title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Torpedo bombers from "Hornet" are the first American planes to locate the Japanese fleet. They attack without fighter protection and are destroyed by the Japanese Combat Air Patrol. Tom is severely burned when gunfire starts a fire in his cockpit. The Japanese fighters are drawn down to wave-top altitude by the low-flying torpedo planes, leaving them out of position when dive-bombers from "Enterprise" and "Yorktown" arrive. As the Japanese are preparing to launch their second wave, the American bombers attack and reduce three of the Japanese carriers – , and – to burning wrecks within minutes.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: The remaining Japanese carrier immediately launches aircraft. Following the returning American bombers, they soon discover "Yorktown" and inflict severe damage. The crew manages to bring the fires under control as a scout plane reports that "Hiryū" has been spotted. Below decks, Matt meets Tom and reconciles with him. Due to a shortage of pilots, Matt joins the counterattack against "Hiryū" just before its second wave of aircraft strikes. "Yorktown" is soon burning and the order is given to abandon ship.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: "Hiryū" is sunk, dealing a fatal blow to the invasion. The American planes return to "Enterprise" and "Hornet" but Matt, his plane badly damaged, is killed during landing. Yamamoto receives news of the loss of his carrier force. The admiral orders a general withdrawal as he contemplates how he will apologise for his failure to the Emperor.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: "Midway" was shot at the Terminal Island Naval Base, Los Angeles, California, the U.S. Naval Station, Long Beach, California and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The on-board scenes were filmed in the Gulf of Mexico aboard . "Lexington", an , was the last World War II-era carrier left in service at that point, although the ship was completed after the battle. She is now a museum ship at Corpus Christi, Texas. Scenes depicting Midway Island were filmed at Point Mugu, California. "Point Mugu has sand dunes, just like Midway. We built an airstrip, a tower, some barricades, things like that," said Jack Smight. "We did a lot of strafing and bombing there." A Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina BuNo "63998", N16KL, of the Commemorative Air Force, was used in depicting all the search and rescue mission scenes.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: The film was the second of only four films released with a Sensurround sound mix which required special speakers to be installed in movie theatres. The other Sensurround films were "Earthquake" (1974), "Rollercoaster" (1977), and "Battlestar Galactica" (1978). The regular soundtrack (dialog, background and music) was monaural; a second optical track was devoted to low frequency rumble added to battle scenes and when characters were near unmuffled military engines.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Many of the action sequences used footage from earlier films: most sequences of the Japanese air raids on Midway are stock shots from 20th Century Fox's "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970). Some scenes are from the Japanese "Toho" film "Hawai Middouei daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no arashi" (1960) (which also stars Mifune). Several action scenes, including the one where a Mitsubishi A6M Zero slams into 's bridge, were taken from "Away All Boats" (1956); scenes of Doolittle's Tokyo raid at the beginning of the film are from "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" (1944). In addition, most dogfight sequences come from wartime gun camera footage or from the film "Battle of Britain" (1969).


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Cast member Henry Fonda (Admiral Nimitz) had been one of the narrators of the 1942 John Ford documentary "The Battle of Midway", some footage from which was used in the 1976 film. This was the third film dealing with the aftermath of Pearl Harbor with which Henry Fonda had been involved. Fonda first narrated the 1942 film The Battle of Midway and starred in the 1965 film "In Harm's Way". The only actress with a speaking part in the original film was Christina Kobuko as Horuko. In the TV version of the film Susan Sullivan appears playing Matt Garth's girlfriend. Later video versions dropped Sullivan to emphasize the essentially all-male cast and wartime action.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: As with many "carrier films" produced around this time, the US Navy "Essex"-class aircraft carriers USS "Lexington" and USS "Boxer" played the parts of both American and Japanese flattops for shipboard scenes.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: "Midway" proved extremely popular with movie audiences, and opened at number one at the US box office with an opening weekend gross of $4,356,666 from 311 theatres. It went on to gross over $43 million at the box office, becoming the tenth most popular movie of 1976 with theatrical rentals of $20,300,000.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, "The movie can be experienced as pure spectacle, I suppose, if we give up all hopes of making sense of it. Bombs explode and planes crash and the theater shakes with the magic of Sensurround. But there's no real directorial intelligence at hand to weave the special effects into the story, to clarify the outlines of the battle and to convincingly account for the unexpected American victory." Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" wrote that "the movie blows up harmlessly in a confusion of familiar old newsreel footage, idiotic fiction war movie clichés, and a series of wooden-faced performances by almost a dozen male stars, some of whom appear so briefly that it's like taking a World War II aircraft-identification test." Arthur D. Murphy of "Variety" thought that the film "emerges more as a passingly exciting theme-park extravaganza than a quality motion picture action-adventure story ... Donald S. Sanford's cluttered script, while striving for the long-ago personal element, gets overwhelmed by its action effects." Gene Siskel of the "Chicago Tribune" gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote that "[t]he battle scenes run hot and cold." He praised Henry Fonda as "absolutely convincing" but stated that Sanford "deserves a year in the brig for inserting amid the battle scenes a stupid subplot involving a young American sailor in love with a Japanese-American girl." Gary Arnold of "The Washington Post" called it a "tired combat epic" and wrote, "Hollywood may mean well, or imagine it does, but it's a little appalling to think that authentic acts of bravery and sacrifice have become the pretext for such feeble, inadequate dramatization. There is no serious attempt in 'Midway' to characterize the young men who fought on either side of this pivotal battle." Charles Champlin of the "Los Angeles Times" was mixed, describing it as "a disaster film whose disaster is war," with its principal strength being that it "keeps the lines of battle both straight and suspenseful in the viewer's mind." He too faulted the romance subplot as "hokey even beyond the demands of the form." Janet Maslin panned the film in "Newsweek", stating that it "never quite decides whether war is hell, good clean fun, or merely another existential dilemma. This drab extravaganza toys with so many conflicting attitudes that it winds up reducing the pivotal World War II battle in the Pacific to utter nonsense."


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Robert Niemi, author of "History in the Media: Film and Television", stated that "Midway"'s "clichéd dialogue" and an overuse of stock footage led the film to have a "shopworn quality that signalled the end of the heroic era of American-made World War II epics." He described the film as a "final, anachronistic attempt to recapture World War II glories in a radically altered geopolitical era, when the old good-versus-evil dichotomies no longer made sense."


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 54% score based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Shortly after its successful theatrical debut, additional fictional material was assembled and shot in standard ratio for a TV version of the film, which aired on NBC. Although having nothing to do with the plot, a character was added: Susan Sullivan played Ann, the girlfriend of Captain Garth, adding depth to his reason for previously divorcing Ensign Garth's mother, and bringing further emotional impact to the fate of Captain Garth. The TV version also has Coral Sea battle scenes to help the plot build up to the decisive engagement at Midway. The TV version was 45 minutes longer than the theatrical film and aired over two nights. Mitchell Ryan was added as Rear Admiral Aubrey W. Fitch. Jack Smight directed the additional scenes.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: In June 1992, a re-edit of the extended version, shortened to fill a three-hour time slot, aired on the CBS network to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Midway battle. This version brought in successful ratings.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Part of this additional footage is available as a bonus feature on the Universal Pictures Home Entertainment DVD of "Midway".


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: More flag officers took part at the decision making and planning before the battle, not just Nimitz, Fletcher and Spruance. All the same, commanding officers' staffs were generally bigger than the one or two men portrayed in the movie. Admiral Ernest King, commander-in-chief of the navy, approved the Midway battle plan propounded by Nimitz. They were regularly in contact, so there was no need of sending fictional Capt. Vinton Maddox to consult Nimitz. There were numerous air attacks by Midway-based bombers on approaching Japanese fleets omitted by the script; these had the same effect as later carrier-based torpedo bombers destroyed by Japanese fleet air-defenses portrayed in the movie. The failure of the initial raids by land-based bombers only convinced Japanese commanders of their invincibility and incompetency of US military.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: During the American torpedo attacks, Admiral Chūichi Nagumo and his subordinates are shaken by the American pilots' unexpected bravery. Nagumo remarks "They sacrifice themselves like samurai, these Americans". Similar to Isoroku Yamamoto's sleeping giant quote from the 1970 film "Tora! Tora! Tora!", there is no evidence that Nagumo made this statement. When the "Akagi" is bombed, Nagumo is stunned by the force of the bomb's blast and is unable to get up, being tended to by Genda. Witnesses saw Nagumo standing near the ship's compass looking out at the flames on his flagship and two other carriers in a state of shock. Nagumo's chief of staff, Rear Admiral Ryūnosuke Kusaka, was able to persuade him to leave the critically damaged Akagi. Nagumo, with a barely perceptible nod and tears in his eyes, agreed to go.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Later studies by Japanese and American military historians call into question key scenes, such as the dive-bombing attack that crippled the first three Japanese carriers. In the movie, American pilots jubilantly report that there are no fighters and the carrier decks are loaded with ammunition. As Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully write in "" (2005), aerial photography from the battle showed nearly empty decks. Japanese carriers loaded armament onto planes below the flight deck, unlike American carriers (as depicted earlier in the film). The fact that a closed hangar full of armaments was hit by bombs made damage to "Akagi" more devastating than if planes, torpedoes and bombs were on an open deck. During the attack on the Japanese carriers, an American pilot reports, "Scratch one flat top!" This is a famous radio transmission but it was made a month earlier during the by Lieutenant Commander Robert E. Dixon after his dive bomber squadron sank the .


