OBITUARY: Ben Gannon
Ben Gannon, AO
1952-2007
Australian entertainment and entertainers lost a unique champion with the death from cancer (January 2007) at just 54 of Ben Gannon.
Ben Gannon was a producer of theatre, film and television who was both visionary and commercially successful - a spectacular combination. He started young and learned all the ropes. Soon after graduating from the NIDA production course in 1970 he was plucked from the Queensland Theatre Company to stage manage Harry M. Miller's original Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. That led to London and the musical Hair! which he managed during its long run in the West End.
Gannon broadened his horizons again when he joined the US talent agency ICM before setting up on his own to represent actors, writers, directors and designers. He came home to Australia in 1980 to become general manager of Associated R&R Films, the Stigwood/Murdoch company which produced Peter Weir's Gallipoli, with Gannon as associate producer. Then once again, he went out on his own and his production company, View Films, turned out the wildly successful TV mini-series: Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe which made a star of Terry Serio (currently appearing in Keating! as both John Howard and Bob Hawke). He followed that with another TV drama Shadow of the Cobra starring Rachel Ward and Art Malik. All in all, more than 300 hours of television bear the Gannon credit.
In a career spanning more than 30 years Gannon's credits are dazzling. At the same time, he was much liked and respected privately and professionally. In 2006 he was awarded an AO in the Queen's Birthday Honours "for services to the performing arts as a producer, contributing to the development of film, television and theatre in Australia, and in promoting Australian producers and talented artists overseas, and to the community."
Gannon's feature films include the award-winning Travelling North starring Leo McKern and Julia Blake, The Heartbreak Kid starring Claudia Karvan and then newcomer Alex Dimitriades; Sweet Talker starring Bryan Brown and Karen Allen, Daydream Believer starring Miranda Otto and Martin Kemp, Hammers Over the Anvil starring Charlotte Rampling and Russell Crowe, and The Man Who Sued God starring Billy Connolly and Judy Davis.
The hit TV series Heartbreak High, made for the Ten network and a spin-off from The Heartbreak Kid, sold around the world to more than 80 countries. For ABC TV he produced the pathbreaking drama series Wildside and the documentary Peter Allen: The Boy From Oz. It was the latter which led him to his greatest triumph: the stage musical The Boy From Oz.
Gannon was early to realise that Australians wanted to see their own stories and he did well out of fulfilling that wish, in all its diversity, from Shout! to: Heartbreak High and Wildside. When he began developing the Peter Allen story there were many who questioned his sanity: a musical about a gay bloke who waggled maracas and died from AIDS didn't seem promising.
But he persevered, with co-producer Robert Fox who told Bryce Hallett (Sydney Morning Herald) this week of his unquenchable optimism: "Benny was a modest man and always worked as part of a team. He was never about blowing his own trumpet ... He was pissed off about having to be so ill, but he remained positive and never complained. He was an inspiration to his family and friends."
And The Boy From Oz made a star of Todd McKenney in the title role, toured for two years with Chrissie Amphlett as Judy Garland and Angela Toohey as Liza Minnelli, breaking all records for an Australian musical. It then somewhat controversially went to Broadway with Hugh Jackman and a bit of Americanisation. It all paid off with a year's run and a Tony nomination. In 2006 Gannon dreamed up a return tour of Australia and another reconfiguration into stadium spectacular with Jackman, Amphlett and Toohey. And along the way the show was produced in Tokyo in 2005 with a Japanese cast.
Gannon died at home in Tamarama and is survived by his partner Brian Abel, and family. Broadway theatre managements planned to dim their marquee lights last night (January 4) to honour the boy from Oz: Ben Gannon.
