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Bruce Vickers and Sheila Hackett are tasked with developing Tourism Australia’s Tourism 2018 campaign. After discovering a series of online memes claiming that everything in Australia can kill you, they petition their boss and perennial job-hopper Scott Morrison to host a group of tourists for a journey across the country as a PR ploy.

Once the tourists arrive, no one is safe. Before the trip even begins, a maple-syrup-flavored bloodbath taints the prospect of an idyllic journey. Throughout their travels across southern Australia, the group sings, discovers, and flirts with disaster in cities, the ocean, and the Outback. As Bruce wonders if the trip is cursed, the audience is left to wonder if Bruce and Sheila will ever be able to let their true feelings for each other out of their mouths.

Bodies start to pile up, and the climax of the show reveals an excessively-planned scheme to discredit the Land Down Under and push the rest of the world to turn their backs on the Lucky Country. Does this spell the end of the tourism industry in Australia? Who is really behind the online campaign to demonize their beautiful land? And what is a barbecued snag?

Song List

Act One

• Everything In Australia Can Kill You (Opener - Chorus, Scott
• (Shitty Promo 1) Australia - The Land Of Opportunity - Sheila
• (Shitty Promo 2) Australia Rocks - Sheila, Bruce
• Nothing In Australia Will Kill You - Bruce, Sheila, Scott, Chorus
• Cobbers - Bruce, Sheila
• Slang-O - Bruce, Sheila, Chorus
• What’s With These Assholes? - Scott, Chorus
• Drop Bear - Bruce, Sheila
• Australians Cannot Drown - Bruce, Sheila, Chorus

Act Two

• Cobbers Reprise - Bruce, Sheila 
• The Song Not Named 'Tritone' - Bruce
• Suck the Poison Out - Nurse, Bruce, Chorus
• Strat Plan - Kalyn, Bruce, Sheila, Scott, Chorus
• Everything In Australia Can Kill You (Closer) - Bruce, Sheila, Scott, Chorus

Cast

Creative Team

Meet the Company

Benjamin Mitnick

Bruce Vickers

Benjamin Mitnick is currently a student at Nebraska Wesleyan University pursuing a Double Degree in Musical Theatre and Biochemistry. Originally from New Jersey, they are a long way from home. Thankfully, the friends they have made so far in Geneva have made a home away from home. Benjamin loves to sing and dance, as well as write their own music, and is always excited to solve some chemistry problems.

Apryl Schwarz

Sheila Hackett

Apryl Schwarz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts focused in Vocal Music from Peru State College where she was a member of the Concert Choir, Concert Band, Madrigal Singers and Misty Blues Show Choir. She sings regularly at her church in the choir, small groups and as a soloist; as well as leading the young children's Cherub Choir. Apryl regularly volunteers as a guest vocal coach at Fillmore Central High School and has recently taken on a handful of advanced vocal students. Apryl also recently became a piano tuning technician and serves as the only current piano tuner in the Fillmore County area. She is a Paralegal at Heinisch & Lovegrove Law Office. Her best and most important job is being Mom to Avery, Henry, Jace & Amelia (and to cats, Sabine & Hera). Thank you to my husband, Jeff, for always being in my corner and up for whatever crazy adventures I contrive. I also want to thank all music teachers, especially Doctor Thomas Ediger for challenging and inspiring me; I hope he's proud that I am still trying to find ways to challenge myself and improve as a musician and as a human.

Russell Girmus

Scott Morrisson

Russell Girmus graduated from Geneva High School and then graduated from SCC Milford. He has owned and operated Sutton Electric for 21 years, enjoys golfing, bowling, walking, and home improvement in his spare time, enjoys singing in the choir at the Geneva United Methodist Church. His favorite people are his family and his beloved Pamela.

