Presenters announced for Helpmanns

James Reyne OAM and Deborah Conway represent contemporary music in the list of presenters for the 14th Annual Helpmann Awards.

The others, representing the entire Australian performance sector, are Nancye Hayes AM, Lucy Durack, Simon Gleeson, Pamela Rabe, Danielle Cormack, Simon Burke, Helen Dallimore, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Craig McLachlan, Robert Grubb, Verity Hunt-Ballard, Linden Wilkinson, Kelley Abbey,Lucinda Dunn OAM, Gale Edwards, John Robertson OAM, Ursula Yovich, Craig Hassall, Martin Crewes, David McAllister AM and Rafael Bonachela.

Two international names are English director John Tiffany, in Australia to direct the Melbourne Theatre Company’s performance of Once, and Hollywood actor Lou Diamond Phillips who’s the lead in the current run of The King And I.

Apparently “Paul Keating” and “Julia Gillard” will also make appearances, courtesy Sydney political satirists Wharf Revue.

The presenters will announce the winners of 44 categories. The Helpmanns, organised by Live Performance Australia, is a celebration of a live performance industry which has a turnover of $1.2 billion, and attracts 16 million people to shows a year.

Some of today’s most successful musicals – including The Lion King, Les Miserables, Strictly Ballroom The Musical and The King And I – will be featured during the awards ceremony at the Sydney Capitol Theatre which will be broadcast on Foxtel’s Arena.

The NSW Government, through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, is LPA’s Strategic Partner for the 2014 Helpmann Awards. Destination NSW will be presented with the Best Special Event gong for Vivid Sydney 2013 which drew 800,000 visitors (a record beaten this year with 1.4 million) and contributed over $20 million in new money to the NSW economy.

This year’s awards take place on Monday August 18 at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.