Natalie Bassingthwaighte, JAGGED LITTLE PILLCredit: Evan Zimmerman
Natalie Bassingthwaighte will star in the Australian production of JAGGED LITTLE PILL in the lead role of Mary Jane Healy.
#lovensw #ilovesydney
Producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, Eva Price, Howard Panter for Trafalgar Entertainment and Torben Brookman for GWB Entertainment are thrilled to announce that the Australian tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL, the 15- time Tony Award nominated Broadway musical, inspired by the ground-breaking album of the same name by Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette, will now premiere in Sydney, opening at the Theatre Royal Sydney on 2 December for an exclusive limited season.
“We are thrilled to be reopening the magnificent newly refurbished Theatre Royal Sydney with JAGGED LITTLE PILL. An exceptional new musical for an exceptional reborn world class theatre.” said Sir Howard Panter, Joint CEO Trafalgar Entertainment Group
As previously announced the original Sydney season was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions and original ticket holders will be notified directly regarding the new rescheduled performance dates in December.
Natalie Bassingthwaighte will star in the Australian production of JAGGED LITTLE PILL in the lead role of Mary Jane Healy, the perfectly imperfect mother, she has it altogether on the outside but is achingly fragile on the inside, learning to navigate her own struggles but also safeguarding her and her family’s needs for healing. Natalie is one of Australia’s most awarded and beloved entertainers, having developed a rich career as an actor, musician and TV presenter. She was most recently seen on Australian stage in her critically acclaimed performance as Roxy Hart in Chicago. After commencing her career in musical theatre productions such as Rent, Grease and Footloose, the multiple Logie Award nominee also has vast acting credits including her successful long run in Neighbours and is about to star in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis playing a young Elvis’ Stepmother alongside Tom Hanks. Natalie has appeared as host and judge on a variety of TV talent programs in Australia and New Zealand and as the front woman for Australian pop dance group The Rogue Traders she went on to dominate the pop music charts before releasing her solo album which debuted at Number 1 on the ARIA charts.
“I am beyond excited and privileged to be part of this incredible show. I have such admiration for the key creative team in Alanis, Diablo and Diane who have created a show full of heart, courage, determination, and a vulnerability which I am looking forward to bringing to the role of MJ. I was a huge Alanis fan and of the album as a young adult, a time where I was discovering what sort of person I wanted to become, and I can’t wait to be able to tell this story on stage through the incredible music and lyrics entertaining audiences but also filling them with hopeful inspiration.”, said Natalie Bassingthwaighte.
This news in Australia comes on the eve of the prestigious Tony Awards on Broadway where JAGGED LITTLE PILL is the most nominated show with a total of 15 nominations, and one of the most Tony nominated productions of all time. Tickets sales in New York are reaching daily records as it hurtles towards its return to the stage. Sydney audiences will be the first outside of Broadway to experience this electrifying and inspiring production from December as it plays an exclusive limited season at the Theatre Royal Sydney.
"To be able to announce the Australian Premiere in the same week as our Broadway company is nominated for 15 Tony awards including Best Musical is a source of intense pride and joy. We are honoured to have the luminous Natalie Bassingthwaighte in the lead role of Mary Jane Healy.
The world and COVID-19 have not made things easy, but we know that our endlessly resourceful and tenacious partners Trafalgar Entertainment have assembled an extraordinary cast and team and we can't wait to reopen the historic Theatre Royal Sydney and show Australian audiences the uncompromising power of JAGGED LITTLE PILL." said lead producer Arvind Ethan David.
Further casting for the Australian production will be announced shortly.
The opening of the refurbished Theatre Royal with the exhilarating production JAGGED LITTLE PILL would signal a major milestone for Sydney.
NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin said, “Sydney is coming back with a bang, opening this fantastic, reimagined venue with the first production of JAGGED LITTLE PILL outside of Broadway.
This is sure to be an incredible show, drawing on one of the greatest albums of our time, and fans will be in for an unforgettable night out. It’s the first of many great productions for the Royal that’ll bring nightlife back into the centre of our great city,” Mr Harwin said.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said, “This production at the Royal showcases everything we do brilliantly here in the Harbour City. Audiences will be able to soak up the culture, world-class hospitality and 24-hour economy.”
