The special fundraising dress rehearsal of Melba at the Hayes Theatre on August 10 was a tremendous success with a sold out performance of the new Australian musical starring opera diva Emma Matthews. It was a rare opportunity to be the premiere audience of an exciting new project from the creative team of Nicholas Christo (Book and Lyrics), Jonathan Luebbers (Composer), Director Wayne Harrison and Musical Director Michael Tyack. Melba opened several days later to critical acclaim and a sold out season. This exclusive performance was donated by Victoria Wildie, General Manager of the Hayes and the Producer of Melba, Kerry Commerford.
The brilliant cast were Emma Matthews, Annie Aitken, Michael Beckley, Caitlin Berry, Andrew Cutcliffe, Blake Erickson, Genevieve Lemon, Adam Rennie and Samuel Skulthorp. ABF looks forward to presenting other performances of Hayes productions soon.