Rhonda Burchmore is GLAMAZONIA
“It’s a high-octane show, I’m so excited, we’re bringing incredible dancers with a band, I guarantee the Orange audience will enjoy the live entertainment.”
Coming out of recording a new album across the weekend, showbusiness icon Rhonda Burchmore says it’s been “go-go-go” for her when our conversation began over the phone last Monday morning. And that’s before mentioning her exciting new live theatrical show Rhonda Burchmore is GLAMAZONIA, coming to Orange Civic Theatre this Saturday night, May 1st.
The musical signifies a celebration of Burchmore’s 40-year career in the entertainment business. “I know it seems impossible”, Rhonda laughs before she continues, “But I’ve been in the media industry for 40 years this year. What this show is about is a celebration of all things great about the show business.” And what a career Burchmore is still maintaining, spanning live theatre performances where she’s appeared in the original Mamma Mia! on stage to where it all began for her on Variety Television Shows across Australia, some you may remember Hey Hey Its Saturday.
Rhonda explains, “My Mum used to make all my costumes and she said to me, ‘You know if you’re going on stage you’ve got to be glamorous,’” this motherly advice is where Rhonda’s unique title for her musical GLAMAZONIA has its origins. A duel meaning of glamour and Amazonian, it represents Burchmore perfectly as she gleefully added, “I guess it’s a combination of me being tall, glamorous and there’s never too much bling or high heels.”
She quickly makes note to her recent time on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here filmed in the South African jungle, “When I went into Celebrity, everything was stripped back, and I had to survive there with nothing for all of Australia to watch.” Certainly, far removed from the glamour of the fantastic musical extravaganzas Burchmore is accustomed to. “When I got out of the jungle, was the first time I heard about COVID-19. Last year, I had a whole complete diary full of big musicals, concerts around Australia... everything and one by one they were all like dominos falling – all canceled.”
Proudly she says, “I survived that”, alluding to GLAMAZONIA leaning into her survival on I’m a Celebrity to surviving 4 decades within such a cutthroat business as inspiration thematically for her new musical. But also, what Rhonda’s 40-year career encapsulates – is survival.
Rhonda explains, “The show for me, I’m really proud of it, I keep bringing up this word survival and that’s what I’m most proud about, apart from having a great family around me, is just surviving the show business. You have artists who appear for a few years and then they disappear without a trace, I’ve actively been proactive in trying to recreate myself as much as I can – everything from musicals to recordings, and that’s what I’m most proud that I’m still here… and still doing what I love.”
Burchmore developed the show during COVID-19 lockdowns, “I was in Victoria with three lockdowns, I just needed something to keep me active, for my mental health and that’s when I wrote the show. It was a great time to review and reflect upon, what I have done. I thought I would put that together last year. And here it is now.” Despite the dreadful situation of the pandemic and the severe impacts upon the entertainment industry, as a result, it could be stated Burchmore had the perfect conditions to have complete focus on crafting her most personal show yet. “I guarantee with this show I will make people laugh and I will make them cry because it’s a very personal show. It’s like a rollercoaster, there are good times and there are not so great times in my life that appear in the show’s story, I think people will be able to relate to that.”
Writing GLAMAZONIA for all ages, Rhonda recently discovered she created a new fanbase following since her stint on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. “If Mum or Grandma wants to invite the kids along, that’s awesome. Hopefully, what those kids take away from the show is follow your dreams.”
As the conversation continues Rhonda references some of her heroes that have influenced her career, “The role models that I aspire to are artists like Cher, Tina Turner, and Madonna... you look at those girls who are still kicking down boundaries at a certain age. I think that’s what I aspire to and there’s a big message in that no matter how old you are, if you love what you do keep doing,” Rhonda conveys optimistically.
“After a year away from the theatre, it is such a strange thing to get back into it. You had to almost retrain people to get them back into live theatre. As soon as you go, you’re saying, ‘oh my gosh, this is what I’ve missed.’ I was climbing the walls throughout COVID-19 because if I did another Zoom or virtual concert, I’d go insane,” Burchmore says with a laugh.
The word of the month for Rhonda Burchmore is GLAMAZONIA is incredibly positive. “People are telling me I’m so glad I got out, off my lounge away from the telly, going back into the theatre. Everyone that’s seen the show, said it was so worth it – it’s just a really good night out. There are show tunes, we jumped from Katy Perry to Alana Del Rey to Cher to all sorts of things that aren’t necessarily musical theatre, but they’re songs that fit the story. We do a bit of everything. It’s a real powerhouse ride.”
Tickets are now available for Rhonda Burchmore is GLAMAZONIA at: https://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/theatre