STARS IN THEIR EYES
Cross Promotions has joined forces with The Star Gold Coast in a bid to lure some of the biggest names in entertainment to the venue
We will be locking in bigname acts, bigname shows
GOLD Coast entertainment entrepreneur Billy Cross’s sphere of influence at The Star Gold Coast continues to grow.
Cross, who is CEO and founder of festival promoter Cross Promotions, has revealed to ATG the company is now bringing his heft to The Star Gold Coast’s theatre booking calendar.
“(Cross Promotions) was asked to be a part of it. It’s the perfect partnership,” he said.
“We are pushing the boundaries to bring more (productions) to the Gold Coast with our international and domestic connections.
“We will be locking in big-name acts, big-name shows. We’re even looking at bringing over big-name celebrities. Because of the size of the venue, 1900sq m, we can get big shows. There’s a lot of amazing stuff we’ve been working on.”
Cross Promotions entertainment specialist Alaina Berg has been newly appointed to the role in securing some of the world’s top productions. Already she’s locked in Mamma
Mia the Musical, which will be shown in July, and said it was a “huge win” for the city.
“Everyone goes to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth but they skip the Gold Coast,” she said.
“We are interested in boosting the number of shows on the Gold Coast.”
The Star’s theatre was worth $20 million when it underwent a major renovation in 2012.
Cross, formerly the Glitter Strip’s nightclub-owning king, is also the brains behind male revue Manpower, which is now a global touring juggernaut and Las Vegas staple.
The theatre takeover comes after Cross and wife Jackie, who are partners with The Star in its rooftop bar Nineteen, also took over running the restaurant after Simon Gloftis left the business in July last year.