Brian Beasley and Kayne Mills preparing for their showcase at the Curious Oddball Takeover of the Civic Theatre. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen.
A self-taught guitarist, a multi-instrumentalist and a singer-songwriter are a few of the talents set to commandeer the Civic Theatre stage for an upcoming three-day community variety show.
The Curious Rabbit cafe gallery and Oddball Theatre have teamed up to seize Wagga Civic Theatre from 14 to 16 July for The Curious Oddball Takeover.
Wagga musicians Kayne Mills, Brian Beasley and June Price are some of the names performing at the show.
Kayne, who picked up his first guitar at 12, will be performing a couple of his original pieces.
“I wrote one of my songs just before 2020 happened with the hope things were going to be nice and smooth for the year and finished my second song several weeks ago,” he said.
“My song Spark is about the spark of creation. There is some singing and a few spoken words in it. And my second song is about the perception of an experience and how something we perceive isn’t the reality.”
Kayne said the musical takeover creates an opportunity for the Civic Theatre and the audience to see the value of variety showcases (as opposed to specific showcases).
“It can be a variety and something unique that perhaps gets overlooked in the creative arts,” he said.
“Hopefully, we can get more of these shows to flourish in the community and more people to participate.”
Brian will sing and play his ukulele, bongo drum, concertina and harmonica.
The musician of 70 years said his parents gave him a ukulele as a Christmas present.
“It came with a little book called how to play the ukulele in five minutes, and that’s how I started,” he said.
“Making music is one of the joys of life, and it is wonderful to be able to share it.”.
The Final Sin is produced by Persona Collective and written and directed by Keeden Hendriks. Photo: Wagga Civic Theatre.
June will be singing a couple of her original songs with backing singers.
She has been singing on and off for the past 40 years and became a songwriter later in life.
“I’d never written songs and performed by myself until recently,” she said.
The Curious Rabbit owner Vickie Burkinshaw said she is excited about the upcoming showcase.
“We are limited by the types of things we can have in this space (The Curious Rabbit) and are constantly selling out,” she said.
“It’s an opportunity for us to work in a bigger space.”
June Price plays the ukulele, kazoo bass guitar and drums. Photo: Shri Gayathirie Rajen
Oddball Theatre director-producer Saasha McMillan has organised the community musical with Ms Burkinshaw to provide the opportunity for local artists and musicians to work together.
“It is a privilege and an honour to perform at the Civic Theatre,” she said. “And we’re giving that chance to people who have never performed at a big space.”
The Curious Oddball Takeover will feature four events over three days.
Oddball Spectacular will showcase a variety of performances by students featuring zombies and ghouls, warriors and wonderland, as well as some cheeky backyard animals on a quest.
Persona Collective’s The Final Sin will be an irreverent surrealist comedy about a girl who experiences heartbreak and embarks on an existential quest to take control of her life.
The Curious Classical Calamity will celebrate live music, artists and genres colliding and collaborating for a spectacular performance.
It will feature the band Catseye Parish, June Price, Kayne Lyndon, Harold Gretton and a calamity of other musicians and music groups.
It will be backed by the Unisong Women’s Choir, Brian’s Ukulele Players and the Conservatorium of Music talent.
The Curious Chaotic Cabaret with The Vaudeville Collective will feature an eclectic mix of performers for a night of drag, music, improvised theatre and circus.
The show will feature Rose Quartz and her court of drag royalty, Dizzy Dilemma and Hooly Dooly’s delightful brand of circus acts and a slew of other talented performers.
The Oddball Spectacular will be on 14 July at 6:30 pm. To purchase tickets, click here.
The Final Sin will be on 15 July at 7:30 pm. To purchase tickets, click here.
The Classical Calamity will be on 16 July at 1 pm. To purchase tickets, click here.
The Curious Chaotic Cabaret will be on 16 July at 8 pm. To purchase tickets, click here.
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