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: While most characters portray real persons, some of them are fictional though inspired by actual people. Captain Matt Garth and his son, Ensign Thomas Garth, are fictional. Garth's contribution to planning the battle is based rather faithfully on actual work of Lieutenant-Commander Edwin Layton. Layton served as Pacific fleet intelligence officer, spoke Japanese and was key to transposing raw outputs of cryptography analysis into meaningful intelligence for Nimitz and his staff. Layton was an old friend of Joseph Rochefort. Matt Garth's further exploits were pure fiction and resembled deeds of at least two more persons. First, an intelligence officer on Fletcher's Task Force 17 staff and then the leader of the last attack made by dive bombers from USS "Yorktown". The latter was actually performed by VB-3 dive bomber squadron led by LCDR Maxwell Leslie.


title: Midway (1976 film)

text: Historical footage and atelier shots of warplanes action are mostly inaccurate in the movie. Most of the original footage portrays later and/or different events and thus planes and ships that were not operational during the battle or did not take part. Among the first aircraft shown taking off to defend Midway are two Army P-40 Warhawks. There were no P-40s stationed at Midway, only Marine F4F Wildcats and F2A-3 Buffalos. In the second air attack on Yorktown, the movie shows two Japanese planes hitting the aircraft carrier. There were no plane crashes into ships in this battle. In addition the Yorktown was damaged beyond saving by Japanese torpedoes fired from a submarine which had penetrated the destroyer screen rather than the air attack seen in the film. This attack also sank a destroyer (USS Compass) which exploded sending more than 100 men into the sea and which sank in just four minutes. One of the most flagrant moments is Garth's collision at the very end of the movie, which is followed by the recording of a post-war Grumman F9F Panther jet plane crash which actually occurred on USS Midway (CV-41). Like the USS Lexington used in filming, USS Midway is also preserved as a museum.


title: Tina Arena

text: Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwide. Arena is multilingual, singing and recording in English, Italian, French and Spanish.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena has earned several international and national awards, including a BRIT Award, seven ARIA Awards and two World Music Awards for Best-selling Australian Artist (1996, 2000). In 2001, she was awarded a BMI Foundation Songwriting Award (Broadcast Music Inc) by the American performance rights organisation for co-writing "Burn" with Pam Reswick and Steve Werfel. In 2011, Arena became the first Australian to be awarded a knighthood of the French National Order of National Merit, presented by the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, for her contributions to French culture, and ceremonially awarded by Frédéric Mitterrand, the Minister of Culture and Communication of France.


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2015, Arena was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Hall of Fame. On Australia Day, 26 January 2016, Arena was recognised in the Australia Day Honours and appointed a member in the General Division of the Order of Australia "for significant service to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and recording artist, and as a supporter of charitable groups". In 2016 Arena was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).


title: Tina Arena

text: In March 2019, the Government of Australia appointed Arena as a board member of the Australia Council for the Arts for a three-year term.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena was born in the Melbourne suburb of Keilor East, to Giuseppe "Joe" Arena and Francesca "Franca" Catalfamo (both from Valguarnera, Sicily), Sicilian immigrants, in Melbourne on 1 November 1967. Giuseppe was a rural worker in Sicily and then a cane cutter in Cairns in 1955. By the following year he was a labourer in Melbourne and later worked for Victorian Railways. Arena grew up in Keilor East, Victoria with two sisters, Nancy and Silvana; As a child, she listened to Spanish, Italian and French songs that were in her family's record collection. At the age of six, she was the flower girl at her cousin Gaetano's wedding, and at the reception she urged her father to approach the host so that she could sing—Daryl Braithwaite's version of "You're My World"—it was her first public performance.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's family call her Pina, which is her shortened first name. She changed her first name from Filippina to "Tina", her stage name becoming "Tina Arena", when she appeared as a child performer on the national television talent show "Young Talent Time" in 1976, at age 8. For secondary schooling, she attended a Catholic girls' college, St. Columba's College, Essendon, in Melbourne. Recalling her upbringing, Arena says, "It was a very Italian household, it was a very traditional household. There was a lot of love but there was a lot of discipline. And there was no room for pretentiousness. Really, there just wasn't."


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena received singing lessons from Voila Ritchie who recommended her to appear on a television talent quest and variety show, "Young Talent Time", an Australian weekly television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten.


title: Tina Arena

text: When Arena was selected to appear on "Young Talent Time" in 1974, the producers at Lewis-Young Productions and Network Ten asked her to change her first name from Filippina to "Tina"—creating her stage name, "Tina Arena"—so as to be more relatable to the wider national audience. In the mid-1970s, there was a minority of ethnic diversity represented in the Australian mainstream media, especially on primetime television. Initially appearing as a "Young Talent Time" contestant in 1974, Arena went on to permanently join the cast as a regular member of the show's Young Talent Team in 1976. She then quickly, and affectionately, became known on the show by her nickname "Tiny Tina". For her first appearance she performed ABBA's "Ring Ring".


title: Tina Arena

text: As a core member of the Young Talent Team performing live on Australian national television each week, Arena sang cover versions of popular music tracks. In 1977, she released a split album, "Tiny Tina and Little John", alternating tracks with fellow Young Talent Team member, John Bowles.


title: Tina Arena

text: As a member of the Young Talent Team, Arena appeared in TV specials, in TV commercials, at shopping centres and on tourist venues. In September 1982, she became a "coach" for new team members, Danielle Minogue and Mark McCormack; Arena told "The Australian Women's Weekly"s Debbie Byrne that "They seem to be settling down a lot quicker than I did. They both have a really professional attitude." At 14, she told Byrne "my aim: to be a recording artist and actress but, now, I have to concentrate simply on what I'm doing and that can take enough effort."


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena left the "Young Talent Time" show in October 1983, ahead of her 16th birthday, due to the Network Ten "Young Talent Time" series age-limit contract stipulation to give way for younger members. Arena performed the songs "The Way We Were" and "MacArthur Park" for her finale set on her farewell "Young Talent Time" episode. Arena starred in "Young Talent Time" from 1976 to 1983—making her the show's longest-serving cast member.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena completed her Higher School Certificate (final year of secondary school) and was hired as an insurance clerk; however, she resigned after three months to pursue a music career.


title: Tina Arena

text: Speaking at her BIGSOUND keynote address in 2017, Arena described her childhood to teenage experience on "Young Talent Time" as an inclusive apprenticeship into the television light-entertainment and musical industry in Australia, Arena noted:


title: Tina Arena

text: It was 40 years ago and there were no ethnic faces on [Australian] television. It was an extraordinary apprenticeship. Young Talent Time was inclusive and welcoming. The only downside of Young Talent Time was when I was trying to transition to an adult.


title: Tina Arena

text: At age 17, Arena signed a record deal with Graffiti Records, which released her debut single, "Turn Up the Beat", in 1985. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described it as having a "dance-pop" style. "The Sydney Morning Herald"s Tim Elliott said that it "failed to impress". It had been recorded in the previous year with Brian Cadd producing at Flagstaff Studios in Melbourne. When the single did not appear in the top 50 her planned album was scrapped.


title: Tina Arena

text: Following her 1985 recording, Arena sang advertising jingles and worked on the pub and club circuit to earn a living. She performed solo shows and in bands, including as a member of a nine-piece ensemble, Network. She also appeared in musicals. In 1987, she supported American artist Lionel Richie on his Australian tour following a number of charity performances.


title: Tina Arena

text: During 1988, Arena appeared as a guest on Australian TV shows recalling her tenure on "Young Talent Time" and looking for a new record label. In 1990, she had a singing and dancing role in the David Atkins' musical, "Dynamite", for a 10-month run. Also that year she signed with EMI and reinvented her image as a raunchy disco diva. In April she issued a single, "I Need Your Body", which peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart. McFarlane described it as "uptempo" with the associated music video "projecting a raunchy disco-diva persona ... flaunting a pouting rock starlet with bouncing cleavage and attitude to burn." Australian journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, noticed that she used "raunchy videos showing off her cleavage as if to prove she was a woman now."


title: Tina Arena

text: The artist followed with another single, "The Machine's Breaking Down", in July 1990, which peaked in the top 30. Her debut solo album, "Strong as Steel", was released in October, and peaked at number 17 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Most of the album was produced by Ross Inglis. Penelope Layland of "The Canberra Times" opined that "the frantic single, 'I Need Your Body', is quite uncharacteristic of much of the music on Tina Arena's album, "Strong As Steel". In fact, it is one of the weakest tracks on an album which bounces with potential pop hits."


title: Tina Arena

text: According to music historian Ed Nimmervoll, Arena "was not comfortable. This was not her. This was not what she wanted to be for the rest of her life. Tina went into seclusion while she decided what to do next, moving to Los Angeles to be a nobody again." She had relocated to LA in 1991, where she took more singing lessons and started song writing. Upon return to Australia, in 1993, she performed in the local December 1992 to February 1993 musical theatre production, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", as the Narrator, at the State Theatre, Melbourne. In 1992 Arena sang background vocals on the debut album by Australian singer-songwriter Rick Price, titled "Heaven Knows", which was released in July 1992, and she appeared in the 1993 music video by Price for the single "A House Divided".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's second solo studio album, "Don't Ask", was released on 14 November 1994. It was produced by David Tyson for Columbia Records. According to Nimmervoll, during recording "Tina nearly broke down. This was an all-important moment in her career." Arena co-wrote all 10 tracks of the original Australian version.


title: Tina Arena

text: Ian McFarlane noticed it demonstrated a "more mature, sophisticated, soul-tinged style and approach ... [and] her powerful, crystal clear voice more than adequately matched the material on offer." Kelvin Hayes of AllMusic felt that "a lot of "Don't Ask" remains twee. However, there are good moments." It peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart—a year after its release—and remained in the top 50 for 83 weeks. It reached No. 11 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 12 in New Zealand.


title: Tina Arena

text: "Don't Ask" was the highest-selling album of 1995 in Australia and one of the biggest-selling albums by an Australian female singer to date. It has sold over two million copies worldwide and was certified 10 times platinum by ARIA in 2011 for shipment of over 700,000 copies in that country alone. The success of the record made her a "priority artist" for Sony, who marketed her in the US. Her European success was realised: "Don't Ask" charted in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.


title: Tina Arena

text: The lead single, "Chains", was issued ahead of the album in August 1994 and peaked at No. 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It also reached No. 6 in the UK, No. 7 in New Zealand, No. 9 in Ireland and No. 20 in Canada. In 1995, she toured Europe, appearing on "Top of the Pops" which broadcast to an audience of 60 million people. In the European market Arena was an unknown and a fresh commodity, she opined: "I loved every minute of that—of people not knowing who I was. I guess it was tiring fighting the individual thing. It was good to not be a part of a past and being accepted as an artist. Not having to carry this "Young Talent Time" luggage which was constantly shoved in my face." Five additional singles were released, "Sorrento Moon (I Remember)" (January 1995), "Heaven Help My Heart" (May), "Wasn't It Good" (September), "Show Me Heaven" (November) and "That's the Way a Woman Feels" (February 1996).