Bernadette Godfrey

Drop Bear/Swing

Born in Nebraska. Married to a wonderful husband of 36 yrs. Have two wonderful daughters and a wonderful son-in-law. 4 amazing grandkids, I love to spend time with my family and friends. In my spare time, I like to crochet, embroidery, read and put puzzles and legos together.

Elizabeth Godfrey

Alex/Ranger

Elizabeth Godfrey, born in Nebraska, mom of 2 great kids works for the post office in my spare time. I like to spend time with my family, read, and paint.

Julie Homolka

Kalyn

Julie Straube Homolka most recently appeared on stage in Beatrice Community Players production of "Les Misérables" in 2014 (!?!). Since then, she has served as a pit musician and music instructor for numerous other shows. Julie holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Hastings College and has studied with Fritz Mountford and the late Chip Smith. She is currently employed as a music teacher for Meridian Public School. Julie lives in Western, Nebraska with her husband, Kevin, daughter, Jessa, and cat, Thomas. Her hobbies include cooking, camping, and saying “yes” when friends call inviting her to be part of their ridiculous plans.

Liz Kaye-Skinner

Yetta

Liz is a proud mom of three amazing kiddos, and dog mom of two pups, with a lifelong passion for music. She studied music in college, where she sang soprano and met her husband, Ben, while playing flute in band. She is passionate about helping others feel their best through her business with Arbonne International, and also works at the cozy Brick Road Boutique & Coffee Bar. She thrives on connection and loves spending time with friends, whether it’s over coffee or just enjoying good conversation and laughter.

Trinidi Oswald

Heather

Trinidi, a squirrel disguised as a soon to be Junior at Sutton Public Schools, lives in Shickley with her mom, dad, sister and dog Piper. She keeps busy with several activities like Choir, One-Act, Speech, FFA, FBLA/FCCLA, Fillmore County Trap Team, S-41 SCTP (skeet, sporting clays, trap and double trap), Electrogator Robotics Team and working full time this summer at Reinke Mfg. Having already passed the HAAS CNC machine courses, Trinidi is looking to find the right college that has CNC programming, a thriving choir and an outstanding shooting sports team for her to be a part of. When not busy with activities, Trin enjoys downtime with friends, Legos, family, Legos, friends that are family, Legos, camping, Legos and babysitting for family friends. And Legos!

Tucker Svec

Ian/Nurse

Tucker Svec is currently a high school student at Exeter-Milligan Public Schools. Always having an interest in musical arts and theatrics, often performing in school organized one acts and speeches, as well as participating in a number of performances for the Geneva community. Vocally, he is a member of his high school choir and a regular singer at his church's events. Outside of theatrics you can often find him working as a cook at Charlie's Pub in Milligan, or performing unpaid labor on his family farm. He is set to graduate in May of next year. He has his eyes set on pursuing a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska post graduation.

Adela West

Belle

Adela West is a graduate from Fillmore Central and currently her occupation is working as a CNA at Fairview Manor in Fairmont, but plans to go back to school. When she was in high school, she participated in numerous events, including her senior year musical where she played Madame de la Bouche in The Beauty and the Beast Musical. In her free time, she likes to listen to musical sound tracks, read books with some coffee, go swimming to get actual sunlight because she's been told she looks like a vampire, and lay with her dog that's pratically her baby. The musical was her way of doing something exciting this summer, and as sad as she is that it's ending, she's excited to show everyone how hard the cast and crew has worked and show everyone this amazing production. She would love to thank her family for their love and support, work for being flexible with her shift hours,her boyfriend for his love and support, annnnd giving her a ride to practice since her car is a death trap, annnnnnd OH! - her dog, for the emotional support of just existing during this time because he's just perfect.

Kathryn Godown

Crew

Kathryn Godown is currently a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This fall will be her second year attending. She has her focus on a Film Studies Major, an Emerging Media Arts Major, and a Music Minor. Kathryn participates and competes on the Husker Speech Team during both the fall and spring semesters. During the summer, she keeps herself busy with work at York State Bank, the VFW, and Heinisch & Lovegrove Law Office. While at university, Kathryn balances her classes and a part-time job at Starbucks. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching movies, reading, crocheting, and much more. Kathryn graduated from Fillmore Central Public Schools and is excited to work backstage for this musical.

