Tim Rogers To Guest Star In Justine Clarke's New ABC Kids Series

Beloved children's entertainer Justine Clarke has been announced as the star of an upcoming show for preschoolers on ABC KIDS titled Ta Da! — but its list of collaborators is sure to pique the curiosity of even the most mature audience members.

Veteran Aussie rocker Tim Rogers, actress Denise Scott, dancer/actor Paul Mercurio, triple j host and hip hop artist Hau Latukefu and actor/comedian David Collins — among several others — will appear during the show's inaugural 15-episode run, set to make its debut later this year.

Ta Da! is best described as "a show about putting on a show", set behind the scenes of a theatre. In each seven-minute episode, Clarke and her 'stage manager', Dash the dog make final preparations for a production and teach kids about what goes into making a performance happen, including skills such as singing, improvisation, acting, set-building, costuming and dancing.

"Ta Da! is the culmination of my years in children’s entertainment; making music, producing DVDs and touring the country performing live shows for Australian preschoolers and their families," Clarke said in a statement.

"My aim was to create a TV show that celebrates the best of the performing arts and creativity. Ta Da! embraces the joy I have always felt about music and performing — I hope it’s infectious!"

Each episode wraps up with a 'song of the day', performed by Clarke, with Rogers among the list of musical scribes to have lent their talents to help pen the original tracks.

Fellow co-writers include Josh Pyke, Peter Dasent, Arthur Baysting, Sean Peter, Jane Lindsay, Cameron Bruce and Bruce Griffiths, with the songs said to span genres from rock and country to hip hop, folk, classical and beyond.

The show is a joint production between the ABC and Screen Australia, in association with Create NSW, Fredbird Entertainment and Ta Da! Productions.

"We’re excited to be working with Justine and a talented cast of performers on this delightful series, which celebrates all the excitement and collaboration of music and theatre," Fredbird Kids head Sarah Dabro said in a statement. "We hope it inspires children to embrace creativity and self-expression, and put on their own shows at home."

Justine Clarke's Ta Da! is set to screen on ABC KIDS and ABC KIDS iview later this year.