Palais Geelong will celebrate its first Christmas this year in sensational style with A Swingin’ Christmas Spectacular featuring Rhonda Burchmore and the Jack Earle Big Band on Friday, December 9.
The show, part of a tour promoting Burchmore and Earle’s new album A Red Hot Swingin’ Christmas, will also feature special guest dancers from the Geelong Ballet Centre and Motion Dance Company.
Burchmore said the entire band was looking forward to bringing the Christmas show to Palais Geelong.
“I’ve never performed at the Palais, but I’ve just heard wonderful things about the renovations,” she said.
“It’s going to be a glamorous spectacular, and I think having the big band in such a beautiful venue will be a point of difference.
“We were on hold with this album for so long because of lockdowns and everything else, so when we all finally got together in a little studio in St Kilda to record it there were actually tears.
“There’s a lot of love and a lot of heart in this show, and there’s just nothing like the response from a live audience.”
Burchmore, one of Australia’s most loved performers, said it was a joy to create the Christmas album with young performer, composer and arranger Earle.
“Jack’s only 25, but he’s had his own big band since he was 12; most kids are playing footy at that age, but he had a big band,” Burchmore said.
“We became great friends about five years ago when I heard him play and he got me up to sing with him, and I thought, my gosh, this is a match made in heaven.
“His musicianship is just extraordinary, and he was definitely born in the wrong era; even his name, Jack Earle, sounds like someone who was around with Benny Goodman or Glenn Miller.
“But he has the knowledge of an older soul, I can’t speak highly enough about him. I’ve worked with so many of the finest musicians in Australia and overseas, and Jack’s my favourite.”
Burchmore has been working nonstop since joining Hairspray: the Musical at the Regents Theatre in Melbourne, but says she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s been relentless; we all complained about the lack of work during COVID, but now I’m doing two shows a day,” Burchmore laughed.
“It’s just ridiculous, but I love every minute of it. I just really love performing live, and if I don’t have to do another Zoom in my life I’ll be very happy.”
Tickets to A Swingin’ Christmas Spectacular are available at www.palaisgeelong.com.
