[THEATRE INTERVIEW] BROADWAY DIVA – Olivia Ruggiero & Carly Fisher Interview
Opera and Musical Theatre singer, Olivia Ruggiero, stars in Broadway Diva – a cabaret featuring Broadway Belts, West End Wonders, Opera Classics, and beloved show tunes from productions such as Les Miserables, Anastasia, Cabaret, The Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar and more. The show is a celebration of ‘earworms,’ those songs that stay with you long after you have heard them on stage.
Broadway Diva is a show for musical lovers and Broadway novices alike, making its World Premiere at the Adelaide Fringe. The cabaret is led by the talented Ruggiero, who has been praised by Broadway World as “a strong voice both in thought and vocals”, by West End Best Friend as “an engaging narrator with astounding vocal talent” and by Sydney Arts Guide as “a fully engaging and entertaining presence from entrance to final bow.”
The show sees Ruggiero collaborating again with Director, Carly Fisher after working together on Ruggiero’s breakout show, Puppets. Together, Fisher and Ruggiero toured Sydney, Melbourne and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022 with Puppets which went on to win Broadway World Sydney’s Best New Play.
Additionally, Ruggiero took out the win for Best Solo Performance in the 2022 Broadway World Sydney Awards.
Fisher returns to the Adelaide Fringe after five star seasons of Girl Shut Your Mouth (2020) and In Their Footsteps (2022). She recently returned from New York City where she worked as Producer on The Culture’s off off Broadway season. Fisher is best known as the Artistic Director of Theatre Travels, a Sydney based Production Company and National Theatre Review platform. In 2022, Fisher directed The Sweet Science of Bruising, which received runner up for Best Play, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor in the Broadway World Sydney awards. Having produced over 20 shows and directed over 15 since launching her company in 2018, Fisher is a name to watch. She has been hailed as “an impressive player on the Sydney theatre scene” by Sydney Arts Guide, with Theatre Now saying, “She knows how to make a show. I, for one, want to see more!”
“We wanted to create this show to bring to the Fringe Festival as a way to go back to our roots and celebrate the thing that makes us both the happiest – Musical Theatre. This show is, in many ways, an ode to the incredible musicians, lyricists, composers and songwriters that have made an indelible mark on our careers and lives. It is also our own special thank you to the people in our lives who introduced us to shows, fostered our passion and continue to support our dreams – our families. If you’ve ever seen a show, or a movie, and walked out with a song stuck in your head…this show is for you!” said Fisher
Join us for a night under the stars and don’t miss the opportunity to see Ruggiero’s powerful talent live in this celebratory delve into the songs that make musical theatre so special.
Venue: The Barbara Hardy Garden at Holden Street Theatres, 32-34 Holden Street, Hindmarsh
Season: 21st – 25th March 2023
Show Times: 21st-23rd Feb 7pm | 24th-25th Feb 8pm
Prices: From $26
Bookings: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/broadway-diva-af2023
This week Dave Griffiths also interviewed Olivia and Carly about the show: