Nikki Webster Press Archive

Still flying high

Dec 10, 2000Mar 20, 2018 2000 No Comments

Olympic Opening Ceremony star Nikki Webster will cap off a great year with Carols In The Domain, writes ADRIAN SCARDILLI.

Carols In The Domain airs on Saturday, Channel 7, 8.30pm.

MENTION the name Nikki Webster and immediately scenes of the Olympic Opening Ceremony come to mind.

The pint-sized star, who stole the show by flying effortlessly around the Olympic Stadium, will be ending her year with a performance at Carols In the Domain.

And although most people won’t realise it, this is Webster’s third performance at the Carols.

“Yeah, I have done it before,” she said, not sounding in the least bit like a hardened show biz veteran.

“It is fun and exciting. I was there in 1997 with Toni Pearen and last year as part of the cast from The Sound Of Music with Lisa McCune. I was so excited to be there last year. Just getting out there in front of all those people, even if they didn’t know me.”
Continue reading Still flying high

Nikki’s star shines brightly in Games afterglow

Dec 8, 2000Mar 3, 2012 2000 No Comments

POP singers can’t fight the trappings of fame even when they’re only 13 years old.

Pint-sized Olympic sensation Nikki Webster was enjoying her first serenade from a male singer in the Queen Street Mall yesterday, when a bystander yelled “What about Aaron, Nikki?” Yes, Webster’s already having to deny rumours about a romance with American pop star Aaron Carter.

A true professional, Webster talked through a cluster of security officers to young autograph hunters keen to catch their first real-life glimpse of the kid who wowed the world at the Sydney Games.

“I’d like to write my own songs, yeah,” she nodded. “I like a range of music. I’m an all-round performer. I’d like to be in movies and theatre too.”

Her grandparents, who are travelling with her, watched with tears in their eyes.

“It’s nice to see them,” she smiled. “They’re visiting from London.”

Her fame looks certain to skyrocket with an album on John Farnham’s record label, a cover on Barbie magazine, a Christmas train tour, and a Carols by Candlelight gig with Vanessa Amorosi and Olivia Newton-John.

Yesterday, Webster made a promotional appearance for Jager Cosmetics’ It’s a Girl Thing line — giving a spirited performance in the mall.

Jacinta Koch

Source: Courier Mail (via Aaron Carter Aricles)

Nikki signs up for stardom

Dec 3, 2000Mar 3, 2022 2000, Music No Comments

OLYMPIC Games singing sensation Nikki Webster has signed a lucrative international recording deal with John Farnham’s record label, Gotham Records.

Farnham’s label, a joint venture with BMG Australia and his long-time producer Ross Fraser, beat several major local and international record companies for Nikki’s signature.

The 13-year-old singer and actor said the multi-album deal was a dream come true.

“I have always wanted to record an album that was loved by everyone,” she told The Sunday Telegraph.

“I want to be boppy – I love all different styles but particularly pop music. My idols are Kylie Minogue and John Farnham. I could never have dreamed I would be signed by him, that he would even ask.”

The world’s leading songwriters; including hitmakers for Christine Aguilera, Spice Girls and Britney Spears; have already been approached.

Fraser, who is Gotham Records managing director, said Nikki would be the first artist Australians have watched grow up in a long time.

“The whole country will watch Nikki grow up and that is very exciting when you consider how talented she is – she can do everything.”

Nikki will travel to Africa in February to begin filming her first movie, Vanilla Gorilla.

– KATHY McCABE

Source: The Sunday Telegraph
Thanks to Nikki Webster 2000

Profile on… Nikki Webster!!!

Dec 1, 2000Oct 19, 2022 2000, Interviews No Comments

A star is born!

Since floating high above the ground at Sydney’s Olympic Games, Nikki Webster is living the life! Not only has she sung, danced, acted and looked glam in her pretty pink dress in front of the whole world, Hollywood have called her to star in a big blockbuster movie called Vanilla Gorilla and she has just released her first CD called We’ll Be One. She gets loads of fan mail from people of all ages and one of her biggest fans ever is a professional wrestler! Her new group of friends include Kylie Minogue and Olivia Newton John and she has people asking for her autograph every day. Pretty good for a 13 year old, huh! Check out what she had to say about hittin’ the big time!

