Ask Nikki Webster

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Nikki Dub faces some rough treatment from the media, and you wanted to know just what she thinks of the nasty things that are said about her. She also opens up to Smash Hits about radio refusing to play her songs and whether she has a boyfriend!

What do you say to people who suggest you’re growing up too quickly?
Andy, NSW
Well, I’m 15 years old and everybody’s got to grow up. It’s so much fun doing this. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do and it wasn’t something I was forced into. I still get to see my friends and travel around the world. I don’t think you could ask for anything better.

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Nikki’s beautiful life

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Remember the little girl who stole the show at the 2000 Olympics? Nikki Webster’s now a big star, touring Europe and hanging out with her pal Kylie Minogue

You could understand why Nikki Webster’s classmates could be green with envy. Licking envelopes in an office for work experience doesn’t compare to touring Europe and singing in front of hordes of screaming fans. But that’s how Nikki, 15, spent her recent school holidays and work experience.

‘I went to Sweden, Holland, Denmark, Belgium and Finland,’ she says. ‘’It was great fun. In Holland I did two shows – with 10,000 people each!’

The teen who literally swung onto the world stage at the Sydney Olympics has grown up a great deal, and she says travelling has opened her eyes. Nikki toured for seven weeks with her dancers – her mum and dad took turns chaperoning – to promote her single Strawberry Kisses. She says it was odd ‘getting into that pink suit again’ but luckily, it still fits the growing girl.

‘Performing in front of all those kids who can’t speak your language but love your music – it was a great reward,’ Nikki says. In London, Nikki caught up with her friend and mentor Kylie Minogue.

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“I’ve grown up!”

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The Return of Nikki Webster

It’s been a hectic few months for Nikki Webster. After finishing up the Sydney season of her musical The Wizard of Oz, she headed straight to the studio to record her second album, before jetting overseas to promote her first single “Strawberry Kisses”. Now she’s back home and not only is she starring in Oz in Melbourne, but she’s also releasing her brand new single “Something More Beautiful” . . .

How far off is the new album?
I’ve finished recording it, it’s in the stages of mixing now. They’re getting it all together and putting in all the drums and stuff. It’s an exciting time, but I haven’t heard much of it yet!

How have you managed to record it while juggling everything else?
I did it at the end of The Wizard of Oz season in Sydney. I went into the recording studio about two weeks after. We’d blocked out three weeks, but it only took a week to do the whole album. We did about three songs a day which is pretty good, and then I went off to Europe, and now I’m doing The Wizard of Oz in Melbourne!

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Old and young troupers bring fresh wizardry to Oz

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THE WIZARD OF OZ, Book by L. Frank Baum, music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg, Regent Theatre

It’s a shock to realise that The Wizard of Oz turns 100 next year, its 1903 New York production the first of many stage and screen versions of L. Frank Baum’s book. In all its forms, Baum’s story of plucky Dorothy’s fantasy adventure in the land of Oz is as much a classic as J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan – probably even better known, thanks to video versions of the film.

So a new stage version has to offer something special. In this case it is a well-known and well-loved cast, starting with Australia’s Olympic opening ceremony star Nikki Webster, and including entertainment and stage figures better known to parents, including Bert and Patti Newton, Pamela Rabe, Philip Gould and Doug Parkinson.

The stage show includes musical numbers cut from the film, such as the Jitterbug interlude in the haunted forest. These return The Wizard of Oz to the genre of musical, but they also shift the focus away from the film’s emphasis on Dorothy.
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Nikki Rocks!

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The wait is over! Nikki Webster is back with a hot new single, Something More Beautiful!

Are you just so excited that you have a new single out!!!
Yes!

What do you think of Something More Beautiful?
I love it! It’s different, because it’s in-between a pop song and a ballad.

How long did it take to make the album?
It took a week to record. Lots of songs are sent in and I listen to them an pick… There were so many good songs, but Something More Beautiful just stood out.

