Red, Purple and Yellow Wiggles to pass torch to new performers
The Wiggles will turn the already-confirmed European and U.S. tours into goodbye runs for three of the four members, who will retire and turn over their respective colors over to a new generation of performers.
Jeff, Murray and Greg -- purple, red and yellow respectively -- will step down from the established children's group at year's end after farewell shows worldwide. The European portion kicks off May 31 in Cork, Ireland, and runs through a June 17 show in Brighton, England.
The four-piece act, along with their friends Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus and the Wiggly dancers, will return to the U.S. for a July 12 kick-off in San Diego, CA. That leg of the trek includes 30 stops scattered across the nation.
Shows in Canada, New Zealand and their native Australia will come later this year, according to a press release.
"We've been entertaining children around the world for 21 years now and it has been a fantastic ride in our Big Red Car," the three retiring members posted at their website. "Singing, dancing and making music with you all has been great fun but it has also meant spending a long time away from our own families and friends. We tour eight months of the year and have performed more than 6,000 shows since The Wiggles began, and Murray, Jeff and Greg have decided it's time to spend more time at home."
The three new members -- Emma (yellow), Lachlan (purple) and Simon (red) -- will join the one original member, Anthony (blue), as the official lineup following the completion of the 2012 roadwork. According to the announcement, all three newbies have performed with The Wiggles for several years, and "know how special it is to make children smile, sing and dance."
The news comes just a few weeks after the return of Greg, who took a five-year hiatus to recover from various health issues.
26, 27 - Singapore, Singapore - Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre
31 - Cork, Ireland - Cork Opera House
June 2012
1, 2 - Dublin, Ireland - Grand Canal Theatre
3 - Belfast, United Kingdom - Belfast Waterfront
5 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
7 - Guildford, United Kingdom - G Live
8 - Bristol, United Kingdom - Colston Hall
9, 10 - London, United Kingdom - HMV Hammersmith Apollo
13 - York, United Kingdom - Grand Opera House York
14 - Manchester, United Kingdom - Palace Theatre
15 - Birmingham, United Kingdom - Alexandra Theatre
16 - Oxford, United Kingdom - New Theatre Oxford
17 - Brighton, United Kingdom - The Brighton Centre
July 2012
12 - San Diego, CA - Valley View Casino Center
14 - Thousand Oaks, CA - Fred Kavli Theatre
15 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
17 - Sacramento, CA - Community Center Theater
18 - Turlock, CA - Stanislaus County Fair
20 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
21 - Central Point, OR - The Jackson County Fairgrounds
22 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic Auditorium
23 - Anaheim, CA - City National Grove of Anaheim
24 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
25 - Albuquerque, NM - UNM Public Events, Popejoy Hall
27 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
28 - Grand Prairie, TX - Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie
29 - Houston, TX -Bayou Music Center
31 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater
August 2012
2 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
3 - Miami, FL - Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater
4 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
5 - Saint Petersburg, FL - Tropicana Field
7 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
8 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
9 - Rosemont, IL - Akoo Theatre at Rosemont
10 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
11 - Hershey, PA - Hershey Theatre
12 - East Rutherford, NJ - IZOD Center
14 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Presents Oakdale Theater
15 - Hyannis, MA - Cape Cod Melody Tent
16 - Cohasset, MA - South Shore Music Circus
18 - Upper Darby, PA -Tower Theatre
19 - Westbury, NY - NYCB Theatre at Westbury
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