title: Tina Arena

text: At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995, Arena was nominated in six categories and won four trophies: Best Pop Release and Song of the Year for "Chains"; and Album of the Year and Best Female Artist for "Don't Ask". At the 1996 ceremony she received five more nominations and won Highest Selling Album for "Don't Ask". Other accolades she earned were Variety Club Entertainer of the Year, an Advance Australia Foundation award, and a World Music Award.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena relocated to Los Angeles in 1996 and 1997, to record her third solo studio album, "In Deep" (18 August 1997), which became her second number-one album in Australia. For the Australian version of the album Arena co-wrote eleven of its twelve tracks—her fellow writers include Mick Jones (of Foreigner), David Tyson, Christopher Ward, Dean McTaggart, Pam Reswick and Steve Werfel. The album included her cover version of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is", originally written by Jones who produced Arena's version. "In Deep" "was recorded predominantly live in the studio in an attempt to bring the material closer to Tina's stage performance persona" with four tracks produced by Tyson and the rest by Jones. "In Deep" was certified 3× platinum in Australia. William Ruhlmann of AllMusic found the US version of the album showed that "Her own songs, co-written with a team of others, are perfectly good contemporary pop/rock, and she sings them with passionate commitment" and it was "brimming with potential hit singles (it spawned three in Australia)."


title: Tina Arena

text: "In Deep", in its different versions, provided ten singles, with the lead one, "Burn", appearing in July 1997, which had some US airplay. The track was co-written by Arena with Reswick and Werfel. In Australia it debuted at No. 2 and was certified gold upon its release. It was also a hit in Asia. Besides the English-language version she also recorded it in Spanish and Italian (in the form of "Ti Voglio Qui"). The second single, "If I Didn't Love You" (November) appeared in the ARIA top 50. In April of the following year she issued "Now I Can Dance", which peaked at No. 13. In the UK Arena released "Whistle Down the Wind" (June 1998) as a cover version single, it was the title track from the 1996 musical of the same name, her version reached the UK Singles Chart top 30.


title: Tina Arena

text: In April 1998, Arena performed at the 50th birthday celebration for Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Arena performed at the celebration, along with John Farnham, and featured musical performances by Elaine Paige.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's duet with US artist, Marc Anthony, "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You", from the feature film soundtrack for "The Mask of Zorro" (July 1998), gained her European chart success. The track was issued as a non-album single in Australia in September, but did not reach the top 50. It was included on the French release version of "In Deep", appearing in October, which peaked at No. 3 on the French Albums Chart—a year after its first entry—and spent 88 weeks on that chart. It also reached the top 10 in Belgium and top 40 in Switzerland. It was certified 3× platinum by Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) in May 2001 for sales in France. "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You" had been issued in Europe in September 1998, it peaked at No. 3 in France—her first charting single in that market. It also reached No. 3 in the Netherlands and top 10 in Belgium.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena toured the US from March 1999, to promote the album's local release, as well as another single, "If I Was a River", which did peak in the UK top 40. Sony attempted to "break" Arena into the US market by the release of "If I Was a River", penned by Diane Warren. Ruhlmann felt the label had an "obvious plan is to turn her into a down-under Celine Dion" however the album and its singles "had no commercial impact upon release in the U.S." and "must be considered a disappointment." Her US foray included appearances on TV shows such as "Donny & Marie". In February 1999, she teamed with label-mate Donna Summer to perform a cover version of "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)"; the duet appeared on Summer's live album, "Live & More Encore" (June 1999).


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's first French-language single, "Aller plus haut" (English: "Go Higher", July 1999), appeared on the continental version of "In Deep", which peaked at No. 2 on the local singles chart. It also became her first number-one hit on the Belgian Singles Chart. Her second French-language single was a cover version of "Les trois cloches" (English: "The Three Bells", January 2000), which reached No. 4 in France and another number-one hit in Belgium. From May that year she lived in London while she appeared in the lead role of Esméralda for the stage musical, "Notre Dame de Paris" during a six-month run. Carr, by now her ex-husband, had claimed in "Business Review Weekly" (2000) that Arena was paid $200,000 per week when she was performing in "Notre Dame de Paris".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena sang "The Flame" (written by John Foreman) at the 2000 Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Olympics on 15 September. Seven Network covered the national broadcast across Australia, which become the highest rating TV telecast in Australian history. John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Vanessa Amorosi, Human Nature and Julie Anthony were some of the other Australian artists who appeared at the opening ceremony and contributed to the various artists' album, "" (September 2000). She recalled, "When I sang at the Olympics, I cared about the fact that I was Australian. And I was touched because I was an ethnic girl, of ethnic blood but that WAS Australian. Because I was born here, this is where I grew up, this is where I learned everything."


title: Tina Arena

text: At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000 in October, Arena received an Outstanding Achievement Award. In the following month she issued her first compilation album, "Souvenirs", which reached the ARIA top 40.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's fourth solo studio album, "Just Me", was released on 12 November 2001 and debuted at No. 7 in Australia; it reached the top 50 in France and top 70 in Switzerland. She co-wrote tracks with Nile Rodgers (Madonna, Diana Ross), Desmond Child (Ricky Martin, Aerosmith), Robbie Nevil (Earth, Wind & Fire), Mark Hudson (Eric Clapton, Cher), Victoria Shaw and Peter-John Vettese (Dido, Paul McCartney). The album explored different genres, containing more upbeat tracks as opposed to her two previous studio records which featured her soprano voice on slow pop ballads. Although written after the divorce from Carr, she said that the record is not angry nor bitter but rather a "celebration of womanhood". It was certified gold by ARIA and by SNEP (France).


title: Tina Arena

text: To promote "Just Me" she showcased it for 150 people, mostly Australian TV and media personalities, in Melbourne. The record provided four singles including, "Symphony of Life" (September 2002), which peaked at No. 8 in Australia and top 50 (as "Symphonie de l'âme") in France. In November 2008 she performed the track at the closing of the Gay Games, when the international sporting event was held in Sydney. She was featured on "2" (November 2002), a duets album from Olivia Newton-John for which the pair recorded an uptempo track, "I'll Come Runnin'".


title: Tina Arena

text: In March 2002, Arena posed for a semi-nude photo shoot by James Houston for "Black+White" magazine. She explained, "This shoot isn't about shock value, and it's not porn, it's an elegant, understated and honest exercise in challenging my sexuality and learning to love myself again." She appeared in "Cabaret" in August that year in Sydney in the lead role of Sally Bowles.


title: Tina Arena

text: In April 2003, Arena and US electronica group, Roc Project, released a dance music single "Never (Past Tense)", which reached number 1 on the US "Billboard" Dance Airplay Chart in October 2003. The single included seven house and electronic dance music remixed versions by various DJs. This was the first time three performers associated with "Young Talent Time" were simultaneously in the chart's Top 10 with Dannii Minogue's "I Begin to Wonder" and Kylie Minogue's "Slow" also appearing on the chart.


title: Tina Arena

text: "Never (Past Tense)" was used on the US TV series, "Queer as Folk", and on its associated soundtrack album (2003). The singer-songwriter performed the Tiësto remix with a new remix of "Dare You to Be Happy" live at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras after party in March 2005. By 2014 she had performed at the Mardi Gras for a fourth time: she is one of the gay icons of this generation.


title: Tina Arena

text: In October 2004, Arena released "Greatest Hits 1994–2004", her second compilation album, which peaked at No. 10 in Australia. The compilation provided a newly recorded track as a single, "Italian Love Song" (November), which reached the top 40. After its release she left the recording label, striking a new deal with Sony Music BMG, France. She embarked on an Australian national tour in late 2004 to early 2005, to support the album.


title: Tina Arena

text: Her debut French-language album, "Un autre univers" was released in December 2005, and gained a platinum certificate from SNEP in February 2006, it peaked at No. 9 on the French charts and remained for 78 weeks.


title: Tina Arena

text: "Un autre univers" lead single, "Aimer jusqu'à l'impossible" which peaked at No. 3 on the French charts, in November 2005, and stayed in the top 5 for over 10 weeks. The single was her biggest French hit to date on the French national charts In February 2006, the single achieved platinum sales in France. The single peaked at No. 1 in Belgium and was a top 20 hit in Switzerland. The song received an award for Song of the Year in France. A second single "Je m'appelle Bagdad" was released in June 2006, peaking at No. 6 in France and No. 8 in Belgium. The third and final single from the album, "Tu aurais dû me dire (Oser parler d'amour)" (English: "You Should Have Told Me (Dare to Speak of Love)"), was issued in October.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena toured France, including two concerts at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris. She performed her French hits and some of her Australian repertoire. In July, she appeared on "The Footy Show" where she performed, with fellow Australian singer Kane Alexander, direct from Munich's Prince Regent's Theatre.


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2006, she appeared on various European TV shows to promote the album and has appeared in Night of the Proms, "Star Academy", Fête de la Musique, Les Enfoirés and the NRJ Music Awards where she performed her single, "Aimer jusqu'à l'impossible" (English: "Love Even the Impossible", November 2005) backed by her French contemporaries: Anggun, Leslie Bourgoin, Amel Bent, Nâdiya, Lââm and Natasha St-Pier.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena returned to the London stage in April 2007, starring as Roxie Hart in the West End production of "Chicago", at the Cambridge Theatre, West End of London. "The Sydney Morning Herald" reported that, "Arena is returning to the stage following the birth of her first baby, Gabriel, now aged 13 months. Arena will make her debut at the prestigious Cambridge Theatre in Covent Garden in April playing the infamous murderess who exploits the media to escape prosecution. Arena said she was "excited, if not a little daunted" about playing the role, which means Arena will have to dust off her dancing shoes for toe-tappers such as "Razzle Dazzle" and "All That Jazz"."