Is it fun to be in a recording studio?
Well, we had heaps of fun! Recording is also a lot of hard work, but it doesn’t feel like work because I love it so much!

How is this album different from the last?
It is a little bit older than Follow Your Heart, but that’s probably the only main … It’s also got some really amazing and fun things on it.

We’re glad you have another album out this year! There’s nothing worse than waiting! Did you have to work doubly hard to do that?
I didn’t want to wait too long either! It’s really hard waiting for the single to be released and the album to come out. I just want it all to happen now!

Have you changed?
I’m still me, but travelling has opened up my eyes a lot. You can always try different things. I don’t think that hurts! I’ve always had a lot of input into what I do, and I still do. I design all of my own clothes and I still say, “Why don’t we try this or that?” I’m definitely still the same person!

Source: Barbie magazine

Have we been fair to Nikki?

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Nikki Webster is not about to be cut down by the tall-poppy syndrome. She has a burgeoning showbusiness career to get on with, reports Anne Crawford.

The Wizard of Oz rehearsal is set to begin in a large hall in Prahran. Toto the dog has had a final brush. Artistic directors position themselves on long tables facing the action. All eyes are trained on the slight teenager with the big voice.

Nikki Webster, the girl who flew at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics as the world watched, is playing Dorothy. Forget what you might have read about her success since, what you see is a small, pale girl with big brown eyes and strawberry blonde hair. Irrepressibly perky, bubbling with self-confidence. Wearing hip sters and a midriff, like any number of other teens outside in Chapel Street. Sort of.

During breaks from acting, she stoops to play with Toto or gravitates towards Bert Newton who plays the Wizard, chatting easily with the veteran performer. Webster’s face lights up constantly. She clasps her hands as she giggles. She apologises if she fluffs a line (which is rare) and follows directions eagerly. She is never late for rehearsal and never comes unprepared, says Newton, who first worked with Webster when she was six. The cast, apparently, have given her the thumbs up. No one has a harsh word to say about her.
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Good Morning Australia

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GMA004

BERT NEWTON: Nikki Webster and Nancye Hayes. Don’t want to make this an unabashed plug for the show, but I just thought it might be interesting. I made the comment that it’s a big show for a director. Now from people away from, from theatre, they might say is big simply the number of the cast or the size of the set? What do you mean by big?

NANCYE HAYES: Well there’s a lot of elements involved. As I say there are things that we have to make happen that are much easier to happen on film than they are on stage. As we know, the witch has to melt, and we have flying involved, the witch flying, and you flying in the balloon and all those things. We have a, a little Toto that has to do so many things and be with Nikki the entire time.

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Nikki Webster chats to Newsround

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Fancy being on first name terms with Kylie, performing in front of millions at the Olympics or going platinum with a single in Australia? Well 15-year-old Nikki Webster has!

Hi Nikki, you are an extremely successful popstar in Australia, tell us about yourself!
When I was young I told my mum and dad that I wanted to go into show business so I started taking lessons. I have appeared in about five different musicals and took the lead in a massive production of the Wizard of Oz. I love being an all round performer from singing to dancing, it’s always been my dream.

For a 15-year-old you lead a pretty untypical life, jetting off across the world and meeting famous celebrities. What do you get up to in the day?
It’s pretty normal when I am not doing promotion. I get up have some tutoring and do some school work. Then it just depends on the day, like I may go to the movies with friends or do a few interviews.

Do you ever regret not being a normal teenager and wish that fame had come to you when you were older?
Not at all. It’s something I have always wanted to do, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s a love.

How do you feel about young popstars singing about issues that they maybe don’t know about such as relationships?
Well, I think that’s fine for everyone else but I like to sing about things that I know, like friends and family. Strawberry Kisses is about a girl and boy and how they are best friends.

What do you think about people who say pop is manufactured?
I always make sure that I have a lot of input. I don’t have a stylist; I design my own clothes and help pick the songs with the record company.