Barbie Mag: Do you have lots of boys asking you out now that you’re famous?
Nikki: No!

Barbie Mag: Do you have a boyfriend?
Nikki: (laughing) No!

Barbie Mag: What was it like meeting Kylie?
Nikki: It was great fun. She was really nice. She gave me great advice about fame and just said to be nice, be myself and not change. We climbed the harbour bridge the other day. That was pretty cool.

Barbie Mag: So were you about to blow off when you sang high above the ground in the closing ceremony?
Nikki: No, I know it looked like I could’ve, but I had a harness on and was tied to a pole.
Continue reading Profile on… Nikki Webster!!!

60 Minutes live chat

Oct 15, 2000Oct 19, 2022 2000, Olympics, Web Chats No Comments

Ninemsn in association with 60 Minutes presents a live interview with Nikki Webster, young star of the Olympics opening ceremony.

Host amicus_9msn: Nikki, welcome to our interview tonight in cyberspace.

Host Nikki Webster: Hello, I’m free to talk.

Host amicus_9msn: Nikki, let’s get right to the questions from our chatters. Everyone has been awaiting your arrival eagerly.

dazza: Nikki, how many hours a day went into rehearsals for the Olympic ceremony?

Host Nikki Webster: For the opening ceremony there were about two to three rehearsals a week, basically of a night-time, for about two-and-a-half hours, and for the closing, I only had about two or three rehearsals up, and as it got closer to the opening ceremony, there were about four rehearsals a week.

cnb: Nikki, how have you found being in the spotlight of the media now?

Host Nikki Webster: It’s been pretty amazing and it’s all come up quite quickly, but it’s all been such a great experience. Continue reading 60 Minutes live chat

Good Morning Australia interview

Oct 12, 2000Mar 20, 2018 2000 No Comments

BERT NEWTON: I’d like you to see some footage of a show which I’m very happy to be cast in, The Sound of Music, and there it is. Now the most important thing in The Sound of Music, or certainly one of the most important things, is the casting of the kids, and we’ve been very lucky so far. We’ve had some wonderful groups in each of the cities we’re playing in, including Perth right now, but we have special memories of Sydney, possibly because that’s where the show opened. But also, we had a very talented bunch of kids. There’s one particularly that I know that you will know already. Just have a look at the shot there, of the Von Trapp children, and right slap bang in the middle, is somebody who has been seen by 138 billion people right around the world. The only thing that I’m grateful for is the fact that I was nice to her during The Sound of Music. [audience laughs]

Nikki Webster, we love her, I know you feel exactly the same way. We welcome her to the show.

Hi Nikki.

NIKKI WEBSTER: Hi.

BERT NEWTON: It’s good to see you, it is good to see you. With everything which has been happening for you in recent times do you still have some memories of The Sound of Music?

NIKKI WEBSTER: Oh yes definitely. Actually on the opening of the opening ceremony I got a fax from them just before I went on and everyone had left their little message, and it was just so great to hear from them.
Continue reading Good Morning Australia interview

The most famous teen in the world

Oct 9, 2000Mar 20, 2018 2000 No Comments

The darling of the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies still has to clean her bedroom

Barely an hour after giving a performance of a lifetime, tousle-haired Nikki Webster was curled up, fast asleep in her bed.

No late-night celebrations for this talented 13-year-old. Nikki needed her shut-eye, after all. There were chores to be done around her Croydon Park home in Sydney’s western suburbs.

“I had to clean my room and it’s my job to collect the dog droppings in the backyard,” she laughs. “I’ve also had to catch up with my studies, because I’ve been rather busy doing other things.”

Nikki is, of course, referring to her starring roles in the Olympic opening and closing ceremonies. In the space of a few hours, in the opening ceremony, she became the most famous teen in the world – her Deep Sea Dreaming sequence with Djakapurra Manyarryun winning the hearts of four billion viewers around the globe.

Now, the bubbly youngster can’t go anywhere without people asking, “Are you the little girl who was in the opening ceremony? Can I have an autograph??