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2007, Arena's sixth studio album, "Songs of Love & Loss", was recorded independently and self-financed as she no longer had a recording contract in Australia. The album was issued on 1 December 2007 after a new deal was struck with EMI. It has torch songs, originally recorded by women in the 1960s and 1970s, including by Dusty Springfield and Diana Ross, and the arrangements featured a full string orchestra conducted by Simon Hale. A promotional tour of Australia, in early November, included appearances on "Dancing with the Stars" and "Sunrise". Five concert dates backed by a 35-piece orchestra were held over December to January: three at the Sydney Opera House and two at Melbourne's Hamer Hall. The album peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Chart; at the ARIA Music Awards of 2008 it was nominated for Best Selling Album.


title: Tina Arena

text: While Arena was promoting "Songs of Love & Loss" in Australia in 2008, she shot a music video in and around Sydney for her next French-language single, "Entends-tu le monde?" (English: "Do you hear the world?"), was made available to French radio and music TV channels. It appeared on her second French-language album, "7 vies" (28 January 2008), which debuted at No. 12 on the official French charts, her highest debut in the country. "Entends-tu le monde?" was physically released in February and debuted at No. 10 on the French charts, becoming her sixth top 10 single in that market.


title: Tina Arena

text: In August 2008, Arena performed with Andrea Bocelli during his Australian tour. The two performed duets of "The Prayer", "Canto della Terra" and a cover of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love". Prior to the tour she had been in the UK recording her eighth studio album, "Songs of Love & Loss 2", it was released on 15 November 2008, which reached No. 12 in Australia. For this album, her vocals were recorded live with the London Studio Orchestra, again conducted by Hale. On 27 August 2008, alongside fellow Australian singer and songwriter Darren Hayes, Arena appeared as a guest judge during the London auditions of the sixth season of "Australian Idol". She appeared again as a guest judge, on 16 November, while she was in Australia to promote, "Songs of Love & Loss 2".


title: Tina Arena

text: In March 2009, Arena toured Australia and appeared as a guest performer at the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras party singing a medley of "Aimer jusqu'à l'impossible" and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)", accompanied by Alison Jiear on the latter. She travelled to South Australia to co-headline with US musician, Chris Isaak, at Barossa Under the Stars, an outdoors concert. Also in March 2009 her first French-language compilation album, "The Best & le meilleur" (English: "The Best & the best"), was released. "The Peel Me Sessions", an album of original material recorded in 2003, was also officially released in May 2009.


title: Tina Arena

text: In January 2010, Arena and Irish singer Ronan Keating (of Boyzone) were co-headliners for an outdoor concert festival, A Day on the Green, at Swan Valley. The duo performed tracks from their latest respective albums and were supported by "Australian Idol" season 4 winner, Damien Leith.


title: Tina Arena

text: In January 2010, Arena released a live CD and DVD in Australia titled "" The album peaked at No. 22 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The live recording was her eighth Top 10 album on the ARIA Australian-only artist chart and was also promoted and sold during Arena and Keating's concerts.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 24 July 2011, Arena sang an "a cappella" performance of "Advance Australia Fair" on the podium on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées at the "Tour de France" winner's ceremony after Cadel Evans became the first Australian winner in the tour's history. This was unscheduled and came about because Arena was living in Paris at the time and offered her services only hours before the ceremony. It was the first time in the tour's history that a national anthem was performed live on the podium in front of huge crowds and a broadcast audience of millions.


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2011, Arena was a judge on the French version of "The Sing-Off" TV singing competition program, alongside two other judges, French rapper Michel Jonasz and Nathalie André. The program was broadcast on France 2.


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2011, Arena became the first Australian to be awarded a knighthood of the French National Order of National Merit, presented by the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, for her contributions to French culture, and ceremonially awarded by Frédéric Mitterrand, the Minister of Culture and Communication of France.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena appeared as a judge on the 2012 version of "Young Talent Time" in Australia, 29 years after her final regular appearance on the original series. After judging the talent shows, she finished her national Australian tour backed by various Australian symphony orchestras with Anthony Callea as a special guest. Arena detailed working on the tour: "They are precious, those moments where the orchestra swells behind you, they are difficult to describe in words and from an adrenalin perspective it is a sensational feeling." In November 2012, she issued her fourth live album released on CD and DVD, "Symphony of Life", recorded at one of her Melbourne concerts. Arena's management is Beebox.


title: Tina Arena

text: Due to the success of her Symphony of Life Tour, Arena added five extra shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra for February and March 2013, as part of her Encore Concerts. In July she performed two concerts at the Queensland Music Festival. One of these was a solo show backed by the Queensland Youth Orchestra performing her own hits and covers; and the other was with local artists, Christine Anu, Anthony Callea, Rick Price and Katie Noonan paying tribute to the Bee Gees.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena released her first English-language solo studio album in eleven years, "Reset", on 18 October 2013, which peaked at No. 4 and became her sixth Top 10 album in Australia. It was released in both standard and a deluxe editions (with three extra tracks). It was certified gold in three weeks and then platinum in December 2013. Its lead single, "You Set Fire to My Life" (September), included both studio and acoustic versions; as well as three official remixes by Cosmic Dawn, The Slips and 7th Heaven—it reached the ARIA top 40. The track "Only Lonely" featured in Channel 7's "Home and Away" promo, which also reached the top 40. Also in October 2013 Arena published her autobiography, "Now I Can Dance", written with Jude McGee, to coincide with the release of "Reset" and is now on its 4th reprint.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena performed at the "G'Day USA Los Angeles Black Tie Gala" on 11 January 2014. On 14 March 2014, Arena appeared on "Sunrise" and performed "You Set Fire to My Life". Also in March, Arena appeared on "So You Think You Can Dance Australia" to perform her single, "Reset All" (December 2013), which was accompanied by a routine from two previous winners of the series, Jack Chambers and Talia Fowler.


title: Tina Arena

text: In May 2015, Arena issued "Songs of Love & Loss" in France. Her eleventh studio album, "Eleven", was released on 30 October 2015. It was preceded in September by its lead single, "I Want to Love You". Arena premiered the single by performing on the live television show "Dancing with the Stars" on 4 September 2015.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's album "Eleven" is so named because it is the 11th album of her recording career, but also because she likes its astrological implications, 11 being a figure of enlightenment and artistic sensitivity. Like its predecessor, 2013's "Reset", "Eleven"is a pop-heavy collection featuring songwriting collaborations with, among others, Kate Miller-Heidke, Hayley Warner and Evermore's Jon Hume. The album was recorded in Sydney, Melbourne, London and Stockholm, as well as in Paris. The "Eleven" album is a mix of atmospheric electronica (Unravel Me, Overload), smouldering anthems (Wouldn't Be Love If It Didn't, Love Falls, Not Still in Love with You) and dance-friendly pop (Magic). Arena's most recent release, "Eleven", became her seventh Top 10 album in Australia by debuting at No. 2 on the ARIA album chart in November 2016, and is now certified gold.


title: Tina Arena

text: In September 2015, Arena hosted shows on SmoothFM Radio Stations from 4:00 pm every Saturday on Sydney's SmoothFM 93.5 and on Melbourne's SmoothFM 91.5.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 25 October 2015, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) announced that Arena was due to be inducted into their Hall of Fame in the annual awards ceremony in November as a member of the Australian music industry ARIA Hall of Fame. In mid-November ARIA announced that she would be inducted by Australian-British singer and actress Kylie Minogue, also a Hall of Fame inductee—and the sister of singer Dannii Minogue, a former "Young Talent Time" contestant. Arena looks forward to enjoying the acknowledgment of her peers at the Australian music industry's gala celebration on 26 November 2015. She is quick to point out that receiving the honour doesn't mean she is entering the twilight of her career. "It's not the end," she says, "Not yet", adding, "I don't have another 40 years in me, I don't know how long it's going to last, but I'm touched by the recognition. It will be an emotional night". On 26 November 2015, Arena was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the 2015 ARIA Awards ceremony.


title: Tina Arena

text: During Arena's Hall of Fame ceremony induction on 26 November 2015, fellow Australian songstress Kylie Minogue—also a Hall of Fame inductee—paid tribute to Arena by stating, "I remember being blown away when she sang "MacArthur Park" on "Young Talent Time", and I tried countless times to try and sing that song the way she did it and couldn't do it. She has the pipes. She could teach us all a lesson." This was a nod to Arena's entire career, as one of the Australia's highest-selling female artists, and her childhood fame on "Young Talent Time" from 1976 to 1983—making her the show's longest-serving cast member.


title: Tina Arena

text: One of my favourite moments was the Arias hall of fame induction in 2015. For myself that moment meant that I could speak freely about the industry, which I obviously love, but feel that there are far too many inequalities. Also the sheer volume of music that is made available to people makes it difficult to financially exist.


title: Tina Arena

text: On Australia Day, 26 January 2016, Arena was recognised in the "Australia Day Honours", which the country's sovereign awards its citizens for actions or deeds that benefit the nation. Arena has been appointed as a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia—Order of Australia—in recognition of her contribution to the arts, representing Australia on the world stage and philanthropic work.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 27 September 2016, Arena performed at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece, as a special guest of Greek singer George Perris.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 9 December 2016, Arena, in her capacity as the official ambassador, launched the 'Versailles: Treasures From The Palace' exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), located in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. The exhibit, which is said to be the most elaborate ever put on by the NGA, features 130 priceless works of 18th century of art flown to Australia from France.


title: Tina Arena

text: On Australia Day, 26 January 2017, at the "Australia Day Concert: Live at The Sydney Opera House", Arena joined a collection of Australia's best talent, including Guy Sebastian, Human Nature, Dami Im, children's group The Wiggles, and others, performing contemporary tunes and tributes to the great songs of Australia's past. The 2017 Australia Day Concert was a free public event, organised by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency. Arena, as one of Australia's most accomplished performers, with a career spanning several decades, said prior to the event, "Australia Day is a great opportunity to come out, eat some delicious food, listen to some amazing music and take part in the diversity that defines our country" and "I can't wait to be part of the day—to stand in the middle of the harbour, to sing with the harbour crowds and school choir, and give my own version of a salute to Australia".


