Discover more about Rick Springfield in a pop-rock play

A pop-rock stage adaption of performer Rick Springfield's compelling autobiography, Late, Late At Night, will be presented at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre this Friday, 13 March at 10.30am. The one-man show of the same name was written by Kieran Carroll, who said he was fascinated to find the pop star known for his mega hit song, Jessie's Girl, grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Parkdale in the 1960s and 70s, before moving to the USA. Kieran said the local angle drew him, also having read his autobiography, and soon after seeing him in the local supermarket in 2016. He said at the height of Springfield's career in the 1980s, when he had 17 top 40 American hits, the singer/songwriter flew home and secretly got married in his parent's church in Mordialloc, and continued to visit them regularly, even writing much of his autobiography at the family home. "I got home (after seeing him) and thought, I really like how local it is - that he came out of this area in Melbourne and went on to win Grammy awards and have a big career in America," Kieran said. "These kinds of details were very attractive to me, and I've always had an interest in expatriate artists and musicians from this era." Playing Rick Springfield in the stage show is Jackson Carroll (no relation) who Kieran heard singing on Triple J one day and then saw in a video clip. "I thought - this guy is it," he said. "Jackson had done a lot acting, he could play guitar and piano and had a really great voice, and he was very good with accents. "The show starts off in an Australian accent and moves to an American accent - and it was a very hard part to cast, so I was very lucky." The autobiography is generally written in chronological form, from the 1950s through to 2010, tracing Springfield’s Australian and British childhood, his early music days in Australia (including being in Zoot with Darryl Cotton and Beeb Birtles), his rollercoaster ride in 1970s America and the huge pop and acting successes of the 1980s. This stage adaptation goes far beyond Springfield's pop image or 80's chart success, also capturing the heart and essence of the man and his major concerns and musings. Kieran said Springfield had actually released four albums and was in his early 30s when Jessie's Girl catapulted him up the charts and to worldwide fame. "He had a very big life before that song, and then later in life he suffered from clinical depression, which I think may have something to do with his time spent in Vietnam (as an 18-year-old guitarist in a show band)," Kieran said. While Springfield had a string of hits in the USA, Kieran said Australian audiences only really know him from Jessie's Girl, although the show has also attracted many Zoot fans too. Now in his mid-seventies, Springfield is still recording albums and performing across the USA, also appearing in movies. He and his management are supportive of the play, giving their approval of the script, and promoting a live stream of it in America. While it has been running since 2022, this is the first time the play has visited North East Victoria. "The Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre is such a great venue, and I think it will be really well received," Kieran said. "People leave the show saying what a vast, epic story - they're surprised about his early life in Melbourne, and what he went on to achieve." Late, Late At Night is an epic tale of a suburban boy whose journey to fame and fortune - becoming one of Australia's most successful music exports of all time - came at great personal cost. Directed by Robert Johnson, the show features over 20 hit songs, from Zoot to the present day, and tickets are $25, available at wpacc.com.au. * What's on in brief March into Sustainability events The Rural City of Wangaratta invites the community to get involved in its annual March into Sustainability initiative, with a number of free and low-cost events being delivered in partnership with local community groups and organisations. Enjoy a Future Council movie screening at the historic Oxley Hall on Friday, 13 March at 6pm, exploring what happens when eight young adventurers journey across Europe to take on some of the world’s biggest polluters, with tickets $5 individuals/$10 families available via Humanitix. There will also be a free Water Smart Gardening Seminar on Saturday, 14 March from 10.30am to 12pm in the Wangaratta Library, presented by Sustainable Gardening Wangaratta, with bookings required via Humanitix. To view the full March into Sustainability 2026 program visiting wangaratta.vic.gov.au/MarchIntoSustainability. * Wangaratta Players present WROL (Without Rule of Law) The Wangaratta Players will present the Australian premiere of WROL (Without Rule of Law) at the Stage Door theatre in Evans Street on Friday, 13 March from 7pm. Featuring an all-youth cast, it tells the story of a world where the rule of law may collapse at any time, and a group of fiercely prepared youth, convinced that the world won’t be able to protect them, must train for survival and leadership, while navigating individual identities, friendships, fears and what it means to grow up in uncertain times. Young people have been involved in every aspect of the show, from set building and costumes, to stage management, lighting and sound, working with an experienced Players member. Written by Michaela Jeffery and directed by Bec Carta and Abbie Hough, tickets are available at humanitix.com/wrol-without-rule-of-law. * Spot comes to the stage for family fun Based on the books by Eric Hill, Spot - one of the most loved dogs in the world - will come to life on stage at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Friday, 20 March at 10am and 6pm. Spot and his friends are off on a new adventure to visit Spot’s Dad on the farm and meet the farm animals, but when they arrive, all the animals are lost, and they might need help for the audience to find them. Spot is a fun show for the whole family, with puppetry, songs and puzzles for children from 18 months and up, and their adults. Presented by arrangement with Salspot Limited, part of Penguin Random House, tickets are available at wpacc.com.au. * Winton Twilight Cruise at the track The Winton Twilight Cruise is a relaxed social motoring event bringing people together in a welcoming trackside setting. Visitors can arrive in their own vehicles, park up, explore the atmosphere and enjoy an easy-going evening surrounded by cars and conversation, with like-minded enthusiasts. Optional on track cruising adds a unique element to the experience, where participants can take part at their own pace, entering and exiting the circuit with no structured sessions. The next Winton Twilight Cruise will be held on Thursday, 19 March from 5pm to 8pm and entry is free. * Shaped By Water at Art Gallery on Ovens A new exhibition called Shaped by Water by Sally Darlison, will open at the Art Gallery on Ovens in the laneway off Murphy Street on 11 March. Shaped by Water explores the profound and contradictory ways water defines our world, the way it provides and nourishes, brings life, sustains habitats, and shapes the land. The artworks in this exhibition focus on landscapes transformed by water’s continual movement. An opening celebration for the exhibition will be held on Saturday, 14 March from 12pm to 2pm with all welcome, and the exhibition to run until 23 March. * Pasqua and Prosecco for Easter at Dal Zotto Wines Celebrate Easter the Italian way at Dal Zotto Wines with Pasqua and Prosecco — a vibrant, family-friendly festival designed to be savoured. Set against the backdrop of their King Valley home, this Easter weekend invites families and friends to slow down, stay a little longer, and enjoy good food, great company and exceptional prosecco. Across both days, there will be live music, face painting, a jumping castle, scavenger hunts and sweet Easter surprises, maybe even a visit from the Bunny Himself, with wood-fired pizzas, picnic platter boxes, gnocchi, calamari, and arancini, prosecco and more on the menu. To find out what's on or to book a tasting visit dalzotto.com.au/easter-2026. * Cluedunnit Murder Mystery Dinner A Cluedunnit Murder Mystery Dinner - Murders on the Nile, will be held at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre Memorial Hall on 8 and 9 May at 6.30pm. Join crime writer Jonathon Mapletree and a cast of suspicious characters as you enjoy a delicious meal, question the suspects, decipher the clues and work to crack the case as part of this mystery dinner, set in the land of the pharaohs. As fellow passengers on the steamboat ‘Sudan’, chugging down the River Nile, participants are invited to come dressed in the style of the period as they work together to solve the puzzle. Last seats are available now by visiting wpacc.com.au. *

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