Lights, Chariots, Action! BEN HUR Debuts at ANZ Stadium Sydney on 22 October

Ben Hur - The Stadium Spectacular, the biggest theatrical event ever seen in Australia, narrated by Oscar winner RUSSELL CROWE, premiers at ANZ Stadium Sydney on 22 October.

ANZ Stadium has been transformed into a massive Roman amphitheatre,
on the scale of the Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony
Cast of over 200 includes IAN ROBERTS as Pontius Pilate, with sporting celebrity guest cameos by NRL league legends STEVE ‘BLOCKER’ ROACH & BRETT KIMMORLEY, AFL legends BILLY BROWNLESS & DANNY FRAWLEY.

ANZ Stadium is alive with the sound of hoof beats, chariot wheels and gladiatorial contests with mass rehearsals now in full swing ahead of the opening night of BEN HUR – The Stadium Spectacular. Direct from Europe, BEN HUR, a world tour premiere, will perform exclusively in Sydney at ANZ Stadium for two nights only on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 October, 2010.

ANZ Stadium transforms into a Roman amphitheatre with 2500 tonnes of crushed rock and red roof tiles forming the staging base. The total performance area is 15,000 square metres - almost two football fields and each end of ANZ Stadium is occupied by massive stages representing the Roman Senate and the Town of Judea. Among the huge sets is a Roman galley ship powered by 100 oarsmen and a stage crew of more than 200 works throughout the 10 action-packed scenes Hundreds of theatre lights and a massive sound and video installation. 33 fully-laden shipping containers travelled from the French port of LeHavre by sea to Sydney carrying 400 costumes, scenery, lighting and sound equipment.

Australian icon and internationally acclaimed star of film and stage Russell Crowe has been cast in the role of Narrator, lending his voice and stature to the production, while providing entertaining historical context to the show.

Russell Crowe said: “We all know the saying ‘Bigger than Ben Hur’ and there is no reason to doubt this show is going to be massive. It’s an honour to be asked to participate. It’s going to be fun, that’s for sure. There’s a cast of 200, chariot races, pirate attacks - it’s huge!”

BEN HUR brings to life the classic tale made famous in the 1959 Hollywood movie Ben Hur, starring Charlton Heston and winner of a record-breaking eleven Oscars. BEN HUR combines the scale of the Sydney Olympic Games Opening Ceremony with the drama of the galley slave who dared defy the powerful Roman Empire.

This monumental $15 million stadium adaptation has been crafted by renowned French director Robert Hossein and produced by STADEFRANCE Live Events.

BEN HUR is a timeless story of truly biblical proportions rich in dramatic dialogue. Additionally, the performance features a live chariot race, a giant Roman galleon, a parade of Roman legionnaires and a 15,000 square metre specially constructed arena that has transformed ANZ Stadium into the biggest Roman amphitheatre ever seen.

The production was adapted from the 1880 novel BEN HUR: A Tale of the Christ by American author and Civil War General Lew Wallace. The enduring story tells of the slave Ben Hur and his triumphs over his Roman persecutors. It has inspired two epic movies (both a colour and black and white) and even a musical on Broadway.

BEN HUR’s first stadium performance was in 2006 at the Stade de France, Paris where the spectacular event played to over 300,000 people and attracted overwhelming critical acclaim.

Ten years after his Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony triumph, renowned Australian horse trainer Tony Jablonski returns to ANZ Stadium for another equine spectacular.

Jablonski selected and trained the 35 Arabian, Thoroughbred and Thoroughbred Cross Australian horses, which were trained in Brisbane and prepared for the show – 24 for the chariot race, 6 reserves and 5 horses to be ridden by various characters within the show. Food provision for the horses is massive – 100 kilograms of oats, 250 kilograms of hay, 2,560 litres of filtered water per day for the stables.

“I’ve been involved in some amazing productions, but BEN HUR at ANZ Stadium is a whole different challenge,” Jablonski said.
“I’m thrilled to be part of such an action-packed show and we have worked non-stop for the five months to ensure these horses are ready to blow audiences away.”

Former rugby league star Ian Roberts has been cast as Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea. Roberts turned his hand to acting after retiring from professional football in 1998. He spent more than a decade playing first grade rugby league and represented both NSW and Australia. Roberts later studied at NIDA and has since landed roles in the films Superman Returns and Little Fish, as well as the celebrated mini series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities.

Furthermore, four sporting legends will join the cast in special celebrity cameo roles – AFL’s Billy Brownless and Danny Frawley, and from the NRL Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach and Brett Kimmorley.

A professional cast of 180 were selected at audition in June and producers opened the doors to the general public to win their chance to perform in the show in August. Over 1000 would-be gladiators registered and 18 were chosen.

Two roles have been specially created for men with strong connections to the Ben Hur legend. Giulio Pezzutti was just 19 when he scored work as an extra in the Ben Hur film. The 75-year-old was registered by his daughter for the public auditions for some fun, never imaging that her dad would actually be given the opportunity to relive some of his Ben Hur glory at ANZ Stadium.

The other is Sydney’s own Ben-Hur. Ben-Hur Yohana, a Bosley Park resident, was born in Iran in 1960 – a time when the world was in the grip of Ben Hur fever. Inspired by the movie blockbuster, as well as the fact her doctor’s name was also Ben, Mrs Yohana gave her son the name of a legend.

All tickets to BEN HUR include travel on public transport - to and from the event – on Major Event express rail services and regular CityRail services, Sydney Olympic Park Major Event Buses, regular Sydney Buses and Sydney Ferries.

Comments about this amazing show include:

“This isn’t a play. It’s not a musical. It’s a spectacle” – Russell Crowe
“Ben Hur sets the stadium alight” – Pelerin, France
“Biblical in scale” – London Daily Mail
“An event not to be missed” - Le Parisien
“An epic spectacular, extraordinary” – Le Monde

For tickets, show information, footage & photos, visit www.benhur.com.au