title: Tina Arena

text: In April 2017, Arena released her fifth compilation double album titled, "Greatest Hits & Interpretations", released by EMI Music Australia. The album is a 2-CD set—the first contains 17 of Arena's hits; the second is an album of interpretations.The interpretations disc includes a duet with Dannii Minogue, singing with Arena for the first time since "Young Talent Time".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena announced her "Innocence to Understanding Tour" in conjunction with the release of her "Greatest Hits & Interpretations", starting in Brisbane on Wednesday, 6 September 2017, and concluding in early October. The title of the tour is a telling nod to her career journey, one of only a few artists who has been able to live four decades in music.


title: Tina Arena

text: In early May 2017, Arena released her first fragrance, after working three years on the project, called "Renaissance" developed with Bertrand Duchaufour, one of the world's leading perfumers in Paris. Bertrand have come up with a high-quality Eau De Parfum combining ingredients sourced from Arena's three cultures: France, Italy and Australia, including sandalwood from Indigenous Australia.


title: Tina Arena

text: In June 2017, Arena featured as the portraiture guest on the Australian TV series "Anh Do's Brush with Fame" aired on ABC. Arena shared journey from child star to international artist the challenges and sacrifices that have shaped her. Anh Do is a Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor, comedian, and artist. He was three-times a finalist in the annual Archibald Prize art award.


title: Tina Arena

text: In September 2017, Arena featured as a keynote speaker at the Australian BIGSOUND Musical Conference. Now in its seventeenth year, BIGSOUND attracts more than 6,000 music fans and industry gurus who attend the event at Fortitude Valley, Queensland, for the more than 130 artists across 18 venues over three nights. Arena's keynote speech shared her experience and her advice for the changing face of the music industry, having been at the forefront of the Australian music scene for 40 years.


title: Tina Arena

text: After almost a decade away, Arena made a return to French pop music with a new 2018 French-language album, "Quand tout Recommence" (translates to: "When Everything Restarts"), set for an April release, to the francophone music market (primarily France) and also reaching audiences in Belgium and Sweden. "Quand tout Recommence" is Arena's third French-language studio album, and her twelfth studio album overall, since her francophone album, "7 vies", released in January 2008, which debuted at No. 12 on the official French charts; her highest debut in France.


title: Tina Arena

text: The album title "Quand tout Recommence" translates to "When Everything Restarts". Arena has stated that when she records in the French language, she is careful not to record French versions of her English-language hits, as lyric meanings in French and English differ. Arena notes that too often the intention of the song gets "lost in translation", therefore she has always chosen to write in both languages.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 17 November 2017, Arena released on digital preview platforms a new song recording, ""Tant que tu es là"" (translates as "As long as you're around"), as the lead single for "Quand tout Recommence".


title: Tina Arena

text: In an April 2018 interview with "Webmedia SAS Pure Charts" (France), Arena defined what pulled her into the French Pop music after a decade away, recording and performing in her homeland Australia and in selective international showcase tours, Arena explains, "I wanted to re-do music in French. Everything started from there with this project. The desire". She is motivated by the desire to reconnect with the success of her French Pop hits, "Go higher" and "Love to the impossible". On her 2018 "Quand tout Recommence" album, Arena offers ten new songs recorded in the language of Molière, "L'ombre de ma voix" (Translates to: The Shadow of My Voice"). The contents of songs on the record is quite varied. Recalling her former residency in French Pop Music, yet, her inaugural entry on the French Music Charts was in 1998, and was her first French platinum record. Arena concludes, ""I miss the connection with the French public. It was time. With all that happened." Good, is what happens with Arena, and France.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 16 February 2018, Arena released on digital preview platforms the next single, "L'ombre de ma voix" ("The Shadow of My Voice"), from her new album "Quand tout Recommence".


title: Tina Arena

text: On 6 April 2018, the new French-language album, "Quand tout Recommence" was released on the francophone market, with the album peaking on the French album chart Top 150 at No.62, and also peaking on the Belgium album chart at No.46. The two single releases and the complete album, "Quand tout recommence", are now available to download and stream worldwide.


title: Tina Arena

text: An accompanying official music video for "L'ombre de ma voix" ("The Shadow of My Voice"), was released on 16 February 2018. The music video director is Michael Westbrook with production by Positive Dream Réalisation.


title: Tina Arena

text: The video thematically delivers a nostalgic mood, as Arena traces her 40-year career in the music industry, showing a montage of video footage and TV clips across her lifespan as a live performer. Capturing the visual evolution of Arena's artistry, beginning in 1974 for the then-eight-year-old child performer on "Young Talent Time".


title: Tina Arena

text: In the "Quand tout Recommence" music video, Arena appears multiple times in every frame, and it doubles and triples; Arena is seen as the artist she is today, in the recording studio, and throughout the footage of clips revolving around her, as she is evolving through her career. The montage chronicles Arena's childhood, and adolescence, to womanhood—including childhood piano lessons, roller-skating, backstage rehearsals, signing autographs with fans, to singing live at the Sydney Olympic Games 2000, and more. Clearly, Tina Arena has always got to work, sung her heart out and in again, and she keeps working. The song title, "The Shadow of My Voice", makes a report on 40 years her a career, composed of ups and downs, and mixes childhood images, live performances, and studio sessions. The opportunity is taken by the Australian to prove that she is still active and far from relying on her previous success.


title: Tina Arena

text: In January 2018, Arena performed as part of the live-music program at the Australian Open 2018 Grand Slam tennis tournament at Melbourne Park.


title: Tina Arena

text: In February 2018, Arena featured as the portrait guest in an episode of the Australian TV series "Anh Do's Brush with Fame" with comedian and artist Anh Do, on the ABC network. Arena shared her journey from child star to international artist, reflecting on the challenges and sacrifices that have shaped her.


title: Tina Arena

text: In October 2018, Arena teamed with Maserati as an official ambassador for the Italian luxury car manufacturer. Maserati is a key contributor to the Sydney Opera House, and a supporter of the performing arts in New South Wales. Since 2014, Maserati has been a Partner of the Opera House, an event partner of the annual All About Women Festival and an official opening night sponsor.


title: Tina Arena

text: In March 2019, the Government of Australia appointed Arena as a board member of the Australia Council for the Arts for a three-year term. The council, informally known as the Australia Council, is the principal arts council or arts funding body of the federal government. The federal arts minister, Mitch Fifield, released a statement that Arena will be a welcome influence, "The high-profile singer-songwriter, musician and musical theatre actor brings significant experience as an artist to the board."


title: Tina Arena

text: In May 2019, Arena was awarded the perennial Excellence in Community Award by the Australian Music in the House organisation. The award was presented at Support Act Limited's annual Music in the House event. The award recognises "members of the music industry who, by their tireless efforts and charitable works, have made a difference and enriched the fabric of the broader Australian community".


title: Tina Arena

text: In June 2019, Arena was nominated in the category of Best Female Actor in a Musical at the annual Helpmann Awards for her lead role performance as Eva Perón in "Evita". She was nominated alongside Luisa Scrofani, Natalie Abbott and Ursula Yovich. The award was won by Yovich for "Barbara and the Camp Dogs".


title: Tina Arena

text: On 6 September 2019, Arena appeared as a guest performer and speaker with indigenous Australian artist Deborah Cheetham, a soprano, actor, composer and playwright, at the 2019 Melbourne Writers Festival. The two artists spoke about how music shapes them.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena performed at the Sydney Coliseum Opening Week opening program in December 2019. Originally launched as the Western Sydney Performing Arts, the Sydney Coliseum Theatre, West H.Q.


title: Tina Arena

text: In December 2019, Arena performed at the Good Things music festival. Arena will join the festival line-up as a cameo guest artist, along with Lisa and Jessica Origliasso of the Veronicas.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena filmed a supporting role, as Rosalba, in the Australian film "Promised" (2019), directed and co-produced by Nick Conidi. She co-stars with Paul Mercurio, Antoniette Iesue and Daniel Berini.


title: Tina Arena

text: The Opera Australia 2018 national tour, "Evita", was the 40th-anniversary restaging of the original Harold Prince production. Prince's production won seven Tony Awards when it moved to Broadway after originally opening in London's West End, and it became the template for subsequent productions of the musical for the following quarter of a century. The musical charts Eva Perón's life from an ambitious teenager, through her career as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946, until her death in 1952 at the age of 33. It includes some of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's best known material, including "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".


title: Tina Arena

text: On 21 August 2017, Opera Australia announced that Arena would be taking on the lead role of Eva Perón in the 2018 Australian touring production of "Evita". The tour opened at Sydney Opera House, in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, on 13 September 2018, with the season running to 3 November 2018. It subsequently moved to the Arts Centre Melbourne from 5 to 30 December 2018. Arena said that she was "terrified", but described the role as "a precious gift for myself and for any female performer". She said that she felt "blessed to work with someone who has had the kind of career that Hal Prince has had". Arena also says she felt the time was right to tackle the role: "I have been approached to do this role on a couple of occasions. I never felt emotionally ready for it. I felt I had a lot of living and learning before I could get up and take on the enormity of the story and the human spirit she possessed." Arena expressed of knowing about Eva Perón since she was a little girl, and feeling privileged to be able to recount the story and embrace the complex role.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 7 May 2018, Opera Australia's artistic director, Lyndon Terracini, along with producers John Frost and David Ian, announced the full cast for the upcoming Australian production of "Evita". With Arena announced in the lead role as Eva Perón, the remainder of the cast was announced as: Paulo Szot, Brazilian operatic baritone, and winner of a Tony Award for best actor on Broadway 2008, in the role of Juan Perón; Kurt Kansley (The Lion King, Rent, Godspell, Show Boat) will take on the role of the revolutionary Che Guevara. Michael Falzon (We Will Rock You, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chess) will portray tango singer Agustín Magaldi, while the role of Perón's Mistress will be played by Alexis van Maanen. Jemma Rix (WICKED, The Wizard of Oz) has been cast as the alternate Eva Perón and is currently scheduled to be appearing in the role at least once a week throughout the Sydney season, according to the Evita-Australia website.


