EPISODE 1
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre featuring Australia’s leading Musical Theatre Creatives
This compilation episode kicks off 2022, with a focus on musical theatre as we return to stages across the country. The episode features Australian Musical Theatre legends and performers from previous seasons including
- Karen Johnson Mortimer, one of Australia’s leading directors and choreographers currently directing 9 – 5 at Sydney Lyric Theatre
- Sally Dashwood, Director and choreographer of Australia’s premiere female tap dance company Girls On Tap and SCS Artist in Residence
- Bev Kennedy, one of Australia’s leading musical directors and accompanists having worked on over 30 professional productions including We Will Rock You, The Lion King and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Graeme Haddon, Australian producer, company manager and puppet creative currently working on the World Expo in Dubai
EPISODE 2
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre – Backstage Event Production featuring Andrea Corish and Brett Wheeler
Andrea is a veteran Stage Manager with 15 years experience across the full range of theatrical genres. She has worked on large scale shows in Australia and internationally, with a focus on opera and musical theatre. Between 2016-2020 Andrea was the resident stage manager at Dubai Opera, which brought in shows not only from Broadway and the West End, but from all over the world. Andrea has toured extensively and worked with the highest calibre of performers working today.
With a technical career spanning nearly 20 years, Brett is an experienced and skilled technical manager. He has worked in all theatrical genres of live performance, as well as corporate and government events. He has also worked technically for amateur musical theatre companies and Scouts Australia productions. Brett started his technical career at Riverside Theatres Parramatta where he worked for 14 years. He also spent some time in corporate audio and visual. Brett was also a key member of staff in opening of The Concourse Chatswood, where he worked for 8 years. He is skilled in lighting, video, audio, stage management and fly tower operation.
EPISODE 3
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre featuring in thhe pit – Chris King
Chris King is an in-demand Pianist/Keyboardist, Accompanist, Arranger, Musical Director and Conductor based in Sydney, Australia. A versatile musician, he has extensive experience playing across several musical genres including musical theatre, cabaret, vocal and instrumental exam accompaniment, piano bars, tribute shows, pop/rock bands, big bands, and jazz combos. He also works in music production providing keyboard tracks to recording artists and backing tracks to singers.
Chris is presently working as keyboard deputy and rehearsal pianist on Hamilton (Michael Cassel Group) in Sydney.
EPISODE 4
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre and schools featuring Nate Butler
A graduate of the prestigious Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) Musical Theatre BA (2005), Nate Butler is a highly accomplished and respected education leader and performing artist with the creative insight and operational acumen essential to excellence.
As the founder and Artistic Director of Palm Studios Performing Arts College, Nate developed a one-person operation into a partnered Registered Training Organisation with over 650 enrolments including High School, Cert IV, Diploma, and private students. Some of his students include Joe Kalou, Sammi Constantine, Tori Forsyth, Mickey Halcrow & Lulu Quirk.
Nate has worked on over 40 Musicals as either director or producer including Parade, Spring Awakening, Little Shop Of Horrors, Blood Brothers & Fame along with creating a co-operative theatre company Barn Door.
Nate has strong industry networks as a performer. As one of Australia’s leading crossover artists, Nate has performed in professional operas, musicals, and corporate shows, appearing on the X Factor and television commercials, as well as in big ticket theatre productions such as Dead Man Walking (Capitol Theatre) and Disney’s The Lion King (promo tour); and leading seven study tours to New York.
EPISODE 5
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre buzz featuring Jordan Vassallo
Jordan is involved in many areas of the entertainment industry as a director, performer, master of ceremonies, producer, corporate performance coach and all-around theatre creative.
Studying at the Australian Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA), Jordan has been fortunate to work in musical theatre, with Packemin productions, and his own company BLOOM, as well as TV commercial’s, live entertainment and film. He is also a very charming and sought after Marriage Celebrant across Sydney and beyond.
EPISODE 6
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre from the director’s chair featuring Matthew Barclay
Matthew Barclay is currently the Artistic Advisor for The Arts team, and comes to us with a wealth of experience, in directing and choreography both nationally and internationally. He also specialises in the training and mentoring of emerging artists – reflecting on his own journey in the Creative Arts
Starting as a chorister he commenced his dance training at the VCA and the Australian Ballet School. Over the years he has worked on many and varied musicals, with his skills seeing him staging over forty productions with Opera Australia, his most recent being ‘Carmen’ touring regional Australia.
He has also directed opera productions in LA, Montréal, Beijing, Hanoi, and will soon be directing a production of Madame Butterfly, in Taiwan.
Matt’s work is fresh and engaging, introducing traditional opera audiences to the Avant Garde world of puppetry masks and dialogue, whilst being influenced by choreographers he has had the pleasure of working with – including Graeme Murphy and Meryl Tankard to name a few.
He is the Director of SCS Archdiocesan 2022 production “School of Rock.”
EPISODE 7
SPOTLIGHT ON: Musical Theatre featuring Anne-Marie McAdams
Anne-Marie has been performing in theatre for most of her life. From school and university plays and musicals, to community musical theatre in her early twenties and beyond. She has performed for a range of Musical Societies including the Regals, Miranda, Rockdale, Hurstville, Engadine and Bankstown and for Rockdale Guild Theatre. She has played a variety of leading and supporting roles with some of her favourites being Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls”, Fastrada in “Pippin’, Annie in “Annie Get Your Gun” and Charity in “Sweet Charity’.
Anne-Marie has also been involved in other important musical theatre roles working backstage, front of house, proofreading, prompting, lighting cues and all tasks in theatrical performances as part of a community theatre team.
While living in Gibraltar Anne-Marie was awarded ‘Best Actress in a drama or musical’ in the British Forces Posted Overseas 1992 theatre awards.
As a performing arts teacher in Sydney Catholic Schools, Anne-Marie has loved being involved in directing and producing many concerts, plays, choir performances and musicals including major Archdiocesan productions.
EPISODE 8
SPOTLIGHT ON: Building Community featuring Rosemary Andre and Leonie Burfield
Rosemary Andre is principal of the school communities at Pagewood and Matraville, Our Lady of the Annunciation (OLA) Catholic Primary School and St Agnes’ Catholic Primary School.Rose’s philosophy is that every Primary school child should have the opportunity to be part of a musical at least once in their Primary school years and aims to ensure that her school communities put on a musical every second year.
She has been involved in many CASPA Archdiocesan Festivals on the logistics team. Musicals such as Entertaining Angels and Tell Me A Story to name a few. She has also coordinated many musicals written and performed within schools as well as musicals such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the Lion King.
Leonie Burfield is principal at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Sutherland. Leonie has been a pioneer of the school musical, self devised productions at school, as well as known musicals such as Seussical, Aladdin and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat. Leonie’s school communities have been involved in many CaSPA programs including Let’s Dance and Dance Works Schools Edition to name a few as well as part of the Logistic team for the Sydney Catholic Schools Archdiocesan Festivals