Boys back Doris

The Doris Day tribute show So Much More Than the Girl Next Door is very much singer Melinda Schneider’s baby — she conceived, co-wrote and stars in the musical homage to the onetime celluloid sweetheart.

But for the show’s latest incarnation, happening for one night only at the Sydney Opera House on April 13, Schneider’s bringing two dashing men of musical theatre along for the ride — Shaun Rennie (Cats) and Bobby Fox (Jersey Boys).

“We’re there on stage with her all night, helping her tell the story,” Rennie said.

“We play all the different men who’ve come in and out of Doris’s life, from Rock Hudson to Kirk Douglas.”

While the tone of the show is light and sunny, as the trio performs the songs that made Day famous backed by the eight-piece Doris Big Band, there is much dramatic grit to be found in the now-88-year-old singer’s rollercoaster of a personal life.

Her four turbulent marriages, rife with abuse and finally catastrophic financial ruin, are revealed.

“It’s a fascinating life, and the more of a fan you are, the more you’ll be intrigued by these tidbits of information about her life we include in the show,” Rennie said.

“Her fourth husband wanted to market a line of pet food with her face on the can — this was at the time when she was the biggest star of her era. Imagine putting Beyonce on a pet food can!

“She made a lot of bad decisions with men, but she’s a survivor and has gotten through it.”

“She certainly knows how to pick ’em,” Fox added.

“I remember saying to Shaun, after all those mistakes she made with people, she’s still here. At the end of the day, she’s the one who won.

“People took her money and put one over her, but by all reports she’s 88 and still going strong. The best revenge is living well.”

With that as the production’s central message, it’s perhaps no surprise that Day has personally approved the script for the show.

And while Schneider opens the show by saying she’s not offering up an impersonation of Day, Fox and Rennie were effusive in their praise of their co-star.

“Melinda’s like sunshine herself, and her voice really suits the material, so it’s a perfect match,” Rennie said.

“It’s just beautiful,” Fox agreed.

“That country lilt that she has is just so easy to listen to. It makes for such a warm show.”

INFO: Doris Day: So Much More Than The Girl Next Door, Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, April 13, 8pm. www.sydneyoperahouse.com