Velvet Rewired
Opera House Studio
Due to extraordinary demand, the Sydney season in the Opera House Studio of Velvet Rewired, the celebration of the glitz and glamour of the disco era, will be extended until 12 February 2023.
This glittering spectacle of circus, cabaret and a love letter to disco, opens this week on Thursday 22 December, starring the fearlessly fabulous Marcia Hines (Jesus Christ Superstar, HAIR), reprising her role from the hit-show Velvet as the “Diva”.
Premiering at the 2020 Adelaide Fringe festival to glowing reviews, Velvet Rewired continues the story of a young man on his path to self-discovery as he returns to the club seeking redemption. Craig Reid (La Clique, La Soirée) returns as the incredible “Hula Boy” and Joe Accaria (Once, Dream Lover) as the DJ and mix-master. Rounding out the cast are performer Tom Sharah (Shrek, I Will Survive on Channel 10) as “Country Mike”, London based aerialist Beau Sargent (L’Hôtell), aerialist Harley Timmermans (Babylon), German skating duo Sven and Jan (Cirque du Soleil), and the vocal power of Jacinta Gulisano (The Voice 2018) and Sasha Lee Saunders as the “Sirens”.
To the hedonistic tunes of perpetual anthems like “Ain’t No Body” (Chaka Khan and Rufus), “It’s Raining Men” (The Weather Girls) and “Born to Be Alive” (Patrick Hernandez), Velvet Rewired pays homage to disco greats and New York’s Studio 54, the infamous club synonymous with a celebration of cultural acceptance, glitter and disco.
Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance, Ebony Bott, says: “Due to incredible audience demand I am thrilled to extend Velvet Rewired’s Opera House season by an extra week, adding eight performances between 7 and 12 February. This celebration of the glitz and glamour of the disco era is feel-good entertainment at its best – we can’t wait to welcome audiences to boogie wonderland all summer!”
Directed by Craig Ilott (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Love Song), Velvet Rewired is a seamless integration of acrobatics, aerialists and vocalists who deliver a performance drenched in high energy and dizzying nostalgia. Ilott directed the original Velvet that premiered at the Opera House in 2015. Velvet has left behind glitter and good vibes after more than 1200 performances in some of the world’s biggest fringe festivals including Adelaide and Edinburgh, on cruise ships in the Caribbean, and theatres in Germany, France and Italy. The creative team is completed by Amy Campbell (Choreographer), James Browne (Set and Costume Designer) and Matthew Marshall (Lighting Designer).
★★★★★
“If you’ve seen Velvet before, you’ll want to see it again. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s about time you did”. – InDaily
“a non-stop mega-mix of hits and spectacles” – Adelaide Advertiser
Velvet Rewired will tour nationally to Adelaide, Hobart, Townsville, Newcastle and Melbourne following the Sydney Opera House season.