title: Tina Arena

text: On 21 July 2018, Terracini, along with producers John Frost and David Ian, announced the 18 young performers who have been cast in the upcoming production of "Evita", in season at the Sydney Opera House from September 2018. Three sets of six children will alternate in ensemble roles.


title: Tina Arena

text: In taking on the titular role of Eva Perón in "Evita" for Opera Australia, Arena commented to the ABC's "Limelight" magazine that she was "terrified", but described the role as "a precious gift for myself and for any female performer". She said that she felt "blessed to work with someone who has had the kind of career that Hal Prince has had". Arena also notes that she felt the time was right to tackle the role:


title: Tina Arena

text: I have been approached to do this role on a couple of occasions. I never felt emotionally ready for it. I felt I had a lot of living and learning before I could get up and take on the enormity of the story and the human spirit she possessed. I don't think I was ready in my 30s to play Eva Perón at all. Playing the role of Eva Perón at 50, is much more suited to the life experience that I have had.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena talked of knowing about Perón since she was a girl and about feeling privileged to recount the story and embrace the complex role.


title: Tina Arena

text: The official opening night of the "Evita" at the Sydney Opera House was on 13 September 2018. "Evita's" lyricist, Sir Tim Rice, attended, having travelled to Australia for the event a week after joining the EGOT winners club. Arena received a prolonged standing ovation for he portrayal as Eva Perón. Sydney's "The Daily Telegraph" reported that "Arena soars in a sublime performance of the First Lady of Argentina. Even those who don't know the musical "Evita", are probably familiar with the song 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' and it was at this point on opening night that Arena really powered into her own as Eva Perón."


title: Tina Arena

text: The Victorian tour leg of the "Evita" tour was at the State Theatre at the Arts Centre Melbourne in December 2018.


title: Tina Arena

text: In February 2019, it was reported that the production had become the highest selling show ever staged at the State Theatre. Claire Spencer, CEO of the Arts Centre Melbourne, noted that "It is fantastic to have such an accomplished cast, including cherished global star Tina Arena perform Evita at Arts Centre Melbourne. Tina is particularly close to our hearts as one of the 'Patrons of the Australian Music Vault' at Arts Centre Melbourne."


title: Tina Arena

text: On 19 September 2018, the ABC's classical music and arts magazine "Limelight"'s theatre reviewer, Angus McPherson, gave a four-star review of "Evita" at the Sydney Opera House. The review, "Evita – Tina Arena gives us a vocally high flying Evita in Hal Prince's original production", stated that, "The role of the tough, ambitious, Evita isn't an easy sing, and it comes with baggage—anyone taking it on is walking in the footsteps of the likes of Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone and Madonna (in the 1996 film with Antonio Banderas)—but Arena proves herself more than equal to the vocal demands. She doesn't have the heavy belt of a LuPone, but she's got a deliciously sultry low register and she handles the lighter high notes with confidence, letting rip when it's called for—her rallying oration in 'A New Argentina', buoyed by the chorus, is a rousing finale to the show's first act. Brazilian opera singer Paulo Szot, brings a magisterial baritone to Juan Perón. Arena comes into her own in the second act, with highlights including the show's hit Don't Cry For Me Argentina (in quite a broad rendition), as well as Rainbow High, Waltz for Eva and Che and You Must Love Me—which was written for Madonna in the film and inserted here, Arena alone onstage, 'in concert' style. The show ends on a sombre note, and if Evita's final moments don't quite hit home emotionally, her assumption of power is thrillingly done, Arena's vocals capturing her commanding power and charisma."


title: Tina Arena

text: On 19 September 2018, "The Sydney Morning Herald" theatre reviewer, Joyce Morgan, gave a four-star review of "Evita". The review, "Evita review: Don't cry for Tina Arena's timely Eva", states that "What you do get is a show with renewed currency about the rise and demise of one of Latin America's most intriguing and controversial figures, Eva Peron. You also get a woman at the height of her musical powers in the show-stopper scene as Tina Arena, in the title role, steps regally along the presidential balcony to deliver with melting clarity and conviction the anthemic 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina'. In this 40th-anniversary restaging of the original Harold Prince production, the misogyny, sexism and patronising disdain by the powerful forces arrayed against our heroine takes the breath away. Not least because some of the abuse seems as current as that excreted by social media trolls. Rice's lyrics still pack a punch."


title: Tina Arena

text: On 20 September 2018, "The Guardian" musicals reviewer, Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore, gave a four-star review of "Evita". The review, "Tina Arena is Resplendent and Tough as Designer Dictator", stated that "In Opera Australia's production, Eva Perón wins over a nation with a Christian Dior dress and steely determination, and a killer ballad steals the show. At the centre of it all is Evita, played with a resplendent toughness by Arena. It is to her credit that in a few hours she can turn from a naive, if plucky, teenager eager to leave her poor upbringing behind to a grown woman ravaged by illness and yet still desperate to cling to the last vestiges of power. The score stands the test of time too, Under director Harold Prince's deft hands, the song, 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina', shows its true colours: it is designed as a master class in political manipulation."


title: Tina Arena

text: In February 2019, it was reported that the production had become the highest selling show ever staged at the State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne. Claire Spencer, the Arts Centre Melbourne CEO, said that "It is fantastic to have such an accomplished cast, including cherished global star Tina Arena perform Evita at Arts Centre Melbourne. Tina is particularly close to our hearts as one of the Patrons of the Australian Music Vault at Arts Centre Melbourne."


title: Tina Arena

text: On 2 May 2019, "Limelight" reported that Opera Australia published its annual report for 2018, stating that "Opera Australia posts a (AU)$5.6 million profit for 2018." Details published that "overall attendance was 543,498 from 637 total performances, with the numbers bolstered by the musical "My Fair Lady". Seasons of the musical "Evita" in Sydney and Melbourne led the charge in 2018, followed by the Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production of "La bohème"."


title: Tina Arena

text: In June 2019, Arena was nominated in the category of Best Female Actor in a Musical at the annual Helpmann Awards for her role as Eva Perón in "Evita". Arena was nominated alongside Luisa Scrofani, Natalie Abbott, and Ursula Yovich. The award was won by Yovich for "Barbara and the Camp Dogs".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena possesses the vocal range of a soprano. She is multilingual: she speaks and sings in English, Italian and French; and also sings in Spanish. Her singing style is characterised as between R&B and ballad.


title: Tina Arena

text: Numerous media and musical contemporaries have praised Arena's skill as a world-class singer. Music journalist Ed Nimmervoll commented that Arena "has a voice that can give you goosebumps", while news journalist Kate de Brito says that it is "smooth and musical even when she talks." Cameron Adams of the "Herald Sun" says she has a "beautiful voice telling a beautiful story." William Yeoman of "The West Australian" commented that "Arena's voice is redolent of both youthful pop and mature cabaret." The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's monthly classical music and arts magazine, "Limelight", commented that, "Tina Arena is a performer with a supreme voice, boundless range and energy, and charm to spare." Kelsey Munro of "The Sydney Morning Herald" says that her voice is "strong, smooth and pitch-perfect." According to Heidi Maier of "Tom" magazine, it can be described as "remarkably strong". She also said, "Tina Arena has a powerhouse voice and when she hits her marks, she hits them with forcefulness and verve." Spiritworks Australia says, "Whether she's singing spine-tingling renditions of contemporary classics by Lulu, Dusty Springfield or Blondie or her self-penned hits Sorrento Moon, Chains or Burn, Tina Arena is acclaimed as one of the world's most versatile and magnificent vocal interpreters. Her voice is smooth, rich and streaming with emotion."


title: Tina Arena

text: The Queensland Music Festival team says, "Tina sparkles with vivacity and class, possessing an outstanding vocal range and a voice that belies her petite stature—endlessly powerful and always resonant with heart and honesty." Queensland Music Festival artistic director, James Morrison said "Tina Arena has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard." Time Out magazine had a brief description of Tina's voice as it says, "Tina Arena truly boasts two incredible assets—her voice and her versatility ..." Melbourne's 89.9 Light FM declared that Arena is "undisputedly one of Australia's finest voices". Sharyn Hamey, an online music reviewer says that "Arena has an angelic, beautiful and a powerful voice."


title: Tina Arena

text: Fellow Australian celebrities have praised Arena's vocal prowess with Delta Goodrem saying, "Her voice has strength whilst keeping its feminine warmth to draw you in." Melbourne singer-songwriter, Michael Paynter hailed Arena as "simultaneously the most natural and supernatural female Australian voice ever. She is technically and emotionally perfect, but somehow always has enough of a sniff of imperfection and rawness to make you not only believe every word, but be hanging off them too." Ricki-Lee Coulter also says that "She has so much control and power". Missy Higgins also commented that, "Tina Arena is one of our best singers ever. She could sing the balls off anyone, and she's miniature." Brian Mannix says, "Tina Arena has a tasteful voice. She sells the lyrics with her big voice but never over-sings." Birds of Tokyo frontman says, "Tina Arena can sing the shit out of anything, and do it in four different languages!" Anthony Callea added, "Technically, she is faultless and her tone is unique and warm. I love that she goes against all the 'singers' rules'—I've seen what she eats and drinks before a gig!" Darren Hayes also made an effort in letting the public know that Arena's voice is one of his favourite voices in Australia through Twitter.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena records songs and albums in English, French, Italian and Spanish. She has stated that she does not record French versions of her English-language popular hits, because too often the intention of the song gets "lost in translation"; therefore, she has always chosen to write in both languages.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's musical influences include Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, Aretha Franklin and various Italian singers. She has noted that in a non-musical perspective, Princess Diana inspired her and called her "a great role model for women".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's tracks have been covered by country music artists, including Wynonna Judd ("Heaven Help My Heart", "Love's Funny That Way"), Jo Dee Messina ("Burn"), Pam Tillis ("If I Didn't Love You"), Terri Clark ("Unsung Hero"), Kellie Coffey, Kathie Baillie ("Love's Funny That Way") and LeAnn Rimes ("You Made Me Find Myself").


title: Tina Arena

text: Younger artists have covered Arena's songs in singing competitions, such as the winner of the second season of Australian Idol, Casey Donovan who recorded Arena's "Symphony of Life" for her album "For You" and both Filipino artist Sarah Geronimo and Australian Anthony Callea who admits to being a fan of Arena's, recorded "I Want to Know What Love Is" including the bridge that was written specifically for Arena's version. Sarah De Bono who came in at fourth place when she joined "The Voice Australia" also recorded Arena's "If I Didn't Love You." Filipino artists Nina and Christian Bautista recorded a duet version of "Burn" that appeared on Nina's album "Nina Live!" while Regine Velasquez did a live performance on Philippine television. Erik Santos and Sheryn Regis also recorded their version of Arena and Marc Anthony's duet, "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You".