“I don’t think I’m a star,” she says, sitting on the couch, petting her dog Star, a poodle-maltese terrier cross. “I just love to sing and act. My brother Scott and I are always singing and dancing at home in front of Mum and Dad,” adds Nikki, who sometimes pretends to be her favourite singer Olivia Newton-John. “They get annoyed if we start up just before we’re about to sit down for dinner!”
Continue reading The most famous teen in the world

Vanilla Gorilla

Oct 6, 2000Mar 20, 2018 2000 No Comments

Johannesburg – The movie Vanilla Gorilla, to be filmed here and to star the Australian songstress and actress Nikki Webster is sure to put South Africa on the map.

Variety reported Oz Moppet Webster Goes Ape For Kleiser while The Hollywood Reporter reported, more sedately, that Webster Carries Torch For Kleiser On Indie Vanilla. So let’s get all the credits correct.

The movie’s to be directed by Randal Kleiser who, in Variety’s parlance, “helmed” Grease, Honey I Blew Up The Kid, White Fang, The Blue Lagoon among others. The producers are Normandi Brown, Tony Sloman and Craig Gardner. The executive director is Sam Kute, and co-producers are T.J Mancini and Erika Brannan. Myron Nash will line produce. Anyone missing? No. Right. The South African connection is Gardner, who also wrote the script.

Since he happens to live just up the road, one had to dash off to his house rightaway to find out more about the movie. Yep, he’s excited. But first something about Gardner. From Los Angeles, he came to South Africa some twenty years ago and starred in a stage play about outer space beings that he’d rather forget, I’m sure. Continue reading Vanilla Gorilla

Nikki Wakes Up To School

Oct 5, 2000May 1, 2013 2000 No Comments

Performing in front of billions of people one day, back at school the next part-time star Nikki Webster blends back in at assembly.

By ABAN CONTRACTOR

At 8.15am yesterday, Nikki Webster walked into school weighed down by a huge backpack but oblivious to the burdens of celebrity.

The tiny star of the Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies was simply happy to be among friends.

Dressed in school uniform, face scrubbed of make-up, the 13-year-old sat through English, school assembly – where she received the principal’s gold award “for a most professional performance” at the XXVII Olympiad – recess and rollcall.

And every now and then someone asked for her autograph.

The McDonald College daily bulletin said Nikki was not required to pick up a bus pass or pay for chocolates already eaten. And she is unlikely to be on detention next Tuesday or Wednesday.

“I was actually looking forward to coming back to school because I hadn’t been here for three weeks during the Olympics and I wanted to come back and see everybody,” she said. “We did a little bit of English. We actually started to do some work, but we started chatting more than doing work.”

While Nikki took a starring role, almost one-third of the Strathfield private school’s 380 primary and secondary students played a part in the Games spectacular. Some sang, some danced, and some swam their way through Deep Sea Dreaming.

“It was great fun to know that people I knew from my school [which specialises in theatre arts] were actually performing with me and having a good time,” Nikki said.

The Year 8 student has cut her first CD, We’ll Be One – “Hopefully, it gets to platinum” – and will have a starring role in a Hollywood film, The Vanilla Gorilla, to be shot in South Africa and directed by Randal Kleiser of Grease fame.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald (via NikkiWebster.dk)

Webster Carries Torch For Kleiser On Indie ‘vanilla’

Oct 3, 2000Mar 21, 2011 2000 Comments Off

By Cathy Dunkley

Nikki Webster, the 13-year-old Australian girl who sang during the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, is set to star in the independent African feature film “Vanilla Gorilla” to be directed by Randal Kleiser (“Grease,” “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid”). Production is expected to begin in February for a targeted Christmas 2001 release.

“Vanilla” is the story of a captive albino gorilla that learned American sign language and teaches it to a young girl (Webster) he befriends.

Craig Gardner wrote the screenplay and will be a producer on the film with Normandi Brown and Tony Sloman. Sam Kute will executive produce, and T.J. Mancini and Erika Branna are co-producers. The project was packaged by Jerry Zeitman of the Agency.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter