If you are going to the ANZ Stadium this Friday or Saturday for the performance of Ben Hur, take a rug. It gets cold, very cold. Here are some snaps we took from Wednesday night's full dress rehearsal that went without a hitch.
This show has it all-half naked men wrestling each other, slave girls being whipped, huge galley ships being erected before your eyes and leprosy !. A Roman stadium built as you watch and that race-the race between Ben Hur and his rival. There are still 14000 tickets available but that means audiences of at least 15000 at each show, something that should really boost the atmosphere ( there is audience participation).And of course Russell Crowe narrating ( which makes up for Jesus Christ's American accent). Friday night's show is introduced by Richard Wilkins, Saturday's by Alan Jones. Book at Ticketek here !
Jetting out to LA today is Gordana Willesee, wife of former TV presenter turned media mogul and more recently, re-confirmed Catholic Mike Willesee.
Gordana, a make-up artist who fell for Willesee while working at the Channel Nine studios, will be checking out the latest make-up techniques at various Hollywood studios and hopes to put them into practical use back in Sydney.
Gordana's the top favourite to touch-up major celebrities before they walk the red carpet at film premieres and has worked with some of the world's major movie stars.
She took time off for a quick lunch at Ottos at WoolloomoolooWharf with tSS and society maven Marie Sutton and brought us up to date on some of her husband's latest projects. Following the success of his Signs From God documentary in the USA in which Willesee explores various incidents of stigmata around the world, he is busy writing a book on the same subject.
Willesee is also pushing for further research on the Shroud of Turin and is backing a scientific analysis to see if the artifact contains the blood of Jesus Christ. The Shroud goes on public display next year for six weeks at Chapel of the Shroud in the Turin Cathedral.
The Willesee's have impecable Catholic credentials with Mike re-discovering his faith in recent years. Gordana showed us the tiny Rosary beads that bear the Papal seal given to her when she and her husband had a private audience with Pope Benedict on his recent Australian visit. Recently at an exhibition opened by Cardinal Pell, Mike snapped up all 12 life size decorated statues of Christ which now decorate the large garden of his Centenniel Park's mansion, forming a pathway to his private chapel.
And when Gordana returns with her new skills she has her first client lined up-Hugh Grant when he attends the premiere of his latest flick Did You Hear About the Morgans?. But not before she is joined by Mike in LA who intends to whisk her off for a week at the Waldorf Astoria for Gordana's first visit to New York.
While John Safran's new ABC, TV series Race Relations is garnering heaps of controversy over some of the scenes-Safran sniffing the underwear of celebrities and one where he masturbates for the camera (yet to be screened), criticism comes from a former foe whose autobiography the Shuttle has had a sneak preview of.
Current affairs host Ray Martin gives Safran a 3 page serve in his up coming book Stories From MyLife to be released in early November. Safran and Martin famously clashed a few years ago when Safran was discovered going through Martin's garbage bins looking for evidence of something, anything, similar to investigator's for Martin's then tabloid show A Current Affair.
Martin describes Safran in most unflattering terms including "with his high pitched voice" which could be explained by the fact Martin attempted to throttle Safran at the time after he caught him-all filmed for John's then show John Safran-Media Tycoon.
Safran was 'discovered' as one of the most amusing contestants in Race Around the World where competitors travelled world-wide competing for who could film the most outrageous footage.
Safran's memorable moments including streaking naked through Jerusalem-much to the annoyance of angry locals despite Safran's pleas"I am Jewish!"- being baptised in Africa, having a Voodoo curse put on his former girlfriend, sneaking into Disneyland and attaching small memorial plaques to the rides proclaiming Walt Disney's alleged support for Hitler ( some remained in place for a month ) and the stunt that got him disqualified from the show-filming as he took confession with a priest ( hidden camera footage wasn't allowed in the show.
Early this year Safran had himself flogged and crucified in the Philippines during Easter. A pilot for a new show which never made it to air was titled JohnSafran: Master Chef where he first cooked a delicious beef steak and then visited an abattoir and filmed the whole process from start to finish of a cow being slaughtered and diced. Not for the squeamish.
Safran's first successful series was in 2003,John Safran Vs God,where he had himself exorcised in front of the cameras by a Catholic priest.
Ray Martin's book is to be launched at the Leichhardt Town Hall on November 4th.
And of course Russell Crowe narrating ( which makes up for Jesus Christ's American accent). Friday night's show is introduced by Richard Wilkins, Saturday's by Alan Jones. Book at Ticketek here !
