When PJ Lane takes the stage this November, he won’t just be performing, he’ll be honouring a legacy that helped define Australian entertainment.
I Love Your Faces: The Don Lane Story is more than a tribute to his legendary father, it’s a heartfelt, high-energy theatrical journey through fame and family, while finding one’s own voice.
With a big band, dazzling showgirls, and a mix of music and storytelling, the show promises to capture the scale and sparkle that made The Don Lane Show a television phenomenon.
“The journey of my father and his story is deeply personal to me,” PJ told The AJN. “Sharing it with an audience is a privilege and a joy. My father’s story deserves to be told in the most spectacular musical way possible.”
For PJ, show business was more than a career path, it has always been part of his DNA.
Many Australians would know Don Lane, the Bronx-born performer who became one of Australia’s most beloved TV personalities. As his son, PJ was immersed in the world of bright lights and live entertainment from a young age.
“Entertainment was once crafted — real musicians, dancers, spontaneity. It was about connection, not algorithms…”
“It was always there, I have always been on stage performing,” he recalled. “But it took me time to stop running from it. After basketball and years of coaching, I found myself craving that same connection my father had with people – that ability to lift a room. I realised it wasn’t about following in his footsteps; it was about finding my own way to communicate, to perform, to entertain. The pull became undeniable when I saw the same spark in people’s eyes that I used to see watching Dad on TV.”
Described as a “high-energy, musical-theatrical tribute told through PJ’s eyes,” I Love Your Faces pays homage to the grandeur of Don Lane’s television heyday while offering a deeply personal glimpse behind the curtain.
“The Don Lane Show was all about scale — orchestra, dancers, lights, timing, magic,” PJ explained. “It wasn’t just talk-show television; it was variety theatre. I wanted to honour that energy but also show what it feels like from the inside. The glamour, yes, but also the genuine connection.”
To do so, PJ intertwines musical numbers with candid storytelling, balancing nostalgia with emotional honesty. “The big band and showgirls capture the spectacle,” he said, “while the storytelling pulls back the curtain and shows the heart behind it all.”
While the production celebrates Don Lane’s career, it also ventures into deeper territory, exploring themes of identity, ambition, and legacy.“It starts as his story — the making of a star, the applause — and then shifts to mine,” PJ explained. “I was trying to understand why he mattered to people, not just that he did. That’s where I realised the show isn’t about imitation; it’s about inheritance – what we take, what we leave, what we redefine. That’s when it became my story too.”
That inheritance comes with moments of challenge, too. One of the most emotional chapters revisits Don Lane’s battle with Alzheimer’s, a defining period for both father and son.
“Seeing someone so charismatic and larger than life lose all that made them who they were. Watching the memories and the persona fade. That was a challenge,” PJ recalled. “It was a defining chapter for me as well – where I was left with no choice but to carry on what he started.”
For PJ, the show balances his love for his father, but at the same time, requires an enormous amount of emotional discipline.
“It’s a fine line,” he admitted. “As a son, I want to protect him; as a storyteller, I want to be honest; as a performer, I want to give everything I’ve got. The trick is remembering that all three come from love. That’s the glue – love and respect for the craft, for the story, for the people who made him who he was
That love also lives in the show’s title, which is a nod to Don Lane’s famous on-air sign-off, “I love your faces.”
“That line was his trademark,” PJ said. “He genuinely loved the people watching. When I say it now, it’s not just nostalgia; it’s a connection. It’s saying thank you to everyone who remembers him and welcome to those believing in him and the show. It’s about inclusivity – that no matter who you are, you’re part of the story.”
Audiences can expect more than just a walk down memory lane. The production, packed with humour, and heart, and of course show-stopping music, celebrates the spirit of live entertainment. It’s something PJ feels is sorely needed in the digital age.
“For younger audiences, I want them to see that entertainment was once crafted — real musicians, dancers, spontaneity,” he said. “It was about connection, not algorithms. For those who lived it, I want them to feel that rush again — to relive the glamour but also see the legacy living on in a new form. It’s not just remembering Don Lane; it’s realising that the spirit of that era still has a heartbeat.”
I Love Your Faces: The Don Lane Story is at The Palms at Crown, November 14. For tickets, visit ticketmaster.com.au/pj-lane-tickets/artist/3775129
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