Why have I booked tickets to hear pianist David Helfgott in concert at the Cultural Centre on April 20? Like many people, I was touched by the movie Shine last year. But was I seduced by the hype surrounding the film? I don't think so.
You see, I've met Helfgott, I couldn't help but love him, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again. (Hmm, I wonder whether he'll remember me.) My vicarious claim to fame is that about 10 or 11 years ago (I forget the exact dates), I promoted and stage-managed two concerts by Helfgott in Adelaide, Australia.
It was at one of those concerts that scriptwriter and director Scott Hicks first encountered Helfgott, and was inspired to make a film about his life.
At the time, I was working as a freelance arts administrator. When I was offered the opportunity to co-ordinate the Adelaide leg of Helfgott's national tour, I'd never heard of him, but the background material that his promoters sent me was certainly intriguing, and it was clear the human interest angle would make the story an easy one to sell to the local media.
I booked two concert dates for Helfgott in the intimate venue of Edmund Wright House, a charming and immaculately restored 19th-century building in the city centre. With minimal advertising, the tickets sold out almost immediately - in fact, we could have sold every ticket twice over, but Helfgott's busy tour schedule meant we couldn't programme any more concerts.
So finally, a day or two before the concerts, I met Helfgott and his wife Gillian at Adelaide Airport. His larger-than-life enthusiasm was infectious and a little overwhelming.
Geoffrey Rush, star of Shine, managed to capture the pianist's mannerisms, rhythms and energy perfectly.