Lauren Godown

Tech

Lauren just graduated from Fillmore Central High School and plans to continue her education at Southeast Community College. She has been apart of many Missoula Children's Theater plays, and has also acted in Fillmore's One Act plays and her school musicals. This is her first time working on tech/crew. In her freetime, Lauren likes to watch movies with her family and enjoys putting puzzles together. You can usually find her at work either at Brick Road Boutique and Coffe Bar, or as a waitress on the diner side of the VFW.

Mandi Oswald

Tech

Mandi Oswald, mom of 2 squirrels, and squirrel herself, has been married over 19 years to Mike Oswald. They all call the big little town of Shickley home. Mandi is a jack-of-all-trades and a master of very few. When not stumbling around the backstage area, you can find her at work managing the Caseys in Milligan, at one of her daughters' many activities, relaxing at home with family and friends or going to concerts with her kiddos.

Averie Scheil

Crew

Back home from Southeast Community College for the summer, Averie Scheil has been in several productions at the Rialto II Theater. She has gone from characters in Missoula Children's Theater productions all the way to parts such as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast. However, this will be her first time working the tech side of the theater, running stage lights. Over these short few months, Averie has been interning at Fillmore County Hospital with the IT crew. She has learned a great deal and is excited to take her new knowledge back to SCC, where she studies Applications Development. This fall she will be a Residence Assistant learning new coding languages. After graduating from Fillmore Central Public Schools in 2024, Averie is thrilled to be back for another production. Also her shoe size is nine and a half.

Brock Godown

Guitar

Brock Godown is a Nebraska-based educator and performer. He has played for multiple musicals in the Southeastern Nebraska area. He has also played trumpet with the Fairbury Community Band and the Beatrice Regional Orchestra. On the side, he has performed gigs around Nebraska with the rock band BlinkerFluid. Brock received his Bachelor's of Music Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He just finished the year teaching 5-12 Band at Fairbury Public Schools, and assiting with their musical production. In the Fall he will start as the band director at Crete High School. Brock is a Fillmore Central High School alumnus and is excited to perform in his former music teacher's musical.

Melissa Houchin

Piano

Melissa Houchin is a Geneva High School graduate whose love for music has been a lifelong journey. She began performing in high school with groups like the Jazz Band and L Street Singers, and continues to share her gifts through a variety of musical roles. Melissa currently plays piano and organ for her church and leads the Spirit Singers, a children’s choir. She lives in Bruning, Nebraska with her husband, Jesse, and their two children, Jaryn and Ella, where music and family remain at the center of her life.

Zander Johnson

Saxophone

Zander Johnson is a Fillmore Central graduate and Geneva Resident. After attending the University of Nebraska Lincoln for 2 years, returned to Geneva to find employment as an operator and corn sommelier at the POET biorefining plant in Fairmont. He spends his time acting as both student and patron of the arts.

Jodi Meyer

Director

Jodi E. Meyer has spent the past 20 years teaching Language Arts and coaching competitive speech, where she has guided numerous students to individual state championships. A proud graduate of Fillmore Central, Jodi is passionate about helping students discover their voice and develop a lifelong love for the arts. Her directing credits include Beauty and the Beast and The Wizard of Oz, and she continues to find joy in bringing stories to life on stage in this original production. Special thanks to Trevor, Abbey, Travis, and Evelyn for sharing in her love of stories and the magic of theater. Having the opportunity to coach and direct her own kids is a precious memory she is forever grateful for! Her biggest thank you goes to her husband, Nathan, for his unwavering support, collaboration, and for always being her sounding board.

Jeff Schwarz

Director

Jeffery T. Schwarz holds a Bachelor’s degree in K-12 Music Education and a Master of Science in Education, both from Peru State College. He is entering his 15th year of teaching. This will be his 11th year at Fillmore Central Schools, where he teaches vocal music. In addition to his classroom role, he serves as the Esports Coach, assistant Speech Coach, L Street Show Choir Director, Spring Musical Co-director, and participates on various school committees. He most recently co-directed Fillmore Central’s spring musical, The Wizard of Oz, alongside Jodi Meyer, and is thrilled to continue that creative partnership with her in co-directing this production. Jeff is especially proud to share this production with his wife, Apryl, who appears in a lead role. Her dedication and talent continue to inspire him. Jeff is also a grateful and devoted dad to Avery, Henry, Jace, and Amelia. He is deeply thankful for the many sacrifices they’ve made this summer while rehearsals took center stage. Their support, understanding, and love mean the world to him, and he couldn’t be more honored to be their father.

Ben Kaye-Skinner

Book/Music/Lyrics/Drums

Ben Kaye-Skinner (ASCAP) is a Nebraska-based composer, educator, performer, and clinician. His music ranges from rhythmically demanding to absurdly comical. As an undergraduate at Doane College (now Doane University), his interest in creating his own music blossomed under the direction of Dr. Jay W. Gilbert. For 14 years he was the Director of Bands and Choir at Fillmore Central Public Schools, where he composed and arranged frequently for and with his students. He received his MFA in Music Composition from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in July 2024. His work is in demand as composer, arranger, and performer and has been performed across the United States and in Australia. Ben lives in Geneva with his wife, kids, dogs, and Legos.

Phil Malcom

Book/Lyrics

Phil Malcom is widely-known throughout the theater world for his work with the Colonel Mustard Amateur Attic Theater Company, which he co-founded. His acting, composing, writing, and conducting with the group received a commendation from the mayor of Lincoln and inspired Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim to shout, "Who are you? Get out of my living room before I call the police!" Phil resides in Omaha with his wife Laura and twin daughters, where he is Chief Operating Officer at Jewish Federation of Omaha.

Aaron Holmes

Book

Aaron Holmes is an animator and playwright based in the Los Angeles area. Since co-founding the Colonel Mustard Amateur Attic Theater Company, Aaron has eaten rice-based meals on a handful of continents and once met a man taller than a coffee table. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Animation at Biola University. One of his sons is smarter than the other.

Tomás Campbell

Music/Bass

Tomás Campbell is a music teacher with Brockton Public Schools in Brockton, MA. He is seen throughout New England as a regularly-performing guitar and bass player, and his recent performance during the fourth inning of a Boston Red Sox game earned him a lifetime ban from Fenway Park. Tomás has degrees from Bridgewater State University and Vermont College of Fine Arts and has studied privately with many who are regarded as masters of their instrument.

Trey Dugger

Music

Vocalist, instrumentalist, and composer Trey Dugger is Instrumental Music Instructor at Fay School, the oldest junior boarding school in the United States. Outside of the school, he is a sought-after performer in Soho under Nightshift Entertainment and Boston Common Band. In 2024 he was voted "Most Likely To Cause Your Wife Fall in Love With Him" by a poll of seven wives and husbands on the show's writing team.

Ken Topham

Music/Graphic Design

Ken Topham (1981) is a skilled composer with over two decades of professional experience. He earned his MFA in Music Composition from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He is a passionate performer and composer of music with extensive professional studio recording and orchestration experience. Ken is a proficient multi-instrumentalist with an expertise in percussion instruments. He has been studying the drum set for over thirty years. Ken’s music blends his performance and compositional interests in traditional and extended techniques, experimental tape manipulation, and electro-acoustic sound design. He composes for, and performs with many traditional chamber ensemble groups and contemporary ensembles. His recent compositions have been premiered by live ensembles, multimedia recordings, and sound installations in Montpelier, VT, Colorado Springs, CO, Selinsgrove, PA, and New York, NY. Ken has been the recipient of several performing arts grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Ken is a professor of instrumental, vocal, and electronic music performance and composition, and music history. He has over a decade of experience teaching classes and private lessons, and directing ensembles. He enjoys scoring, creating sound design, and editing audio for films and visual media, as well as multimedia studio production and performance. Ken Topham is the co-founder of the influential ‘math rock’ electro-acoustic duo GIRAFFES? GIRAFFES! Founded in the California Bay Area in the early 2000’s, the band incorporates live phrase sampling and looping, and other electronic elements in their fun and accessible music. They have recorded several studio albums and toured internationally. Ken resides in Western Massachusetts with his wife, Lindsey, and two boys, Andrew and William. He drinks over a gallon of coffee every day and can bench press 1,000 kilograms.

Donors

Glossary of Aussie Slang

• A Few Sandwiches Short Of A Picnic? - Someone quite dumb
• Acadaca - How Aussies refer to AC/DC
• Advance Australia Fair - The national anthem of Australia
• Angus Young - Lead guitar player for AC/DC
• Ankle Biter - A small child
• As Fit As A Mallee Bull - Very strong and healthy
• Banana Bender - Someone from Queensland
• Bathers - Swimsuit
• Beauty - Great!
• Better Than A Ham Sandwich - It’s better than nothing
• Billabong - Small body of water
• Bingle - A fight or a car crash
• Blimey - A word of amazement or surprise
• Bloke - A guy
• Bloody - Very; In some places a swear word
• Bloody Hell - Generic curse
• Bloody Oath - Yes, or it’s true
• Bodgie - Fake, false, inferior, worthless
• Bogan - An uncultured and unsophisticated person
• Booze Bus - Police vehicle used to catch drunk drivers
• Bottle-O - A place to buy alcohol
• Brekky - Breakfast
• Bruce - Generic name for a man
• Buckley’s Chance - Little chance
• Chrissie - Christmas
• Chuffed - Very pleased
• Chunder - To vomit
• Cobber - A friend or companion
• Cockie - A small farmer
• Coldie - A beer
• Cooee - A call from a distance
• Coppers - Police
• Crack The Shits - Getting angry at something
• Deadset - True
• Defo - Definitely
• Donger - Penis
• Drongo - A fool
• Facey - Facebook
• Fair Dinkum - Honestly
• Fairy Bread - Buttered bread with sprinkles on it
• Flat Out Like A Lizard Drinking - Really busy
• Footy - Football
• Fuck Me Dead - That’s unfortunate, that surprises me
• Furphy - Something improbable or absurd
• G’day! - Hello
• Galah - A stupid person
• Get Onya Bike - A phrase to tell someone to impolitely leave
• Get Pissed - Get drunk
• Give A Fair Go - Give a reasonable chance or fair deal
• Good Oil - Reliable information
• Good On Ya - Good work
• Grab A Slab - Get a carton of beers
• Gympie Gympie - A notoriously painful plant to come in contact with
• Happy As Larry - Extremely happy
• Harold Holt - Prime Minister who disappeared off Victoria’s coast in 1967
• Hard Yakka - Hard work
• Have A Slash - To urinate
• Have One For The Road - A last drink before going home
• Hooroo - Goodbye
• In The Shit - In serious trouble
• Innit - Isn’t it?
• Knickers - Women’s underwear
• Larrikin - Someone always up for a laugh, a joker
• Legless - Drunk
• Loo - Toilet
• Mad As A Cut Snake - Very angry, crazy, eccentric
• Manchester - Bed Sheets
• Mate - Friend, a general positive term for another person
• Mongrel - Someone who’s a bit of a dick
• MP - Member of Parliament
• Mull - Weed
• No Worries/No Wuckas - No problem, it’s okay
• Oz - Nickname for Australia
• Piece Of Piss - Easy
• Piss Up - A party
• Piss Off - “Get lost”
• Pissed - Drunk
• Pissing In My Vegemite - We just made this one up. Those Aussies have so many slang terms involving piss, no one will ever notice!
• Pulling The Wool Over My Eyes - Treat me dishonestly, cheating me
• Pushing Shit Uphill With A Rubber Fork - Something that’s impossible, so there’s no chance
• Rack Off - Tell someone to get lost
• Raincoat - A condom
• Randy - Horny
• Rapt - Very happy
• Reckon - For sure
• Rooned - Ruined
• Root Rat - Someone who enjoys sex a little too much
• Rooted - Tired, broken
• Rubbish - Worthless
• Sack - Fire from a job
• Sandgroper - Western Australians
• Serviette - Napkin
• Servo - Gas station
• Shark Biscuit - A kid
• She’ll Be Right - It will be okay
• Sheila - Generic name for a woman
• Shoot Through - Leave
• Slag Off - Harass, be mean to
• Snags - Sausages, beef and pork
• Straight To The Pool Room - Something that is of great value, it will be displayed as a trophy. “This autograph is going straight to the pool room!”
• Straya - Nickname for Australia
• Tidda - Aboriginal word for ‘sister’
• Toad - Someone from Queensland
• Troppo - Go crazy
• True Blue - A real Australian
• Wallabies - Australia national rugby union team
• Wouldn’t Piss On You If You Were On Fire - Don’t care about you

Glossary of Kiwi Slang

• All Blacks - The New Zealand national rugby union team 
• Dingo Dongers - Derogatory term for Australian
• Good-As-Gold - Affirmative
• Handle the Jandal - Can you deal with the situation
• Hard Case - Funny
• Jafa - Just Another Fucking Aucklander
• Koala Cuddler - Derogatory term for Australian
• Munt - Something or someone dumb or annoying
• Munted - When something is really broken or someone is highly intoxicated
• Muppets - Idiots
• Ratbag - Brat
• Rattle Your Dags - Hurry up
• Such an Egg - A clown
• Sweet As - Cool, awesome or no problem
• Tiki Tour - Getting to a destination the long way
• Wop-Wops - The middle of nowhere
• Yeah, Nah - No

Thank You

There is no way to properly thank everyone, so I won’t.

Just kidding, my wife would take me to Australia just to murder me and hide the body if I did that. 

Countless hours of writing and editing with Aaron and Phil, advising from Lisa Mezzacappa, rehearsing by performers, design by Ken, news articles forwarded from my Facebook friends, and laughs from everyone made this show possible. My silly jokes would have kept locked away in the dark recesses of my brain like the judge ordered were it not for all of their input.

I would not have undertaken the journey that led to the creation of this show were it not for the loving support of my wife, Liz, and my kids Rosemary, Philip, and David. The sacrifices I made to go on this journey were borne heaviest by all of you, and I cannot thank you enough for putting up with me. My parents, Nan and Lew, were always ready to help however possible, and their generosity resulted in our sanity stretching a little longer.

When I had the crazy idea to write a musical for my master's thesis project in 2023, instead of suggesting that I do something less insane, Lisa started spitballing ideas and quoting Monty Python. Her willingness to help convince the college that this was not a fool’s errand meant that, instead of just being a “could have been fun,” this dream became reality. 

Jeff and Jodi brought their wisdom and experience to the helm of this show, figuring out how to deal with some very silly suggestions and offering alternatives to some of the wilder ones. Many residents of Geneva and the surrounding area donated their time, their props, their spare bedrooms, and occasionally their financial resources to support this show, and it would have been impossible without each of you.

And thanks to all of you patrons, but special thanks to everyone who goes out after this show and tells their friends in the theater world and wealthy relatives who like to invest in things about how amazing this show is. I’ll save you two tickets during our Broadway run.

 Ben Kaye-Skinner

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