How to make it on Broadway, plus a twisted tale challenges these actors
Back stage... The make up artist. Meet the veteran head of WHAM (that's wardrobe, hair and make-up) Fiona Cooper-Sutherland as she transforms Christine Anu into Hermes, the silver god for the musical Hadestown.
In the classic play The Maids by Jean Genet, two servant sisters act out a sinister game -- playing at murdering their mistress. Then the mistress herself enters the plot. Canberra theatre company The Street is staging this absurdist and chilling drama. We hear from actors Christina Falsone, Sophia Marzone, Natasha Vickery and director Caroline Stacey. The original sound design is by Kimmo Vennonen.
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Perth Now
6 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Eileen Fulton dies aged 91
Eileen Fulton has died. The veteran actress - who was known as the first bad girl of daytime television for her role as Lisa Miller in As the World Turns - passed away on 14 July in Asheville, North Carolina, at the age of 91 following a period of declining health, her family announced in an obituary. Eileen joined As the World Turns in May 1960 until the CBS show went off air in September 2010, making her one of the longest-starring soap actors in US TV history, despite the role initially being created as a short-term character. The actress - whose real name was Margaret Elizabeth McLarty - was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and received a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Eileen was raised in Asheville and moved to New York to pursue an acting career after graduating from Greensboro College with a music degree in 1956. In the Big Apple, she studied with famed acting coaches Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg at the Neighborhood Playhouse, as well as dance teacher Martha Graham, and her feature debut came in 1960 in Girl of the Night. Eileen was also a writer and singer and performed a cabaret act for years in venues in both New York and Los Angeles. At one point during her time on As the World Turns - which was then broadcast live - she was also appearing on Broadway in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf and in off-Broadway musical The Fantasticks. She co-wrote her first autobiography, How My World Turns, in 1970 and jointly wrote her second, As My World Still Turns, 25 years later. Eileen also wrote a series of murder-mystery books and a novel titled Soap Opera. She retired in 2019 and moved back to North Carolina. Eileen is survived by her brother, Charles Furman McLarty, niece Katherine Morris and their children, and her sister-in-law Chris Page McLarty.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘We're done': Queensland influencers' huge call about living in Australia
A pair of Queensland influencers and their two children are leaving Australia 'for good' – a decision that an increased number of people have made in recent months, no longer able to hack our nation's soaring house prices and cost of living pressures. Brent and Molly Orwell, who rose to social media fame by documenting their two-and-a-half year trip around Australia in a caravan, shared the news with their followers this week. 'WE'RE LEAVING AUSTRALIA. FOR GOOD. (Not for a holiday. Not for a break. Not for a visa. We're done),' they wrote in a lengthy Facebook post. 'We've sat with this decision for months … years!! Wrestled with it. Played out every scenario. Listened to every doubt, every judgement, every 'what if'. But deep down, we know what's right for our family, our business, and our future. And it's not here … in this country. 'Australia will always be home. But it's no longer where we're meant to grow and raise our children. Because when you're: Taxed to the eyeballs no matter how much you make or 'write off', slammed by (the) rising cost of living no matter what state you live in, crushed by the weight of tall poppy syndrome if you dare dream bigger, seeing policies and laws change faster than you can adapt, watching our cities struggle to keep up with decisions we didn't vote for, watching systems shape your kids in ways you didn't choose … and watching opportunity for entrepreneurs get smaller, not greater … You realise you can either stay silent and conform … or do what's best and make a move. 'We chose to make a move … This isn't a flex. It's a call to anyone who's ever felt like they didn't belong in the system. We have given ourselves approx (sic) 8 weeks and we are out! 'We have so many emotions right now as we pack our first few boxes, but there is no point living a stagnant and truth be told – unhappy life where we are currently at in Australia.' The Orwells are yet to disclose where they will be moving to – instead, urging their followers to guess. But migration data has shown they aren't alone – with many other Australians seeking an alternative, and potentially cheaper, lifestyle. According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures, migrant departures – people leaving Australia to move overseas – increased by 8 per cent to 221,000 from 204,000 between 2023-2024. Since the coronavirus pandemic, the only major demographic group to consistently leave the country is Australian-born citizens, with a further 57,100 leaving in 2023-2024 and just 35,590 coming home. The median age of those moving overseas was 31. Many who have left the country have taken to Reddit, where they blamed high property prices as the sole factor for their departure. 'I'm one of those Aussies who left. I moved to Japan. The job pays about the same as I'd make in Australia but the cost of living is way lower. Got a loan and bought a home only 20 minutes from two capital cities,' one Redditor said. A second one wrote: 'I moved overseas and won't return unless the housing prices go down or become accessible. I literally will never afford a house back in my home country until it does. I've purchased a 2 bedroom apartment overseas in a city with fine living conditions (although I miss the beaches) for a good price.' 'Wish I could return, but it's not worth it to live in poverty or without prospects of a future. Congrats, Boomers,' they added. 