Magic of Fred Astaire

A Fine Romance: The Magic of Fred Astaire Chapel off Chapel | Melbourne | October 10-15 ‘Can’t sing, can’t act, slightly balding, can dance a little’ After playing to full houses and dazzling crowds across Australia, Melbourne audiences will finally get the chance to see A Fine Romance: The Magic of Fred Astaire , playing at Chapel off Chapel from 10 October 2017 for a strictly limited season.

When starting out in the industry, Fred Astaire was once dismissed with his abilities summarised as " Can't sing, can't act, slightly balding, can dance a little." It is 30 years since the passing of Fred Astaire, and to celebrate his life, Melbourne independent theatre company JTM Productions is bringing back the old world glamour and charm of the 30s and 40s in an all singing, all dancing tribute to the man who went on to become one of the most famous dancers of all time.

Starring Joe Meldrum and Imogen Moore , together with Daniele Buatti on piano and a jazz ensemble, A Fine Romance recreates the legendary dance routines of the era and takes the audience from Fred’s humble beginnings on Broadway, all the way to his Hollywood days and on screen romances with his many leading ladies, including Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Rita Hayworth and of course - most famously - Ginger Rogers!

[caption id="attachment_19832" align="alignright" width="340"] Joe Meldrum & Imogen Moore. Photo Andrew Follows[/caption] Produced by Margaret Fisk AM, A Fine Romance had its world premiere in Adelaide in 2016 and has since toured extensively across South Australia, Victoria and most recently Queensland, selling out shows, breaking box office records and thrilling audiences wherever it played. The production will to Queensland in October and then in 2018 will be playing in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Northern Territory and Tasmania.

“We are extremely excited about this show,” said Margaret. “Not only is the story of Fred Astaire fascinating, we also feature an incredible selection of his songs and of course, the extraordinary dance routines that he was famous for. Audiences everywhere have simply fallen in love with A Fine Romance and with the incredible performances by Joe and Imogen’.

A Fine Romance is a show with a big heart, capturing the story of a dancing legend and an all-round entertainer who was and still is, adored by millions of fans around the world.

With beautiful costumes, plenty of glitz, extraordinary dancing and of course, the timeless music of Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, the Gershwins, with songs including The Way You Look Tonight, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off, Cheek to Cheek, Puttin on the Ritz, Top Hat, That’s Entertainment and more, this show has something for everyone.

A Fine Romance: The Magic of Fred Astaire Chapel off Chapel 10-15 October 2017 Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au Written by Margaret Fisk AM Directed & Choreographed by Jeremy Hinman Musical Direction by Daniele Buatti Musical Arrangements by Shanon Whitelock Design and Costumes by Christina Logan-Bell Lighting by Lucy Birkinshaw