Full Circle Theatre Co: SA’s first professional music theatre co announces first show
South Australia’s first-ever professional music theatre company will stage its debut show Catch Me If You Can at Futures Theatre in early November this year.
The announcement of Full Circle Theatre Co’s first show was the centrepiece of a spectacular official launch at Immersive Light and Art last night.
The new company’s Artistic Director Jo Casson says the show is based on the 2002 blockbuster movie starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio.
“Catch Me If You Can has an incredible jazz score that emulates the swinging brassy sounds of the rat pack era,” she said.
“Visually it has all the spectacle of a 1960s variety show including a large dance ensemble, so it’s big and bright and a lot of fun.”
Catch Me If You Can has never toured Adelaide. With music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the musical debuted on Broadway in 2011. It’s since been nominated for four Tony Awards and six Drama Desk Awards.
This will be the first of three shows that Full Circle Theatre Co has planned for the coming 18 month.
Jo, an award-winning music theatre veteran who inspired and drove the creation of Full Circle, says the company will to provide unprecedented opportunities to enrich and grow SA’s live theatre community.
“We are kick-starting careers for local artists to hone their talents at home, where previously they had to move to the eastern states to earn those opportunities,” she said.
“Our state’s amateur music theatre scene is fantastic, but we’re now providing a platform for fully professional, high-quality productions the likes of which have never been possible here before.”
Jo says Full Circle’s ambition to reach new audiences is just one element underpinning the company’s mission statement.
“First and foremost, we’re providing those career pathways for artists in training, recent graduates and those who’ve been performing elsewhere but would like to come home to SA,” she said.
“But, of course, every element of the arts thrives on interactions with our audiences.”
Music theatre in SA makes up just 9% of overall live entertainment attendance compared to up to 17% in other states.
“That’s’ not because South Australians aren’t fans of music theatre, we just don’t have the opportunities people have elsewhere,” Jo said.
“SA has never had its own professional music theatre company, and too often we see the bigger national productions skip Adelaide in favour of more populous cities.
“As a key part of our commitment to grow local audiences we’re forging partnerships with educational institutions, community groups and businesses, ensuring accessible and affordable admission to unforgettable live music theatre experiences.”
Full Circle enjoys the patronage of renowned philanthropist and arts lover Dr Pamela Wall AO.
“I just adore music theatre,” Dr Wall said.
“Jo and her team are doing such a wonderful thing for our talented young artists, but I particularly like their commitment to present music theatre to new audiences who might not have experienced the spectacle before.”
Giants of the stage scene in SA and beyond including Rachael Beck, Libby Donovan and Peter Goers have joined the Full Circle mission as official ambassadors.
Mr Goers says the fledgeling company is in the best hands possible under its award-winning Artistic Director.
“I admire Jo vastly and she is the most brilliant director/producer of musical theatre in Adelaide in my long experience,” he said.
I’m in awe of her talent, her entrepreneurial spirit and her much-needed push for a professional music theatre company in Adelaide.”
