Lucy Durack
Encyclopedia
Lucy Durack is an Australian musical theatre performer most recognised for playing Glinda
in the Australian production of Wicked
.
Originally hailing from Perth
, Lucy graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) and prior to graduating was cast in the Brisbane
and Sydney seasons of Mamma Mia!
in which she understudied and performed the role of Sophie.
Lucy’s screen credits include the lead role of Cassie Bennett on Channel 7’s Headland, All Saints, Rush II, Spicks and Specks, Parlami D'Amore, the Australian feature film Finding Nigel and the worldwide broadcast of the BBC2 Voice of Musical Theatre Competition in Cardiff in which she was a finalist. Lucy is a frequent guest presenter on Channel 7's Absolutely Melbourne.
While regularly performing in concert with various orchestras throughout Australia, Lucy’s cabaret appearances include Immaculate Confection which toured to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Tasmania and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, All Star Cabaret for the Sydney Theatre Company, Cavalcade for His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, and the 2003 Sydney Cabaret Convention for which she received the Judges’ Award.
Lucy has a firm commitment to workshopping and performing new Australian work, having created roles for Mel Morrow and David Mitchell’s The Palace Whore, Nick Enright and David King’s The Good Fight, John Shand’s Rainbow’s End (including the subsequent SBS recording), Guy Noble’s Karaoke The Musical and Matthew Robinson’s Pratt Prize-winning musical Metro Street.
Recent highlights have been singing the National Anthem at the AFL Grand Final and at Oaks Day as part of Melbourne's Spring Racing Carnival and performing on Channel 9's Carols By Candlelight and Channel 7's Carols in The Domain, all as part of the cast of Wicked
.
Lucy is well known for playing the role of Glinda
in the Australian production of Wicked. After previews began in June 2008, the show opened on 12 July at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. It closed on 9 August 2009, and transferred to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, where it ran from 5 September 2009 through 26 September 2010. After a short break, Durack began performances on the show's Australian National Tour which began 25 January 2011 in Brisbane (running to 2 April). It moved to Adelaide from 14 April to 4 June 2011, and plays Perth from 19 June through 7 August 2011. She has co-starred alongside various Australian theatre performers including Amanda Harrison
, Jemma Rix
, Pippa Grandison
, Maggie Kirkpatrick
, Bert Newton
, Rob Guest
, Rob Mills
and Anthony Callea
.
At the end of the Australian tour of Wicked (11 Sept 2011), Lucy Durack moved on from her four year role of Glinda to Melbourne for rehearsal for the role of the mayor's daughter in a new Australian production of Strange Bedfellows. Lucy passed the role of Glinda onto Suzie Mathers, who is still starring as Glinda.
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
in the Australian production of Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Biography
Lucy has fast become one of Australia’s rising young leading ladies with a list of major roles to her credit including Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Miss Dorothy in the Australian Premiere of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate, Rikki Rose in Respect and Laurey in Oklahoma!.Originally hailing from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, Lucy graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) and prior to graduating was cast in the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and Sydney seasons of Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! is a stage musical written by British playwright Catherine Johnson, based on the songs of ABBA, composed by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, former members of the band. Although the title of the musical is taken from the group's 1975 chart-topper "Mamma Mia", the plot is fictional, not...
in which she understudied and performed the role of Sophie.
Lucy’s screen credits include the lead role of Cassie Bennett on Channel 7’s Headland, All Saints, Rush II, Spicks and Specks, Parlami D'Amore, the Australian feature film Finding Nigel and the worldwide broadcast of the BBC2 Voice of Musical Theatre Competition in Cardiff in which she was a finalist. Lucy is a frequent guest presenter on Channel 7's Absolutely Melbourne.
While regularly performing in concert with various orchestras throughout Australia, Lucy’s cabaret appearances include Immaculate Confection which toured to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Tasmania and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, All Star Cabaret for the Sydney Theatre Company, Cavalcade for His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, and the 2003 Sydney Cabaret Convention for which she received the Judges’ Award.
Lucy has a firm commitment to workshopping and performing new Australian work, having created roles for Mel Morrow and David Mitchell’s The Palace Whore, Nick Enright and David King’s The Good Fight, John Shand’s Rainbow’s End (including the subsequent SBS recording), Guy Noble’s Karaoke The Musical and Matthew Robinson’s Pratt Prize-winning musical Metro Street.
Recent highlights have been singing the National Anthem at the AFL Grand Final and at Oaks Day as part of Melbourne's Spring Racing Carnival and performing on Channel 9's Carols By Candlelight and Channel 7's Carols in The Domain, all as part of the cast of Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
.
Lucy is well known for playing the role of Glinda
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. She is the most powerful sorceress of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Country south of the Emerald City, and protector of Princess Ozma.- Literature :Baum's 1900 children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz...
in the Australian production of Wicked. After previews began in June 2008, the show opened on 12 July at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. It closed on 9 August 2009, and transferred to the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, where it ran from 5 September 2009 through 26 September 2010. After a short break, Durack began performances on the show's Australian National Tour which began 25 January 2011 in Brisbane (running to 2 April). It moved to Adelaide from 14 April to 4 June 2011, and plays Perth from 19 June through 7 August 2011. She has co-starred alongside various Australian theatre performers including Amanda Harrison
Amanda Harrison
Amanda Harrison is an Australian musical theatre performer who will be originating the role of Paula in the World Premiere of An Officer and a Gentleman in Sydney 2012.-Early years:...
, Jemma Rix
Jemma Rix
Jemma Rix is an Australian theatre performer, currently starring as Elphaba in the Australian touring production of Wicked. Previously, she played the role during the Sydney season, served as standby in Melbourne, and performed in the 30-minute show at Universal Studios Japan...
, Pippa Grandison
Pippa Grandison
Pippa Jody Grandison is an Australian musical theatre performer. She currently lives in Sydney, with husband Steve Le Marquand and daughter Charlie.-Career:...
, Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick is an Australian actress, who is best known for her portrayal of the iconic character Joan Ferguson, a sadistic and corrupt lesbian prison officer known to the prisoners as "The Freak" in the popular Australian television soap opera, Prisoner...
, Bert Newton
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
, Rob Guest
Rob Guest
Robert John Guest, OBE was a British born New Zealand-Australian actor and singer, best known for his work in Australian musical theatre, particularly in various productions of The Phantom of the Opera...
, Rob Mills
Rob Mills
Rob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
and Anthony Callea
Anthony Callea
Anthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 2004 season of Australian Idol when he became runner up. He was signed to Sony Music Australia until 2009 and is now an independent artist...
.
At the end of the Australian tour of Wicked (11 Sept 2011), Lucy Durack moved on from her four year role of Glinda to Melbourne for rehearsal for the role of the mayor's daughter in a new Australian production of Strange Bedfellows. Lucy passed the role of Glinda onto Suzie Mathers, who is still starring as Glinda.
External links
- Lucy Durack's official website
- http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23253780-14761,00.html Brief bio at The Australian
- A review of Kiss kiss bang bang cabaret with Matthew RobinsonMatthew Robinson (performer and composer)Matthew Robinson is an Australian performer and composer.Robinson was born in Queensland and graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts...