This Australian Theatre Production Just Got Saved By Taylor Swift
No bad blood here.
Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, but Taylor Swift just took a massive step up in our book after coming to the rescue of a Sydney theatre production, who were told they wouldn't be allowed to use one of the pop star's songs just days before their opening night.
Opening today, Belvoir Theatre Company's Seventeen stars veteran Australian actors Peter Carroll, Maggie Dence, John Godden, Genevieve Lemon, Barry Otto and Anna Volska as a group of seventeen year olds on their last day of school. The play was meant to include a scene where the cast dance to Swift's 2014 hit 'Shake It Off,' but those plans were apparently scuppered on Friday after they were denied the right to use the song.
In a last-ditch effort, director Anna-Louise Sarks took to twitter and petitioned Swift directly.
Hey @taylorswift13 I'm a big fan and I'm facing an artistic emergency I hope you can help with 1/7 #greygrey4taytay
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 I'm a theatre director from Sydney, and we have a big show opening tomorrow night @belvoirst 2/7 #greygrey4taytay
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 It's about the last day of school - only the 17yrolds are all played by 70yrolds 3/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/t3i1JPdZn2
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
. @taylorswift13 (including Barry Otto from Strictly Ballroom which maybe you've seen) http://t.co/cBOHzj4vdp #greygrey4taytay
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 there's this great moment where they Shake It Off, and they know all the words and have amazing moves 5/7 #greygrey4taytay
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 But we've just at the last minute been told we can't have the rights to the song! 6/7 #greygrey4taytay
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 Is there anything at all you can do?!! Thanks for reading! 7/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/pdL1TW1Bv9
— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
She also sent tweets to Russell Crowe, Hugh Jackman and former federal arts minister Tony Burke in the hopes that they could help her get in touch. A number of celebrities, including Tim Minchin and Orange Is the New Black star Yael Stone also got on board, and before long the hashtag #greygrey4taytay was trending around Australia. Then, yesterday afternoon, the pop star with over 61 million followers responded.
Permission granted, @BelvoirSt. Good luck with your opening night 🙂
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 4, 2015
Yes!
The reaction from the cast and crew was understandably ecstatic. BuzzFeed Australia was on hand when the news came through, and later tweeted the following Vine.
"WE LOVE YOU TAYLOR!" We were on hand as @taylorswift13 granted @BelvoirSt its wish http://t.co/L0szMLegFV https://t.co/QuD1aS1Kiy
— BuzzFeed Australia (@BuzzFeedOz) August 4, 2015
Anyone who has ever said a bad word about Taylor Swift and/or twitter should be eating a massive slice of humble pie right now. Now let the players play.
Seventeen is at Belvoir Street Theatre from August 5 – September 13. For more information, visit their website.
Via BuzzFeed Australia.
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