Lots of glee in Southern Stars launch

THE organisers of Southern Stars have many skills but subtlety is not one of them.The annual mass song and dance event was launched yesterday with hundreds of spirit fingers, a riot of synchronised ponytails and a primary school rendition of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.In August, record numbers of performers will take the stage at shows built around a theme of sharing, involving stage, history, stories, ideas and the world.Executive producer Suzanne Williams said the TV show Glee may have contributed to a small boost in numbers, and had inspired one of the acts on the program - Lady Gaga's Telephone."I think the show has taken that nerdy edge off the creative and performing arts," she said.Lachlan Morgan, a singer and Year 5 student at Fairy Meadow Demonstration School, is looking forward to performing in front of thousands of people."It gives us an opportunity to get out there and have a go," he said.Yesterday's launch, at Wollongong City Gallery, included a pumping choral rendition of Katy Perry's Firework, with a handful of ballerinas emerging for solos from scores of dancers and to a band keeping the beat from the corner.Tickets are now on sale for four shows at WIN Entertainment Centre on August 26-27.