The Launceston Musical Society is bringing the queen of blue-eyed soul to Launceston.
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Dusty: The Original Pop Diva is an Australian jukebox musical, weaving the hits and some of the music legend’s lesser known work into her tumultuous life story.
With rehearsals now well underway, the star of the show Jade Howard said she was delving deeper and deeper into who pop singer Dusty Springfield really was.
“Dusty's a real person, so you've got to be really genuine and you've got to play her the way she is,” Howard said.
“You can't go out there and play Dusty how you think she might be because you've got to play her as her.”
The experienced performer and mother of three appeared in LMS’s productions of Legally Blonde, and Avenue Q – as well as playing Rizzo in Grease, and appearing in Fawlty Towers, both Encore Theatre productions.
“The biggest challenge that I'm having is just juggling family, work and show-life - it's always a struggle at the beginning and then you get into the rhythm of it and it gets nice and smooth,” she said.
Dusty's a real person, so you've got to be really genuine and you've got to play her the way she is.
- Jade Howard
Throughout the musical, Dusty is accompanied by her former self, Mary O’Brien, a plain girl who dreamed of the stage.
Growing up in the UK, she struggled against her parents’ expectations that she lead a regular life.
“They wanted her to be normal, get a job, get married, that was it,” said Nikia Breen, 18, who plays Dusty’s younger self.
“They wanted to chuck out the fame and not even try - 'Get away from the stage' - that's what they wanted.”
Director Georgie Todman said she was thrilled to guide the cast through the theatre-making process.
“It's a big ask, particularly for Dusty - for Dusty it's a demanding show,” she said.
Howard says she still gets “choked up” when she reads the end of the script, as Dusty struggles with the harsh reality of life in the spotlight.
“I think everybody does have a type of persona, some are just bigger than others and in the time where she was doing everything, she had to have a persona to survive.”
ARTY FACTS
WHAT: Dusty: The Original Pop Diva
WHEN: Friday 24 June until Saturday 2 July
WHERE: Country Club Tasmania Showroom
TICKETS: www.tixtas.com.au/Home.aspx
Prices $25 to $70
