Mario's and PHOCH - The Canberra Times 1981

Ad from the Canberra Times, October 17, 1981

by Tony Magee

In mid 1981, I was still working as the house pianist at Marios’ Restaurant, Petrie Plaza, Canberra City.

They had by then procured a late night supper show called War to War - the hits of the war era, starring singers Jillian Donaldson and Kelly Auty with musical director and pianist 18 year old Andrew Ross.

It was a great show and had audiences clapping and singing along with gusto.

Coralie Wood and Jim Hutchins approached the owners (Ton Van der Zandt and Nick van Zommeron) about putting on a dinner show.

The plans for the “new” Parliament House had just been announced. It was a grand design, to be placed on the top of Capital Hill.

This became the theme of the new dinner show, called PHOCH ’91 (Parliament House on Capital Hill) - set ten years in the future.

Ton and Nick suggested me as pianist and MD for the show, to which Coralie and Jim agreed. 

Coralie later became my first agent, also securring me future work at the Lakeside Hotel and on Ron Murray’s new and exciting cruising restaurant The City of Canberra (on lake Burley Griffin).