JAGGED LITTLE PILL premieres in Sydney December 2021. Credit: Jagged Little Pill Australia
The Australian tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL will premiere in Sydney at the Theatre Royal Sydney December 2021.
#ilovesydney #lovensw
JAGGED LITTLE PILL premieres in Sydney December 2021. Credit: Jagged Little Pill Australia
The Australian tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL will premiere in Sydney at the Theatre Royal Sydney December 2021.
Jagged Little Pill the Musical original Broadway cast Credit: Matthew Murphy
The Australian tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL will premiere in Sydney at the Theatre Royal Sydney December 2021.
#lovensw #ilovesydney
Jagged Little Pill the Musical original Broadway cast Credit: Matthew Murphy
The Australian tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL will premiere in Sydney at the Theatre Royal Sydney December 2021.
JAGGED LITTLE PILL is an emphatic new musical with a story that takes a look at what it means to be alive in 21st century America ignited by Morissette’s beloved hits such as ‘You Oughta Know,’ ‘Head Over Feet,’ ‘Hand In My Pocket,’ and ‘Ironic’, as well as 2 brand new songs written just for the show. JAGGED LITTLE PILL features lyrics by Alanis Morissette with music by Morissette and six-time Grammy Award winner Glen Ballard and an original story written by Oscar Award winner Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully). The explosive production is Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin), Movement Direction and Choreography is by Olivier Award winner Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui with Music Supervision, Orchestrations and arrangements by Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Tom Kitt.
Released on 13 June 1995, the tremendous success of Alanis Morissette’s album JAGGED LITTLE PILL skyrocketed her to become the bestselling international debut artist in history; a title she still holds, with the record’s sales reaching 33 million copies worldwide winning 5 Grammy Awards. Now, 25 years after its release, JAGGED LITTLE PILL continues to be one of the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums of All Time. In Australia, the album has sold in excess of one million albums, is certified 2 x Diamond, spent 10 weeks at #1 and was the highest selling album in 1996. With 10 eclectic and acclaimed albums released over the subsequent years, Morissette’s music has garnered 7 Grammy Awards (with 14 nominations), a Golden Globe nomination, and total sales of over 60 million albums.
The story of JAGGED LITTLE PILL centres around the Healy’s, a seemingly perfect suburban family striving to hide the cracks beneath the surface when a troubling event shakes their community. Using themes and emotions in the original album, the musical embraces today’s powerful social voice and burns with passion in its uplifting storytelling, ultimately highlighting the hope and healing that comes when people come together.
JAGGED LITTLE PILL opened on Broadway in December 2019 following its record-breaking, sold-out world premiere at the American Repertory Theater. Fans and critics were unapologetic with their love for the musical and of course were devastated when the show had to shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions 3 months into its Broadway season. Its success though has not been halted with a 2021 Grammy Award win for the Best Musical Theatre Album released through Atlantic Records and then scooping the pool with 15 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, Best Director, Best Book and Best Choreography making it the production with the highest number of Tony Award nominations for this season.
The Australasian premiere of JAGGED LITTLE PILL in Sydney is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW and Destination NSW.
www.jaggedmusical.com
Instagram: @jaggedmusicalau
Media Enquiries:
Lucky Star Media, Vicky Iliopoulos, vicky@luckystarmedia.com.au +61 410 551 388
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Dorothy Smith & Yes Theory, Sydney Credit: Bluesfest
102-year-old visits Sydney and officially completes her seven-continent lifelong dream
#feelnewsydney
Destination NSW has teamed up with the popular YouTube channel Yes Theory, with its impressive 9.2 million subscribers, and Qantas, to fulfil 102-year-old San Franciso local, Dorothy Smith’s lifelong dream of visiting Sydney, Australia, completing her remarkable journey to every continent in the world.
Yes Theory producers Ammar Kandil and Staffan Taylor first met Dorothy in October 2024 when they moved into The Redwoods Retirement Village for 48 hours. Moved by Dorothy’s heartfelt regret of not yet reaching her final frontier, Australia, Ammar and Staffan felt compelled to help her complete this remarkable journey.
