With the terrible floods causing death and destruction in Australia’s northern Queensland these past couple of weeks, the death of the wonderful actor Pete Postlethwaite yesterday in England at the relatively young age of 64 and the bitter cold making it’s presence felt yet again it seems as though we have not had such a great start to the new year. The news concerning the death from cancer of the magnificent Pete Postlethwaite just today is particularly sad – a great actor who leaves behind a legacy of memorable roles in films such as Brassed Off and especially the powerhouse film In the Name of the Father. Very sad news indeed and an irreplaceable artist and individual.

Well, it’s a new year and a new look for this site. Okay, not so ‘newish’ because I had this theme running about three years ago but I like it and having made a few changes and updates here and there it feels like new to me, but I’m happy with the look of things here and hope you like it too.

Yep, the cold is back and we expect snow again tonight – after a week of temps between 6-8 degrees we thought things might be on the up until Spring returns but maybe that was being too optimistic. Time to throw the extra blankets back on the beds and stockpile the salt once more. Happy days!

It might be only Good Friday and I might be on the other side of the world to where the rest of my family are but so far the Easter break is the same for me as it always was. Minus a trip to the Royal Easter Show in Sydney that is! When I was a kid Dad always piled us all into the car and we drove down to the ‘weekender’ we had at St Georges Basin near Nowra. Back then it took five hours to drive there from North Manly, we always left at 5.am and I always threw up at the point we reached the Bulli Pass…

Our television viewing for Easter is much the same now as it was back then in the seventies too. Good Friday always saw us sitting down to watch The Sound of Music - my all time favourite film because it was the very first film I ever saw. Dad took me to see it when it first opened in Sydney at the old Mayfair Theatre, I was three years old and have never forgotten sitting in that seat beside dad watching looking up in wonder at the opening scenes of the film. Those first scenes, the aerial shots over Austria, has to be the most remarkable opening sequence of any film ever made. It always seems to be on tv on Good Friday and I never fail to watch it – I have seen this movie well over 50 times to date.

Then on Easter Sunday the film King of Kings starring Jeffrey Hunter was played on Channel Seven…always without fail and he was my very first movie star crush when I first saw this film at the age of seven, and when Mum told me that he had died the year before (in 1969) I cried myself to sleep!

Today, Good Friday, we are more or less housebound anyway as the car has a flat battery and the weather is not good enough to venture out in to walk up the road to buy another – my family of meat-eaters are complaining about the fish dinner I have planned for tonight and I have managed to buy chocolate eggs for everyone but myself. Who cares, I’m going to settle back and get comfy in front of the telly because Julie Andrews is about to start singing

I have always been a great fan of the legendary Judy Garland. Those who know her only as the young Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz should treat themselves to a recording of hers – preferably a live recording – to really get a true appreciation of just how phenomenal a performer she was on stage. If I could suggest one in particular I would say go for Judy Garland – Live at Carnegie Hall from April 23 1961. Absolutely mind blowing.

Of course Judy was just as well known for her chaotic private life; her drug addictions and alcoholism often threatened to kill her long before she died in London at the age of 47. See a photo of her around that time and it is incredibly hard to believe she was that young when she died – she looked more like 77. But enough of that…

Judy’s amazing onstage presence has been recreated by the brilliant American entertainer Jim Bailey and is performing as Judy in London at the moment. To see Jim as Judy (pictured)  is to really believe the woman still lives. Even though he does not have a name that suggests showbusiness razzamatazz, Jim has been impersonating famous legends for well over 40 years and has perfected Judy so well that even her own daughter, Liza Minnelli, was deeply moved by his interpretation of her mother.

Jim has also performed as Barbra Streisand and I first saw him on an episode of Here’s Lucy when I was a child in the 70′s. He appeared in the show impersonating famous comedienne Phyllis Diller and was said to have gotten his big break from that appearance.

Judy Garland always claimed that London, and Londoners, had a special place in her heart – eventually it was where she died. Listen to her singing A Foggy Day and you can hear the love in her voice for the city.  I am sure that she will be welcomed back with open arms after so long – 40 years to be exact – and we have Jim Bailey to thank for bringing her ‘home’ again.

I am not in the business of making incredible predictions but this time I will stick my neck right out and do so. And I challenge anyone to disagree!

The stage version of the multi-award winning Australian film - Priscilla, Queen of the Desert the Musical – has premiered at the Palace Theatre on London’s West End with a legend and icon of the Australian stage making his West End debut in the role of trans-sexual Bernadette…Tony Sheldon.

Tony is a true child of the showbusiness industry and has long been an established performer of a very diverse range of roles in Australia. In the 1980′s his portrayal of the unsinkable female impersonator, Arnold, in the play Torch Song Trilogy established him as an actor of deep insight and remarkable ability. Why it has taken so long for him to gain international recognition is completely beyond me – but no doubt London will very soon be buzzing with excitement about this supremely talented artist.

Tony has lived a life steeped in showbiz being the child of Frank Sheldon and the brilliant musical performer Toni Lamond - he is also the nephew of Helen Reddy. I am really excited that he is now going to be seen on stage by people from all over the world who attend this show on the West End – I met Tony at a function at the Sydney Opera House in 1992 and he is really is the most down to earth and genuinely charming man.

And now this great talent is getting the recognition he so deserves.

Pictured Above: Stars of Priscilla – Oliver Thornton, Tony Sheldon & Jason Donovan.