Thank you David for this wonderful synopsis of last week's presentation. 
"On Wednesday 22 May Jason Marriner the youngish yet experienced CEO of the largest independent theatre operator in Australia, entertained members and guests with a cogent, convincing case for the power of music theatre. Music theatre acts as a cultural focus and economic powerhouse for our city and its many visitors who flock to the beautiful theatres owned an operated by the Marriner Group.
These include the Princess Theatre on Spring St, the Regent Theatre/Plaza Ballroom on Collins, the Forum on the corner of Flinders and Russell and the Comedy Theatre on Exhibition, producing everything from opera to heavy metal, with music theatre as the king pin.
This theatrical empire started in Jason’s birth town of Colac, where his father David - in Jason’s words “an entrepreneur’s entrepreneur” - owned a furniture store. David Marriner came to people’s attention when he turned the derelict Colac Court House into a thriving restaurant.
In the early 1980s, TV, cinema and Arts Festivals in smart new venues had threatened Melbourne’s distinguished live theatre scene.For example, the Princess Theatre closed its doors about the time the Arts Centre was opened. David Marriner bought it (and its debt) for $1!
A chance meeting with the British theatre magnate Cameron Mackintosh secured David Marriner not only the rights to produce Les Misérables but also Phantom of the Opera. Both productions turned the tide, re-establishing Melbourne as a magnet for a great night out of communal entertainment.
After David’s son Jason had moved to Melbourne, completing his education at Melbourne Grammar, Jason took over the expanding business, inheriting his father’s astute intuition for a ‘winner’ and his father’s marketing acuity. For example, Jason Marriner had an evocative photo of the Princess Theatre at sunset. It was this which helped to convince the creator of the recent blockbuster Harry Potter and the Accursed Child to award that show to Melbourne and the Marriner group. The show is such a success that no time limit has been put on its run.
After Jason’s spirited talk, his energetic eloquence enthused questioners to such an extent that we almost (not quite) had to delay the National Anthem. The Rotary Club of Melbourne hopes that the visit of this charismatic guest speaker will herald a fruitful association between our club and a pivotal player in Melbourne’s cultural and visitor industry."
David Kram 24/5/19
