Normal people and cricket fans alike will be tickled by this little announcement – the fact that the Ozzie’s have put together a $2 million musical production about their most controversial sportsman ever, Shane Warne. Entitled Shane Warne – The Musical.

Tickets are on sale now. Check it out.

Shane Warne – The Musical

The Herald Sun reports:

Wicked wicket ways of Shane Warne: The Musical
Article from: Herald Sun by Colin Vickery
December 05, 2008 12:00am

SHANE Warne might not be happy that there’s a musical about his life, but everyone else will be.

Shane Warne: The Musical is a wild, funny, outrageous, and by the end, surprisingly moving account of the champion spin bowler’s life so far.

It will stump critics who thought it crazy to make a stage show about cricket’s infamous bad boy.

Whether he’s lazing on a bean bag, texting at the supermarket or dancing with a giant cigarette, star and composer/lyricist Eddie Perfect is – you guessed it – perfect as the bleached-blonde, jelled-up Warne.

And he’s backed up by a terrific cast in the $2 million show, directed by Neil Armfeld, and shaped by Keating’s Casey Bennetto.

The fun starts straight away when patrons are told that this is one show where it’s perfectly fine to keep your mobile phones switched on.

Early scenes are straight-up hilarious as Perfect’s Warne tries and fails at a football career with St Kilda.

A first-half standout is a dance piece set at the Australian Institute of Sport – with more than a hint of the Village People’s YMCA.

The musical can’t capture the actual on-field brilliance of Warne (Perfect can only mime bowling the Poms) but where it really hits pay dirt is in its portrayal of his romance, subsequent marriage and break-up with Simone.

Simone, played by Rosemarie Harris, comes across as little more than a blonde bimbo at first but romantic duet Dancing With The Stars shows the genuine, if naive, love between the pair.

The second half starts with a classic sledging song, We Never Cross the Line, and there’s a Bollywood-style extravaganza about the Indian betting scandal (one of the pleasures of the show is the diverse music styles).

After a riotous look at Warne’s overseas dalliances with The Away Game and What An SMS I’m In, where he struggles to answer a stream of text messages while he shops in a supermarket with Simone, things deepen.

A tear-filled torch ballad, What About That, Shane, performed by Harris, drives home the shattering impact of his betrayal. It is the emotional highlight of the show.

This is a show that even Shane Warne would like. Among the fun, there’s genuine respect for his enormous talent but it doesn’t gloss over his personal failings. I predict it is going to hit everyone for six. Nice one, Shane!

Two words – OUT STANDING!

CLICK HERE for the website and check out the trailer here .

I simply LOVED the words on the bottom of the website – “AUSTRALIA YOUR MUSICAL IS READY” Whaah! Gotta love the Ozzie’s humour.

And if you’re in Melbourne, make sure you go see it – please – for us!

Go on, WARNIE!!!

[thanks mtunzi]