DUBBO’s queen of theatre has had a lot to juggle in the first part of 2012, auditioning dancers in pink and preparing for a world premiere.
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But in creating the upcoming Wickedly Showstopping, musical director Kellie Dickerson created the perfect excuse for a visit home.
Speaking to us while auditioning dancers for Legally Blonde: the Musical, Dickerson said the Wickedly Showstopping project was something close to her and her cast.
“Lucy (Durack) and I thought about putting a show together, creating a show with people we’d worked with,” she said.
“What we wanted is to have beautiful songs that the audience would enjoy, stories that Lucy and Michael (Falzon) can tell about their experiences on stage.”
The show, to premiere in a one-off show in Dubbo next Friday, explores the idea of being wicked and battles of good versus evil.
The show also plays on the theme that Dickerson and Durack had been a part of stage production Wicked for three years.
On being asked to choose a favourite song, Dickerson first thought of medleys from their last partnership.
“We’re calling them the naughty medleys, I enjoy them because they’re so topical, they’ve been developed for this show and would never be developed the same for any other kind of show,” she said.
“Who Can I Turn To from Michael as well, they’re my favourites today but honestly, every day I enjoy different elements in rehearsals.”
It was a given for Dickerson that Dubbo would be the city of choice to launch her latest work because of her various home connections.
Dubbo was also the first place she and late partner Rob Guest performed together in musical theatre.
“It’s always a place that I would think of first, we were lucky they could fit us in because there’s a lot of great things coming through,” she said.
“It’s a great asset for Dubbo because it’s good to produce new shows, it’s something that’s locally created, we’re certainly in partnership with Alan and the (DRTCC) crew.”
Sing Australia Dubbo is another local flavour to the production, fitting perfectly with plans from the rest of the cast and crew.
“I think it was meant to be, we were all free to be rehearsing in Sydney and preparing it,” Ms Dickerson said.
Wickedly Showstopping is in Dubbo for one night only, but Dickerson hopes it will soon resurface around the circuit.
“Just one show, then we’re all busy for a few months before we want to take this to other centres,” she said.
“Some of the big symphony orchestras are interested as well which is great.”
For musical theatre lovers, the choice to perform one show is a wicked tease.
But what is the most wicked thing that Dickerson has ever done?
“I’m probably on the nice side of things - Michael’s the naughty one, Lucy and I are good girls!” she said.
“You know I’ve probably done a lot of naughty things while attempting to be good, which is the irony, I remember getting into scrapes when I’ve tried to be good.”
Wickedly Showstopping premieres in Dubbo on Friday April 13 at the Dubbo Regional Theatre and Convention Centre at 8pm.
Tickets are on sale now at drtcc.com.au, the box office or by phoning 6801 4378.