Two of the biggest names in the Illawarra's theatre world - Scott Radburn and Daniel Downing - have been cast as the lead roles in an upcoming production of The Producers.
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It was revealed this week that Radburn has won the role of Max Bialystock and Downing has been chosen to play Leo Bloom, in a Wollongong season of the Tony-award winning musical which premiered on Broadway in 2001 starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick.
The two will join a stellar cast, including Tanya Boyle (Ulla), Danny Condon (Franz Liebkind), John Michael Burdon (Roger DeBris) and Nelson Bowler (Carmen Ghia), for the SoPopera Productions show which will be staged at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre in January.
Radburn, who is regarded as a musical treasure in the Illawarra, is best known for this long involvement as a member of The Four Kinsmen.
Downing, a former Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts student, has toured with Wicked and performed a one-man cabaret show The Universal Individual in Sydney.
The Producers follows the story of two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop.
Radburn said he was looking forward to playing an over-the-top character made famous by one of this favourite actors, Nathan Lane.
"It's taken me 54 years to do the apprenticeship to play this role," Radburn said.
"The role of Max Bialystock is incredible from the point of view that he's a real happy character even though he's supposed to be this nasty guy who only wants money.
"He is hiding behind a facade and, in the end, you see him for what he really is - a man who just wants to be loved."
Radburn said his experiences with The Four Kinsmen had given him sound training for the role.
"One of the things I loved about being in The Four Kinsmen was that you never knew what was around the corner," he said. "We were always learning different things and trying to never let the audience second guess what we were going to give them.
"With this character [Max], it's a great tour-de-force for someone who enjoys entertainment because you are constantly doing something different."
SoPopera co-director Amy Copeland said the involvement of Radburn and Downing would bring a brand new dynamic to the level of production, which is under the musical directorship of Aaron Kernaghan.