10 – 24 January 2012
For the past nine years, G’Day USA has brought together leaders in industry, government, business, tourism, academia and the arts to successfully cultivate the Australia-United States relationship.
This is the fifth year the boys have been invited to perform for G’Day USA.
Of the seven cities across the United States that participate in this three week frenzy of all things Australian, the boys, together with members of the Australian Girls and the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choirs, visited Los Angeles, New York, Houston and Dallas.
The LA Black Tie Dinner, held at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland, commemorates high profile individuals in the entertainment industry. This year actor Guy Pearce, musicians Air Supply and NBA basketball player Luc Longley were honoured for significant contributions in their industries and for excellence in promoting Australia in the United States.
The boys shared the stage with Cody Simpson, Jack Vidgen and Jamie Drury before Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, of Air Supply, joined them for the finale I Still Call Australia Home.
The Black Tie Dinner in New York, held at the Cipriano Ballroom on Wall Street, highlighted business and trade whereas the dinner held at the Hilton Park Hotel in Houston focussed on Tourism and Consumer Events. All three gala dinners featured Australian food and wine.
The G’day tour is always exciting but extremely exhausting. Music and words for nine new songs were handed out at the end of the year. A full day workshop was held where all the children come together for the first time and the choreography is taught before heading across the Pacific the next day.
Performances over the two week period were interspersed with copious rehearsal periods, a trip to Disneyland, a visit to Sony Picture Studios, tickets to an LA Lakers game and the Phantom of the Opera on Bradway, the sights of New York and lots more.