Arts Centre Melbourne’s Morning Melodies return to Hamer Hall to delight audiences with a stellar line-up of music theatre, cabaret, jazz and dance from April to December 2022. The much loved, feel-good concerts will celebrate Australian performers including Michael Cormick, Christopher Horsey, Bobby Fox, Zoy Frangos and Trevor Ashley as well as future stars of the stage with performances from The Australian Ballet School and Victorian College of the Arts.
Kicking things off in April is Two Hits and a Ms with acclaimed tap dancer Christopher Horsey, Mr Franki Valley himself Bobby Fox and music theatre darling Nicole Melloy as they bring to life all the famous songs and tap dances from the stage and screen. The trio will dazzle with their masterful footwork and vocal prowess alongside a fabulous live band.
Now an annual tradition, The Australian Ballet School’s performance En Pointe will see a wonderful repertoire filled with energy, athleticism and the refined skills of the School’s young dancers as it celebrates the art of ballet from the sophisticated to the sublime in May.
International drag superstar Trevor Ashley takes to the stage as Liza Minnelli in June. This hilarious tribute, Liza with a He!, explores all the great roles and Broadway show tunes that Liza never got to sing; along with her much loved classics. Some of Broadway’s greatest hits including ‘I Have Confidence’, ‘Memory’, ‘Send in the Clowns’, ‘One Singular Sensation’ plus Minnelli masterpieces, ‘Maybe This Time’, ‘Cabaret’ and ‘New York, New York’ will be belted out from the Hamer Hall stage.
Most recently seen with Tina Arena AM in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical EVITA, Zoy Frangos will perform Variations in July. As the son of a Greek migrant father and Indigenous-Australian mother, the music theatre heart throb offers a fresh take on the typical Australian story. Backed by a powerhouse band and a collective of First Nations singers, Frangos tells his story with honesty and humour. Be blown away by his variations on classic songs like ‘Bring Him Home’, ‘Jailhouse Rock’ and the theme from The Godfather.
Then in August, the graduating students from the Victorian College of the Arts classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022 will celebrate the best of Broadway’s songbook. From the magic of ‘The Golden Age’ to the excitement of Broadway’s most recent blockbusters, the ensemble of future stars will explore the great love songs, exciting choruses and powerful ballads that have defined this genre for over 100 years.
In September, The Syncopators will take audiences on a jazz jaunt from the 1920s to the 1950s. Featuring Peter Gaudion and Yvette Johansson, the band will light up the stage in September with hits from self-proclaimed inventor of jazz, Jelly Roll Morton and Joe ‘King’ Oliver to the pre-Rock ‘Jump-Jive’ era of Louis Prima and Louis Jordan as well as female jazz icons Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
Orchestra Victoria presents a stunning, specially curated program for Morning Melodies in October under the leadership of Artistic Director Nicolette Fraillon AM. Principal performance partners of The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera and most recently accompanying local contemporary musicians The Teskey Brothers and Mo’Ju, the musical beauty and craftsmanship of this ensemble will be spotlighted in this unmissable concert.
In November, internationally renowned singer and actor, Michael Cormick, is thrilled to present his homage to the great Burt Bacharach. In the ’60s and ’70s, Bacharach wrote an astonishing 52 Top 40 hits. Together with his band, Cormick will perform fan favourites like ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose?’, ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’, ‘There’s Always Something There to Remind Me’, ‘Say a Little Prayer’, ‘Close to You’, and ‘What the World Needs Now’.
The 2022 Morning Melodies program will wrap up in December with the ever-adored Christmas Melodies heralding the arrival of the festive season. Special guest performers will be announced closer to the date but will certainly be a concert of favourite carols and songs accompanied by a magnificent big band.
Tickets for the 2022 season will be on sale from 17 January for Full Subscriptions, 31 January for Choose Your Own Subscriptions and 21 February for single tickets via artscentremelbourne.com.au or, you can call the contact centre on 1300 182 183.
Arts Centre Melbourne presents
Morning Melodies 2022
Hamer Hall | April – December 2022 | 11am and 1:30pm
Bookings at artscentremelbourne.com.au
Arts Centre Melbourne’s acclaimed Morning Melodies started in 1985 when performer Betty Pounder and producer Sandy Graham decided it was time to make good use of an otherwise empty theatre on a Monday morning. More than 35 years on, Morning Melodies has presented more than 450 concerts and welcomed more than half a million audience members, making it a quintessential Melbourne experience.
Morning Melodies 2022 Program
Monday 11 April
Two Hits and a Ms
Tuesday 24 May
En Pointe: The Australian Ballet School
Monday 20 June
Liza with a He!
Monday 18 July
Zoy Frangos: Variations
Monday 1 August
Victorian College of the Arts – Music Theatre Showcase
Monday 19 September
The Syncopators featuring Peter Gaudion and Yvette Johansson
Monday 24 October
Orchestra Victoria
Monday 14 November
Michael Cormick sings Bacharach
Monday 12 December
Christmas Melodies
For more information and interviews, please contact Advisor, Media and Communications Michael Barr on 0434 410 939 or michael.barr@artscentremelbourne.com.au
We’re excited to be welcoming visitors back to all of our venues for live experiences in line with the most recent Victorian Government guidelines on COVID-19. We will continue to offer engaging online experiences via our digital hub – Together With You.
For more information including: our current health and safety policies; bookings for free and ticketed events; and other digital content and experiences, please visit artscentremelbourne.com.au.
