http://www.aussietheatre.com/news.htm


Here's the article anyway:


Wicked girls score top gig
Wednesday, September 3, 9:01pm AEST.

Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack will perform the National Anthem at this year's AFL Grand Final, one of world sport's biggest events.

The Grand Final on September 27 will be watched by almost 99,000 people at the ground, an Australian television audience of 4.3 million, and another 120 million viewers internationally.

Harrison and Durack, who star in the smash hit musical Wicked, say they are thrilled with the honour.

"The MCG on Grand Final Day, what a stage!," Harrison said.

Durack added: "What an audience – around 125 million!’ And above all, what a privilege!"

John Frost, Wicked's co-producer, said he was thrilled when the AFL invited the girls to sing the Anthem.

"Amanda and Lucy sing together in Wicked, and bring the house down, but they’ll never have a duet to match this," he said.

"I think it’s every Australian performer's private dream: singing the Anthem, hearing the roar of 100,000 and taking the bows before the bounce of the ball for our biggest sporting event.

"Wicked is playing to sell out audiences at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. And at the MCG there won’t be a seat unsold. Showbusiness and Australian footy – there’s no business like them!"

Harrison and Durack follow a long line of distinguished artists who have sung the National Anthem at the Grand Final, among them Peter Allen (1980); Rolf Harris (1982); Olivia Newton-John (1986); Archie Roach and Yothu Yindi (1993); Tina Turner (1995); Julie Anthony and INXS (2001); Killing Heidi (2002); Christine Anu (2003); Guy Sebastian (2004); Delta Goodrem and Michael Buble (2005); Irena Cara and John Paul Young (2006): and, last year, Jet and Natalie Bassingthwaite.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said: "The AFL is delighted and honoured to have Amanda Harrison and Lucy Durack as part of the 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final to perform the National Anthem. Amanda and Lucy have been the stars of Australian theatre in 2008 with their roles in Wicked and we are extremely pleased to be able to bring our country’s finest stage talent to the biggest sporting event on the Australian calendar."

The Grand Final will be broadcast live on free-to-air television.


For those who don't know, the AFL Grand Final is the biggest sporting event in Australia (probably kind of like the Super Bowl, but footy ). It's really cool that the girls are singing at it. There was also a small picture in Tuesday's Herald Sun of the girls with the Cup.

Well that just blows my mind!!! And here I said NO to attending the Grand Final when I was invited cause I think the footy is so boring! Great for the girls and for Wicked cause they will have to highlight the fact they are performing in the show, cause I'm sure most of the crowd will be asking.."Who are they?" and "Is Wicked on TV?"

xD it'd still be boring for the rest of the time when they're not singing remember!

LOL Yes VERY true!! No regrets...better view on TV and won't have to put up with the "Who are they?" Besides the only sport I enjoy is the Wicked lottery! Or is that more akin to gambling??

Does anyone know about what time they'll be singing the anthem? If I can remember, its pretty close to kick off isn't it?

according the running list, the girls are scheduled to sing at 2.27

http://www.mcg.org.au/News%20and%20Media/N...ng%20Sheet.aspx

Not too sure on this forum's policies about posting things... so I just highly recommend visiting here and here for more information about their performance!

Found it on Youtube .


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jKCYRhhews



They look so beautiful you just don't see enough of them and too many footballers , but I suppose it was the AFL Football Grand Final. .

LOL Yep..I watched the news especially on Saturday night cause they always feature who sings the anthem every year but instead of showing the girls....featured footballers lined up, and even the looks on their faces were "Duh...WHO??" I could hear the girls singing and I was like..."NICK OFF...show Amanda and Lucy...not them..Grand Final who gives a......?!?" But YAY for youtube! Where would we be without it!

Have to say though...don't like our national anthem! Call me unpatriotic but I've never felt any kinship with the lyrics nor can I remember them. Much prefer "I am/We are Australian" the chorus means more to me than any of the lyrics in Advance Australia Fair. LOL just googled to see how much I actually remember and only one line was familiar to me: "Advance Australia Fair!"

Yet know this off by heart... "We are one, but we are many, and from all the lands on earth we come, we share a dream and sing with one voice: I am, you are, we are Australian." Hmmmmm I guess might be the tune too but seriously whenever I've been in a setting where the anthem is sung...NO ONE knows the words except for the Advance Australia Fair bits..the rest is just la..la..la...blah...blah..blah..la...la or enthusiastic humming! So maybe not grounds for deportation!

Hahaha. I know all the words to the anthem, and I'm a New Zealander living in Australia. The girls were lovely and both sounded amazing.

Oh OH!! Then quite possible grounds for deportation!?! The only anthem I kinda know is England's but not sure my if broom will take me that far!?

Not a current topic but just had to share the laugh I had just now! I now know WHY I know the words to 'I am Australian' which had perplexed me a little when I last posted on this topic.

Rang Telstra this morning due to ongoing issues with my mobile phone bill and for those that have not called the company....ONE guess only as to WHAT their "hold" music is! LOL I was laughing when I got through to customer service AND I use that term loooooooosely seeing as I had been promised time and time again the problem was "fixed" after consecutive monthly calls since February. This time I waited for the ominous "Final" notice with loaded late fees before dealing with them again. Hopefully all is now resolved but perhaps if more companies had 'Advance Australia Fair' as their hold music….people like me would know it off by heart!