02/06/2026
🎭 PRESS RELEASE🎭
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL RED HOT MAMA’S COMES TO WANGARATTA
A bold new Australian musical, Red Hot Mama’s, will receive its world premiere in Wangaratta this September, bringing the spirit of vaudeville icon Sophie Tucker—the original “Red Hot Mama”—into a contemporary story of chaos, comedy, and self-discovery.
Blending humour, music, and pathos, Red Hot Mama’s follows Penny, a young woman whose life is unravelling under the pressures of work, relationships, and self-worth. At her lowest point, she encounters the larger-than-life spirit of Sophie Tucker, who becomes an unexpected mentor and guide.
What follows is a wildly entertaining and emotionally resonant journey through love, lies, ambition, and identity, as Sophie sets about teaching Penny the art of resilience, confidence, and survival in a complicated world.
Along the way, audiences meet a colourful ensemble including a gambling-obsessed Narrator, a self-absorbed love interest, false friends, workplace bullies, an overenthusiastic admirer, an honourable bartender, and even an imaginary pianist.
With its blend of sharp comedy, heartfelt storytelling, and musical vitality, Red Hot Mama’s explores timeless themes including s*x, love, self-esteem, and honesty—through a distinctly modern lens.
The production is Directed & Produced by Colette Quin, with script and original score by Chris Mangan.
Director & Producer Colette Quin said the production offers a fresh way to engage with both historical and contemporary ideas of what it is to be a woman and your place in the world. “Sophie Tucker was fearless, funny, and completely ahead of her time. This show asks what happens when that energy collides with today’s world—and what we can learn from it.”
Writer and composer Chris Mangan added: “At its heart, this is a story about survival—about finding your voice when everything around you tells you to be smaller. Sophie Tucker was never small.”
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
📅 September 18, 19 & 25, 2026
📍 Stage Door Theatre, 4D Evans Street Wangaratta
Red Hot Mama’s is a world premiere event and marks a significant new Australian work in regional theatre, combining original music with a narrative rooted in both historical inspiration and contemporary relevance.
For Mature Audiences - Adult Themes and Course Language