Reflecting on her motivation to travel and time in Sydney, Dorothy shared, "Travel is important to me because it’s a big world, and each country is different and has something different to offer; I want to see them all and I don’t want to miss anything!
“I loved visiting Sydney; it’s a beautiful city. The people are charming, the food is good, the scenery is just wonderful, and even the weather is nice! We saw the little koala bears, of course the Sydney Opera House, we went to the Botanic Gardens, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, good restaurants, and the lovely Bondi Beach where we got our feet a little wet and the water was really cold! And the people – they are all so nice, and so friendly!”
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn featuring Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney CBD and Opera House
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn Credit: Ethan Rohloff; Destination NSW
Sydney Harbour aerial at dawn featuring Royal Botanic Gardens and Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney CBD and Opera House
Dorothy Smith & Yes Theory, Sydney Credit: Bluesfest
102-year-old visits Sydney and officially completes her seven-continent lifelong dream
#feelnewsydney
Dorothy Smith & Yes Theory, Sydney Credit: Bluesfest
102-year-old visits Sydney and officially completes her seven-continent lifelong dream
A living link to history, Dorothy is more than twice the age of the Sydney Opera House. In 1922, the year she was born, the NSW Government passed the Sydney Harbour Bridge Act, laying the foundation for the construction of the iconic bridge. Today, the Sydney Harbour Bridge stands as a powerful symbol of Australia’s resilience and connection to the world—a fitting backdrop for Dorothy’s own journey of exploration and discovery.
With Qantas’s support, Dorothy embarked on her adventure to Sydney in comfort, and received an exclusive invite to the cock-pit to meet the pilot, before she was warmly welcomed at Sydney Airport with personalised displays and a crowd of Yes Theory fans eager to celebrate her arrival. Her stay at the luxurious Shangri-La Sydney became a “home away from home,” offering Dorothy the chance to wake up to the breathtaking view of the Sydney Opera House—a landmark she had always dreamed of seeing firsthand.
Ammar Kandil, co-founder of Yes Theory, was driven to support her adventure saying, “Dorothy’s story is a powerful reminder that life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and we’re incredibly happy to help her achieve this lifelong dream to visit Sydney and tick of Australia as her seventh and final continent.
“Our mantra is ‘seek discomfort’ and embrace adventure, and Dorothy’s journey truly embodies the spirit of our channel. Her incredible story is set to inspire millions around the world to pursue their own adventures, no matter the obstacles.”
The Rocks, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Family exploring The Rocks in Sydney
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The Rocks, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Family exploring The Rocks in Sydney
Sydney Luxury Cruise, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Luxury Cruises operates on Sydney Harbour exploring the harbour beaches, waterfront mansions and icons.
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Luxury Cruise, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Luxury Cruises operates on Sydney Harbour exploring the harbour beaches, waterfront mansions and icons.
Dorothy’s time in Sydney has been nothing short of iconic, filled with experiences that capture the heart of NSW. Her itinerary included:
- An afternoon cruising on Sydney Harbour, marvelling at the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House
- An up-close encounter with Australian wildlife at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo in Darling Harbour, where Dorothy met koalas, and even a kangaroo named Dorothy.
- A tour of the Sydney Opera House adding yet another milestone to her journey.
- A visit to the iconic Bondi Beach, where Dorothy enjoyed splashing her feet in the waves and seeing one of the world’s most famous beaches.
And Dorothy’s secret to a long, healthy life? “You have to exercise, you have to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and stay hydrated. And also, FUN! You have to have fun so you’ll stay healthy, and you can also enjoy 102 years! And if there’s anything else you want to try, go ahead and try it!”
To follow Dorothy’s journey and see Sydney through her remarkable perspective, check out Yes Theory’s latest video at youtube.com/@YesTheory.
For inspiration for your own Sydney adventure, visit sydney.com
Australian Wildlife Tour Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Australian Wildlife Tour at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
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Australian Wildlife Tour Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Australian Wildlife Tour at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Bondi Beach, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic Bondi coastline in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.
#feelnewsydney
Bondi Beach, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
The scenic Bondi coastline in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.