'Crazy' place Aussies aren't heading to The Orwells' move comes just months after fellow Queenslander Kat Clark – who has a combined TikTok and Instagram following of more than eight million – announced that she, her husband and youngest daughter would be relocating to the US. 'We have had some opportunities come up in America and we are going to give it a go,' Ms Clark explained, adding her family intends to stay in LA for the next two years. The 38-year-old's announcement came as a surprise to her fans, many of whom questioned why the popular influencer and businesswoman would ditch Australia for America, particularly given President Donald Trump's increasingly controversial – and concerning – government policies and strict border stance. 'Moving to America in this political climate is crazy,' one follower wrote, while another added, 'She thinks living in America will be like visiting America for a holiday. Can't wait for the 'we're moving back' video.' Addressing the backlash in a subsequent episode of her Basically Besties podcast, Ms Clark said the family's relocation had been in the works for at least a year, and had been prolonged by the process of securing a visa. 'I didn't want to tell people where we were moving until we got confirmation, but I also didn't want to tell people because I knew (they) would get mad at me – which happened,' she said. 'I understand where everyone is coming from. Living in Australia, we get a lot of negative media about the US – you see all the US shootings, you see crazy people that live in America – so, I get it. 'But a lot of people don't understand with our jobs and what we do, there isn't as much opportunity in Australia than there is in America – and that's one of the main reasons we are going there, for our work … If it's the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life, I am going to come back home.' Australian travel businesses have seen bookings to the US drop significantly as Australians, Canadians and Europeans choose to holiday elsewhere, amid experts' warnings and cases of tourists being denied entry on arrival (and, at times, strip searched and thrown in prison) spooking travellers. Earlier this year, US International Trade Administration statistics showed the number of visitors from Down Under had plummeted 7 per cent in the 12 months to March 2025 – the steepest decline since the same time four years ago, when the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak. Flight Centre CEO and founder Graham Turner told it was an 'unsettled climate' impacting business travel, while tourists worry about passport control or simply don't want to visit the States 'because they don't like what Donald Trump's doing'. The President's trade and entry policies were a 'significant' contributing factor to Flight Centre revising its 2025 financial year profit guidance from $365-$405 million to $300-$335 million. Mr Turner said it was also the one major factor that is 'outside (Flight Centre's) control'. Mr Turner said he hoped Australian and global travel to the US will start to recover between now and September 'depending on what Trump does'. 'It depends a lot on what actually happens to these tariffs … which obviously we can't predict,' he said.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Aussie makes history, selected to Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad
Australian-raised Faith Ward has made history, getting selected to the prestigous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading squad. The Cowboys cheerleading squad is one of the most competitive cheerleading squads in the world and has grown to be just as popular as the NFL team they support. Tszyu vs Fundora 2 & Pacquiao vs Barrios | SUN 20 JULY 10AM AEST | Tim Tszyu faces Sebastian Fundora in a blockbuster rematch, plus Manny Pacquiao makes his highly anticipated return to the ring to face Mario Barrios. | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports Two seasons of the Netflix documentary America's Sweethearts have given sport fans, and dance enthusiasts an insight into the brutal multistage audition process to get selected to the squad. Ward, a dancer from Perth, has achieved the incredible accomplishment of being selected to the squad of 36 cheerleaders for the 2025-26 NFL season. She was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia as a child — the 22-year-old is one of just six rookies selected to the team of 36, which is traditionally comprised mostly of returning 'veterans'. 'This journey has been incredibly challenging, both physically and mentally, but I wouldn't change a thing,' Ward wrote in an emotional announcement. 'I've been pushed in ways I never imagined, I've learned and grown so much already. 'I'm excited to see where this wild ride takes me. I feel so privileged to stand alongside not only the most talented dancers but also some of the most amazing women I've ever met.' Ward posted a heartwarming video of her sharing the news of her selection with her loved ones, showing off the iconic uniform. 'So beyond grateful and blessed to turn my biggest dream into a reality,' she said. 'I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the Cowboys Organisation for believing in me and giving me this life-changing opportunity. It is truly an honour. 'To my family, friends, coaches, and mentors who have been by my side throughout this entire journey, thank you will never be enough. I wouldn't be where I am today without you.' The Daily Telegraph reports Ward has previously performed on cruise ships. The Dallas Cowboys are renowned for their iconic blue and white uniforms and their signature pre-game routine to the AC/DC classic hit Thunderstruck. Ward wrote on Instagram: 'The best day of my life. STILL CRYING. So beyond grateful words can't describe this feeling.' The Cowboys were adopted as America's team in the 20th century, but the historic franchise haven't won a Super Bowl since 1996, so the dance troupe is arguably more successful than the football team these days. Veteran dancers successfully campaigned for a renumeration increase, and the Cowboys finally agreed to a 400 per cent pay rise last year — a welcome relief for dancers, many of whom work several jobs on top of their cheerleading commitments. The selection means Ward is the first Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (DCC) from New Zealand and the third from Australia after Jinelle Esther and Angela Nicotera.
