've started making phone calls to our households at work. Not many, but more than enough. I hate phones with a passion, it's a definite anxiety trigger.

I told vanwasigma last week, she was thrilled and thought it was great that I'd taken the (forced) step. D, one of the recruiters, said she'd heard me on the phone and I was great, and she was proud of me :) And on Friday one of the helpline girls said I had a great phone manner.

I've never been sure how I am on the phone, so that makes me feel better that maybe I'm doing the right thing.

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Phantom in 14 hours. Final performance in Sydney. We might even see Ana Marina, who actually does exist - sister's friend had a confirmed sighting the other week. We'd been wondering.

From SMH:

With two of the biggest musical hits of the 1990s, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon, set to open national tours with seasons in Melbourne next year, followed by Sydney, the stakes are high.

The Phantom of the Opera will star Anthony Warlow.

YAYYYY!!!!!!!!

Anne of Green Gables is finnnnaaalllyyy available on dvd in Oz. Got it for $30 at JBHifi. Hopefully the sequel won't be too long behind.

A month or so ago, JBHifi had a buy 2 tv dvd box sets for $45 each, get a third free. I considered getting the first couple of seasons of ER (I loved those first few years, especially the Doug and Carol), but restrained myself.

And I'm so glad I did. Went in today, they had them on for $25 per season! I got seasons 1-6 (up to where Carol left, that's all I want). So lots of George Clooney, guest appearances by Andrea Parker...

Oh, and I also got all 3 seasons of Wonder Woman for $25 each.

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Oh, and Phantom of the Opera will be back in Australia next year! I'm assuming Sydney, I don't know, it was mentioned in a SMH article about Priscilla. And I did find one bit of gossip that suggested Anthony Warlow will be involved, but no idea on the validity of that. I would be over the moon though if he is. Never got to see him (though did see him in The Secret Garden (Anthony and Philip Quast together - *drool*) and My Fair Lady).

And loved it. I bought the Broadway cast album years ago, mainly because John Vickery (Neroon from B5) was playing Scar and adored it.

But there was angst and panic.
( for those interested )

Couple of new things on tv this week:
Angels in America (over 3 nights)
Tru Calling
Miss Match

Anyone recommend any of them?

ETA:
And big YAYYYYYYY for Hugh Jackman :)
Peter Allen will be having a drink to you tonight.