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2001, Arena was awarded a BMI Foundation Songwriting Award (Broadcast Music Inc.) by the American performance rights organisation for co-writing "Burn" with Pam Reswick and Steve Werfel.


title: Tina Arena

text: In April 2013, Arena was voted Australia's all-time greatest female singer and third greatest singer overall in an industry poll conducted by Australian music journalist, Cameron Adams, for the "Herald Sun". As of July 2014, Arena has sold over 10 million records worldwide.


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2015, Arena was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association ARIA Hall of Fame at the 2015 ARIA Awards ceremony.


title: Tina Arena

text: In the 2016 Australia Day Honours, Arena was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her contribution to the arts, representing Australia on the world stage and philanthropic work.


title: Tina Arena

text: In December 2020, Arena was listed at number 30 in "Rolling Stone Australia"s "50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time" issue.


title: Tina Arena

text: In December 1995, Arena married her then-manager, Ralph Carr, who had been her manager since 1992. The two had enjoyed considerable success, producing her 1994 album 'Don't Ask'. Their divorce was finalised in 1999, while they settled their financial and contractual matters in February 2002.


title: Tina Arena

text: In the late 1990s, Arena relocated from Australia to reside in Paris, France. In 2000, Arena met the French artist Vincent Mancini with whom she has a son, Gabriel Joseph Mancini, born in 2005.


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2012, Arena and her family relocated from Paris to live in Melbourne, Victoria. She moved back, full-time, at the end of October 2012, after almost two decades living in France and London, with her partner, Vincent Mancini and their son. Arena said that, "It was time. I've been away 20-odd years, worked internationally and done some great things, [but] I just felt it was time to come home". What Arena wants more than anything right now, is time with her family, including her parents, Giuseppe and Franca, and sisters Nancy and Silvana. "I want to be with my family and have my son experience what it's like growing up in Australia", she says, "it's really important for me".


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2016, commenting on her balance between her artistic career and family life in Melbourne, Arena said that "I spend my life driving my son and his mates around to play footy and soccer or just hang out." Arena adds that she is reaching a point in her life where she is balanced and satisfied, "I appreciate being alive. I appreciate everything about life. I appreciate the privilege of being able to do what it is that I do. I appreciate having a beautiful family, having an extraordinary life".


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2019, Arena stated to MOZA Music, "I've been fortunate to have been around the pre-digital world. My story's unique, I'm aware of that and don't take it for granted. How do I define success? I define it by the fact that I'm still around; and that I've managed to survive".


title: Tina Arena

text: In a September 2019 interview with "The Guardian", Arena defined her approach to new technology, stating that she is not a fan of the smartphone: "With technology I have even seen my anxiety levels rise to disproportionate levels"—yet Arena is asked to pose for them on an almost daily basis. She prefers a chat instead: "I don't do selfies. Since I stopped doing that, I've had some of the most wonderful rapport and conversations with people that have asked me for a selfie... we are just having a fantastic human interaction. And people are amazing when you are honest with them and tell them how you feel".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena has been a supporter of female artists in the music industry, particularly celebrating the long-term careers of mature women artists. Arena believes we should embrace and celebrate ageing and not fall victim to ageism—especially in the music industry where mature women are not seen as viable or relevant.


title: Tina Arena

text: To the British newspaper "The Guardian", Arena described herself as somebody with "certain points on the board"—someone who has been "tenacious, resilient, hung around for a long time" and "done everything in their power to hone their craft". It is from the place—as one of Australia's great musical dames—that she makes abrasive critiques of what constitutes a career in music today. "I've struggled with the phantasmal aspect that has been a part of what we do" she says. "The fact that it has been really glamourised, glorified, also dumbed down as well." Thus, she argues that the music industry has been peddling shoddy wares, saying "It's a business template they've used. They've told people that you can be a star and sold that dream to everybody. I think it's been a huge irresponsibility".


title: Tina Arena

text: In December 2016, in the "Rolling Stone" video series "Her Sound, Her Story: Tina Arena", she discusses how the music industry squanders women as both they and their careers mature. "You've got to give me a really damn good reason why somebody, who is in the prime of their career and are doing really good work, why on earth they should stop? Are you going to tell a male who is at the top of his game in whatever domain, that he needs to step down and retire?". Speaking to series creators Michelle Grace Hunder and Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore, Arena goes on to talk about the importance of female solidarity, mentioning how competition between women can be (and has been) dismantled by supportive relationships and encouragement of other women. Arena says "Get out of the ring. Take your boxing gloves off. Be convinced in the argument of your thoughts and your dreams."


title: Tina Arena

text: In December 2017, Arena joined over 600 high-profile female artists from the Australian music industry, including Missy Higgins and the Veronicas, Sarah Blasko and Jenny Morris, in signing an open letter called "#MeNoMore" demanding change in the music industry, in support of Time's Up to fight workplace sexual harassment and assault. The authors of the open Letter state they are motivated to organise the letter as an Australian response to the #MeToo campaign movement triggered by the accounts of sexual abuse in the wider entertainment industry. Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group responded with words of support.


title: Tina Arena

text: Following the January 2018 creation of US Time's Up campaign by a collective of Hollywood female artists to fight workplace sexual harassment and assault, Arena joined with more than 30 high-profile women from the Australian media and entertainment industries—including Deborah Mailman, Sarah Blasko and Danielle Cormack—to spearhead a new national organisation, NOW Australia, led by broadcaster Tracey Spicer, to tackle sexual harassment, abuse and assault in workplaces across Australia. On Twitter, the Australian #MeToo campaign has encouraged stories of workplace harassment and assault following her public call-out on Twitter in October 2017.


title: Tina Arena

text: In March 2018, in support of the Time's Up and #MeToo campaigns, Arena authored an op-ed article titled "The music industry must join us with #thetimeisNOW", published by News Corp Australia. Arena state her views on how the Australian music industry has enabled "a stagnant perspective towards females". Arena stated future social goals in the op-ed, that "We need to raise the bar of our emotional intelligence because this is not a whinge, it's not a social media trend, and NOW Australia is going to keep the issue of sexual harassment at the forefront and do everything we possibly can to change the mentality that allows it to happen. We've got a lot of work to do here."


title: Tina Arena

text: In September 2021, Arena appeared on Australian daytime television program Studio 10 to highlight the disparity between the art community and sporting events in relation to COVID-19. During this interview, she advocated that the arts sector should no longer support charitable causes and that Victorian lockdowns should be ended. The comments drew criticism for what many saw as an undermining of public health orders and a disregard for the medics working under an already strained healthcare system.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena's memoir, "Now I Can Dance", published by HarperCollins, was released on 14 October 2013, in hardback, paperback and E-book format. Arena authoured her memoir with co-writer Jude McGee. The text is billed by HarperCollins as "Honest and intimate, funny and frank, "Now I Can Dance" is the long-awaited memoir from the very special, much-loved singer, songwriter and pop diva, Tina Arena." She told Kathy McCabe of News Corp Australia that "I don't need to put a book out to put food on the table. It started to dawn on me in the last year that I have had an unbelievable life and I want people to know it's been hilarious, there's been a lot of laughter in my journey." Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd (14 October 2013).


title: Tina Arena

text: The title of her memoir is taken from the third single, "Now I Can Dance", from Arena's third studio album "In Deep" (1997). The track was written by Arena while living in L.A. and is a love letter from her to her family, as she explained in her memoir. The song was successful in her native Australia, reaching No. 13 on the ARIA Singles Chart.


title: Tina Arena

text: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation shop describe "Tina Arena's memoir as an "honest, gritty, funny, frank and totally revealing memoir from much loved songstress Tina Arena, who is about to celebrate a phenomenally successful 40 years as a singer-songwriter."


title: Tina Arena

text: HarperCollins said "Tina has amassed a cache of amazing stories. The artist who gave us "Chains", "Sorrento Moon" and "Symphony of Life" has sold eight million albums, won a swag of awards, encountered extraordinary people, fallen in and out of love, and experienced incredible highs and lows."


title: Tina Arena

text: In 2017, Arena updated her memoir with the release of a new edition of "Now I Can Dance" with new content covering her relocation from France back to Australia, being inducted into the 2015 ARIA Hall of Fame, the release of new music, and new musical ventures. Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd 2nd Edition (22 May 2017).


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena has used her fame to help several causes and is a patron to two charities in Australia: child protection organisation Barnardos and "Soldier On", which supports rehabilitation for veterans, ex-service men and women. In her support she is an official patron for a charitable organisation 'Soldier On', which assists mentally and physically wounded Australian soldiers. Arena said, "It's vital that Australian soldiers have access to support when they return from overseas, and 'Soldier On' will make a much needed difference in the lives of wounded veterans and their families. 'Soldier On' is the first charity of its kind in Australia and I am honoured to be a Patron."


title: Tina Arena

text: In July 2013, Arena performed at the Melbourne Asbestos Cancer Fundraiser, which donated funds raised to support Mesothelioma research undertaken at the Olivia-Newton John Cancer & Wellness Centre and the Austin Hospital, Melbourne. She was also a participant, with partner Damian Whitewood, in the 13th Australian season of "Dancing with the Stars" which commenced in September 2013 and nominated Barnardos Australia as her charity; the pair finished in third place.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena took part in Australia's biggest TV charity appeal, "Telethon", in Perth on 20 October 2013. On 21 December 2013 she opened Sydney's annual Carols in the Domain concert with "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and performed her single "Reset All" at the closing of the event. She has also performed at several benefit concerts, including Live 8 in Paris and for Queensland Flood Relief in 2013.


title: Tina Arena

text: In November 2014, Arena released a cover version of the 10cc's 1976 song, "The Things We Do For Love", with funds raised going towards the National Breast Cancer Foundation.


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena, reflecting on nearly 40 years in the music industry, relates all of her achievements back to her Australian beginnings: "If it wasn't for Australia, I would never have been able to have been catapulted internationally and to have done the things that I've been able to do. It was because of Australia that I've done that". she told AAP, in 2013.


title: Tina Arena

text: In May 2019, Arena was awarded the perennial "Excellence in Community Award" by the Australian Music in the House Organisation. The award was presented at Support Act Limited's annual "Music in the House" event on 29 May 2019. The prestigious award recognises "members of the music industry who, by their tireless efforts and charitable works, have made a difference and enriched the fabric of the broader Australian community".


title: Tina Arena

text: Arena has won several awards, including seven ARIA Awards and the World Music Award for best-selling Australian artist, which she received in both 1996 and 2000. In 2009, she was awarded the Knighthood of the Order of National Merit by the President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, for her contributions to French culture. She is the first Australian to have received that order of state. In November 2015, she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame at the annual awards ceremony.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Creepshow 2 is a 1987 American comedy horror anthology film directed by Michael Gornick, and the sequel to "Creepshow". Gornick was previously the cinematographer of the first film, and the screenplay was written by George A. Romero who was director of the original film with the film starring Lois Chiles, George Kennedy, Dorothy Lamour, and Tom Savini. It was once again based upon stories by Stephen King, and features three more horror segments consisting of "Old Chief Wood'nhead", "The Raft" and "The Hitchhiker".


title: Creepshow 2

text: Unlike the first film, "Creepshow 2" only contains three stories instead of five. Originally, two additional stories, "Pinfall" and "Cat from Hell" were set to appear in the film, but were scrapped due to budgetary reasons; however, the latter has been filmed for "". The film was Dorothy Lamour's final film before her death in 1996.


title: Creepshow 2

text: In the small town of Dexter, Maine, a delivery truck pulls up to a newsstand. Billy, a young boy, eagerly follows the truck on his bike. The truck's back shutter opens to reveal the Creep, who drops off copies of the latest issue of "Creepshow" (which has the same cover as the comic in the final scene of the previous film) before vanishing. Billy picks up an issue and begins to read it.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Ray and Martha Spruce are an elderly couple who run a small town's general store, whose décor includes a cigar store Indian named "Old Chief Wood'nhead." The Spruces are visited by Benjamin Whitemoon, the elder of a local Native American tribe, who gives them a bag of turquoise jewelry, his tribe's sacred treasures, as collateral for the debt the tribe has incurred.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Later that night, the Spruces are robbed by Benjamin's estranged ne'er-do-well nephew Sam Whitemoon, armed with a shotgun, and his two friends, Andy Cavanaugh and Vince Gribbens. In a struggle, Sam's gun goes off and fires at Martha, killing her. Sam shoots and kills Ray as well before grabbing the jewels & driving away with the others. After they leave, Old Chief Wood'nhead comes to life and goes after the thugs. He shoots Vince with multiple arrows, slaughters Andy with a tomahawk, and uses a hunting knife to scalp Sam. The next morning, Benjamin wakes up to find the turquoise jewelry on his bed. He visits the ruined store to find Old Chief Wood'nhead back on the porch, holding Sam's bloody scalp and a bloodstained knife.


title: Creepshow 2

text: At the town post office, Billy receives a package from the clerk, Mr. Haig, that supposedly contains a product advertised in his comic: The bulb for a meat-eating Venus flytrap. Billy pays for the package and sets off for home. The Creep appears behind from the post office counter and begins the next story.


title: Creepshow 2

text: In mid-October, four college students, Deke, Laverne, Randy, and Rachel, arrive at Cascade Beach, a desolate lake far from civilization, for some fun. While swimming to a wooden raft in the middle of the lake, Randy witnesses a duck being pulled under the water by an unseen force. Once all four students are on the raft, they discover what Randy was so nervous about: a large, black, blob-like creature resembling an oil slick floating on the surface of the water. As Rachel leans over the raft to try and touch the creature, it grabs hold of Rachel, pulls her into the lake, and digests her. The three panicking students remember that it's currently the off-season, meaning that there is no caretaker to rescue them anytime soon.


title: Creepshow 2

text: As time passes, Deke plans to swim to shore so he can bring back help. Before he can make a break for it, however, the blob seeps through the raft's cracks, grabs Deke by the foot, and pulls him through the raft, killing him. Noting that the creature is still hungry, Randy and Laverne manage to evade the creature as it tries to grab them from under the raft. When night falls, Randy and Laverne take turns watching for the creature, then eventually fall asleep in each other's arms.


title: Creepshow 2

text: The next morning, Randy discovers that he and Laverne are still alive. Neglecting to keep an eye on the creature, Randy lays Laverne on the raft and begins kissing and caressing her sleeping body. Laverne then awakens screaming in agony, revealing that the creature has seeped through the cracks and has covered half of her face, much to Randy's horror. As the blob pulls her off the raft and begins consuming her, Randy jumps off the raft to swim to shore. He barely makes it and shouts, "I beat you!" However, the creature rears up from the water like a wave and engulfs Randy.


title: Creepshow 2

text: The blob returns to the lake, leaving no evidence of the students other than their discarded clothes and still-running car. Unknown to the students, there was a sign barely visible behind some thick vegetation that reads "No swimming."


title: Creepshow 2

text: On his way back home from the post office, Billy is then ambushed by a gang of neighborhood bullies. The gang's leader, named Rhino, takes Billy's package, finds the Venus Flytrap bulb, and crushes it with his foot. In retaliation, Billy kicks Rhino in the groin and flees as the bullies race after him. As Billy escapes, The Creep appears from behind a tree and goes on to tell the last story.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Annie Lansing, an adulterous Maine businesswoman, wakes up and gets out of bed after sleeping with her gigolo lover. Annie realizes that she only has 15 minutes before her attorney husband George arrives home, so she hops into her car and races for home several miles away. A spilled ember from her cigarette causes Annie to lose control at a slippery corner, where she runs down a Dover-bound hitchhiker. Seeing that no one witnessed the incident, Annie takes off and doesn't look back. Shortly after she leaves, however, the area is crowded with a truck driver, a pair of passersby, and George, who reports the hit-and-run to the police.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Miles away, Annie thinks about what she has done and briefly considers turning herself in but ultimately concludes that no one has anything on her and thinks that everything will be fine. Before she can continue, however, the hitchhiker suddenly appears outside her window and utters "Thanks for the ride, lady!", a line he repeats throughout the story. Annie speeds off in terror, but the hitchhiker reaches through the sunroof and grabs her. She drives off the road and through the woods, where she knocks the hitchhiker off the roof with a low hanging branch. The hitchhiker appears again, opening the door to the passenger seat. Annie shoots him with a revolver multiple times but fails to kill him. She manages to kick him out of the car and run him over repeatedly. The hitchhiker then climbs onto the hood and pulls up his "DOVER" sign, which now reads "You killed me." Annie again loses control of the car and drives off the road, down a hill, and into a tree. Annie repeatedly slams the hitchhiker into the same tree, knocking herself out in the process.


title: Creepshow 2

text: A while later, Annie awakens from her accident. Not seeing the hitchhiker anywhere, Annie believes the experience was all a nightmare, so she gets back on the road and drives home, actually getting there before George. As she begins to step out of her car, the hitchhiker, gruesomely mangled and still uttering "Thanks for the ride, lady!", crawls out from under the car and attacks her. The garage door swings shut as the interior begins to fill with smoke.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Sometime later, George finally arrives home to find Annie in her still-running car, dead from carbon monoxide poisoning. The hitchhiker's bloodied "DOVER" sign sits in her lap.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Inside the delivery truck, the Creep prepares to drive away and bids the audience farewell, but he then spots Billy, still being chased by the bullies. Billy leads his pursuers into a vacant lot swarming with out-of-control plant growth. The bulb Rhino smashed was not the first one Billy had ordered. A quintet of Giant Venus Flytraps emerge from the surrounding weeds and devour all the thugs.


title: Creepshow 2

text: Originally, the film was planned to have five stories much like the first film, two of these consisted of "Pinfall" and "Cat from Hell". These two segments, however, were cut from the film due to the film's budget. "Cat from Hell", which would later be used in "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie", focused on a wealthy old man hiring a hitman for $100,000 to kill a black cat, which was believed to have killed three other people inside the residence he lives in and fears to be next. Unbeknownst to them, the cat soon exacts cosmic revenge on the two.


title: Creepshow 2

text: "Pinfall", which was set to appear after "Old Chief Wood'nhead", told the story of two rivalry teams consisted of the Regi-Men and the Bad News Boors competing in a bowling alley owned by an aged millionaire; the owner is soon killed in a freak accident and the teams found out afterwards that he would award one of them $5 million for whoever got the highest score. Soon, things turn up for the worst of the Regi-Team when the Boors, after they were killed in a fiery car-crash purposely caused by the Regi-Team, return as burnt-up revenants and soon get their revenge on their killers. Unlike "Cat from Hell" which managed to be brought onto the screen through a different film, "Pinfall" was never shot and never appeared outside of the film's original script. However, in 2014, the segment was funded through Kickstarter by Dayle Teegarden and was successfully pledged by its backers with £1,231 put into the project against its £1,000 goal. The segment itself was also going to be put into the sequel for "Tales from the Darkside: The Movie", but this never came to fruition.


title: Creepshow 2

text: During "The Raft" segment, actor Daniel Beer cited that he had almost died from hypothermia due to the water being very cold. While the crew wanted him to continue working, director Michael Gornick brought him to the hospital, as he feared the actor would leave the set and never return if they forced him to keep working. After a full recovery, he managed to finish the segment.


title: Creepshow 2

text: The film was theatrically released on May 1, 1987. On its opening weekend, it grossed $3,584,077 and has achieved $14,000,000 during its run in theaters.