Meredith O’Reilly is a musical theatre star, cabaret performer, jazz singer, lyricist, and actor who has recently added the role of producer to her repertoire. An Australian musical that was originally produced in 1958 has caught her eye. That show is Lola Montez.
It’s a story of deception, intrigue and glamour and a mysterious woman known as Lola Montez. Passing herself off as an exotic Spanish dancer, Lola was the lover of King Ludvig 1st of Bavaria, before making her way to the goldfields of Victoria in the 1850s, breaking hearts and dancing her way to notoriety.
Claudia Chan Shaw chats to Meredith O’Reilly about this notorious woman, her many misadventures, and the quest to bring Lola Montez back to Australian stages; a zeal she shares with director and producer, Stephen Helper. Stephen has been passionate about this project for many years, and has created new material for the show, working with the original composer, Peter Stannard.
Tune in to The Dialogue at 6pm on Wednesday 29 November to discover Lola’s secrets.
If you’re interested in helping to bring the musical, Lola Montez back to Australian stages next year, you can contact Meredith at
https://www.facebook.com/TheFolliesCompany/ or be like King Ludvig and become a patron of the arts! Help make it happen by visiting the Australian Cultural Fund link for tax deductable donations to the Pre-Production Fund of Lola Montez.
https://australianculturalfund.org.au/projects/lola-montez-musical-pre-production-fund/
Let’s keep it local. Let’s keep it live!