What’s this about you owning Australia’s most expensive pair of jeans?
A charity in Australia called Jeans 4 Jeans hold a charity auction every year and performers and artists give them their jeans to auction off. My jeans sold for more than Russell Crowe’s!

Now that is an achievement! How do you keep your feet on the ground?
My friends are my dancers and so some of them travel with me. They starred in the video for my song Follow Your Heart. They just treat me like normal. Also, I always have a member of my family travelling with me, my dad is staying with me at the moment.

Loads of our readers want to make it as popstars. What advice would you give them?
If it’s in your heart and dreams then give everything a go and be happy.

You Australian gals seem to be taking over the music world, from the likes of Pop Diva Kylie to newcomer Holly Valance. Why do you think this is?
I think it’s because we really enjoy life and we are happy in what we do. We are bubbly no matter what, like Kylie is just really nice and normal. I do like British music though, I’m a big fan of Craig David and Usher and I love watching TV and seeing who is hot over here!

Are you about to do a Samantha Mumba on us and go into films?
Movies would be cool, I am into all of that, performing.

Source: CBBC Newsround

Pop princesses avoid chart battle

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Pete Waterman’s latest teen pop prodigy Lauren Waterworth has avoided a chart battle after pop princess Nikki Webster changed the release date of her single.

The teen girls were meant to be battling it out in the singles chart by releasing their debut singles on the same day.

But Nikki Webster, 15, whose single Strawberry Kisses went Platinum in Australia has had the release set back a week.

Her record company said it had nothing to do with the competition. “The reason why it was changed is her availability for promotion,” said her product manager.

The pop princesses will now release their singles within a week of each other.

Talking about the chart battle Lauren, 13, said: “I’ve seen Nikki’s video and I think she’s great.

“You are going to get me into trouble but if it was a chart battle between Australia and Britain, I would say Britain!”

Lollipops at the ready girls!

Fact File: Tot of the Pops facts

• A pair of Nikki’s jeans sold for more than Russell Crowe’s in a charity auction in Oz!
• Lauren knocked the sound desk over when she was playing footie with Westlife
• Nikki has performed with Kylie and Michael Jackson
• Lauren caught Pete Waterman’s eye when she sent him her CD when she was only 11

Source: CBBC Newsround

NIKKI WEBSTER INTERVIEW

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Nikki Webster is the latest musical export from Down Under. She’s got a long way to go to emulate the success of Kylie and co but she’s only 15 years old so time’s definitely on her side.

dotmusic caught up with Nikki during a recent trip to the UK and quizzed her debut single ‘Strawberry Kisses’ (out May 27) and what it’s like being such a big star at home.

Click on the link above to watch the video interview or read some of the best quotes below.

On herself:
“I’m a fun person, very happy, and I got to follow my dream. That’s why I’m here today and I want to be here for a lot longer.”

On life before pop:
“I’ve done four musicals and a few commercials but the main thing was the Sydney 2000 Olympics where I got to play the ‘hero girl’ who flew in the air in front of so many people all around the world.”

On school:
“I still go to school except when I’m away and I have a tutor. My school’s been really understanding but I still have to do a lot of school work. My friends are always messaging when I’m over here asking me if it’s cold.”

On her debut single:
“A strawberry kiss is a blow kiss. It’s a really friendly upbeat song. It reached No.2 on the charts and stayed there for eight weeks and I hope the same thing happens here.”

On her forthcoming album:
“The album’s called ‘Follow Your Heart’ and it’s mainly about friendship. It’s appropriate for someone my age to sing. I’m not 20 or something.”

On life outside music:
“I want to be an all round performer so I do acting and dancing. In Australia I’m in the Wizard of Oz.”

On her long term goals:
“My ultimate goal is to be well know all around the world. Make my fans smile when I sing.”

For the latest news on Nikki check out her official UK site

Chris Heath

Source: dotmusic.com