Explore every episode of the podcast STAGES with Peter Eyers
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAGES Episode 527: STUART GREENE - A History of Sydney Theatres | 26 Oct 2024 | 01:30:00 | |
STAGES welcomes back passionate theatre historian Stuart Greene in an episode which details the life of some of the Sydney’s iconic theatre venues. It’s difficult to contemplate that the Sydney CBD once was home to approximately 28 theatres and movie houses - sacred temples in which audiences experienced an escape of the imagination through entertainments as diverse as vaudeville, musical theatre, burlesque, opera, cinema, circus, silver screen and legitimate plays. Disappointingly, many of these cherished venues have been demolished, making way for urban development and consequently losing much of a vibrant arts heritage. Sydney saw its first theatre in 1796. Only a handful stand today, all housing commercial fare. These theatres include The Capitol Theatre in Haymarket, The Theatre Royal on King street, The Enmore Theatre in Enmore, The State Theatre on Market street and our newest addition, The Lyric Theatre at Star City. Optimistic news arrives occasionally, with the recent acquisition and (hopefully) salvation of the Metro (Minerva) Theatre in Kings Cross, purchased by arts patron Gretel Packer. It’s a frustrating tale, but also one of fascination. Sacred arts spaces where the memory of them hovers like the theatrical ghosts that no doubt resided in them. Stuart is a font of knowledge, identify where and when these theatres stood. We must not ignore this history and ensure we retain all of the great theatres that presently stand proud on Sydney streets, The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| STAGES Episode 526: ARAX MANSOURIAN | 23 Oct 2024 | 00:58:07 | |
Arax Mansourian is one of the superstars of the Armenian Opera and classical music. She started her career in her native Armenia and continued in Australia with Opera Australia. Her beautiful voice and unique timbre, as well as her iconic beauty and regal stage presence, are unforgettable. Arax was born in Beirut, Lebanon in a family of survivors of the Armenian genocide. Her family moved to Armenia when Arax was still an infant. Growing up in Armenia, music was a very important part of her life and she knew early on that she wanted to sing. Arax studied at the Romanos Meliqyan College of Music and later graduated from the Yerevan State Komitas Conservatory, where she was the only performer of modern classical atonal music by young composers. During her studies she participated in festivals throughout Russia and The Soviet Union. After graduation, she started to sing at the Yerevan State Opera and became one of its biggest stars. Her repertoire encompasses more than 30 roles which include Verdi's- Aida, Leonora in La Forza del Destino, Desdemona in Othello, Elizabeth Valois in Don Carlos, Amelia in Simon Boccanegra, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Amelia in Un Ballo Di Maschera , Liu in Puccini's Turandot, Mimi in La Boheme, Tosca in Tosca , Santuzza in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, Nedda in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Isolde in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Elizabeth in Tannhäuser, Kundri in Parsifal, Katya in Janacek's Katya Kabanova, Kostelnichka in Janacek's Jenufa, Fata Morgana in Prokofiev's Love for Three Oranges, Anoush in Tigranian's Anoush and Shoushan in Tigranian's David Bek. Arax’s recordings of medieval Armenian chants are an important part of the treasure vault of Armenian music. In the1990's, during a liturgical festival, she toured 14 cities in France with an all male Armenian choir. She has had recitals throughout the world singing the music of European Masters, such as Schubert, Schuman, Mahler, Mozart, Fauré, Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Rachmaninoff while always including Armenian classics by Komitas, Kanachian, Berberian and her brother, composer Tigran Mansurian, in her repertoire. Arax is the first performer to sing many never before performed songs by Komitas, as well as his unfinished opera Anoush. After moving to Australia in the mid-nineties, she started her work with Opera Australia. Her first role with OA was of Liu in Turandot, followed by Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana in Melbourne (OA), Sydney Opera House (OA) and Brisbane for Opera Queensland. She also performed Tosca in Tosca (Opera Queensland), Desdemona in Othello (Opera Australia), Elisabeth de Valois in Don Carlos, Katya in Katya Kabanova (OA Sydney), and Fata Morgana in Love for Three Oranges (OA Sydney). Arax Mansourian has appeared in concerts with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, "Beethoven's Ninth Symphony" at the Sydney Opera Concert Hall, Verdi "Requiem", Britten's "War Requiem", a series of concerts singing Hildegard von Bingen music, ABC "Swoon Concert" with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, John Haddock's "See My Children Fly" which the author wrote with Arax Mansourian in mind. As well as singing in Australia , Arax Mansourian has performed concerts in the USA, China, Egypt, Lebanon , Armenia and Japan. In 2015 she was awarded with the First Degree Medal of Armenia. In 2010 Arax was Awarded with the Medal of Komitas by the Ministry Of the Diaspora. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| STAGES Episode 517: WEST END REPORT - SIMON PARRIS & IAN PHIPPS | 04 Sep 2024 | 01:01:41 | |
Two of STAGES favourite Arts workers have recently returned from pilgrimages to London …. and have inhaled the smorgasbord of musical and play offerings playing on West End stages. Publicist Ian Phipps and ‘Man-in-Chair’; Simon Parris, return to the STAGES podcast to share what they saw .. what they liked, what they didn’t …. and perhaps even to boast a little. They provide first-hand insight of what we could expect, if finding ourselves in the Savoy, Dominion, National, Donmar, Old Vic or Barbican theatres over the coming months. Simon Parris is a theatre reviewer based in Melbourne. His review blog ‘Man in Chair’ regularly reviews musicals, plays, opera and the arts. Access to these reviews can be found at simonparrismaninchair.com Ian Phipps is one of Australia’s leading publicists, promoting theatre and its stars around Australia. If you know that a show is happening, no doubt it’s because Ian has communicated this to you via a myriad of masterful means. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| ‘An Actor’s Life for Me!’ - Actor; Steven Tandy | 23 Aug 2023 | 00:51:16 | |
After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1971, Steven Tandy landed the role of Tom Sullivan in the iconic Australian television series The Sullivans. Subsequently, he has carved a career in a succession of film and stage roles. He returned to NIDA in 1995 to study directing. | |||
| ‘It’s Time!’ - Actor & Writer; Blake Erickson | 19 Aug 2023 | 00:59:31 | |
Blake Erickson has worked throughout Australia, Asia, Britain, and the United States as a writer, actor, and singer. He studied drama and musical theatre at the University of Sydney and The Actor’s Connection New York. Previous to this, he studied Political Science and International Relations. He is the co-writer of the new Australian musical The Dismissal: An Extremely Serious Musical Comedy. Other writing credits include Pearls Before Swine and Hold Me Closer Logies Dancer (Gooding Productions, Hayes Theatre) Acting credits include Shrek (GFO), the international tour of Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables (Michael Cassel Group), Mamma Mia! (Packemin Productions), CRY-BABY, High Fidelity, Melba, and his acclaimed cabaret Hold Me Closer Logies Dancer (Hayes Theatre Co.); the Australia & New Zealand tour of Madiba, Of Thee I Sing at the Sydney Opera House; Grey Gardens, Title of Show, Forbidden Broadway, and Sondheim on Sondheim (Squabbalogic). Blake is presently on stage in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Theatre Royal, Sydney. The Dismissal: An Extremely Serious Musical Comedy plays The Seymour Centre, Sydney from August 26th. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘Warm Face, Warm Hands, Warm Feet’ - Leading Lady; Anna O’Byrne | 17 Aug 2023 | 01:00:14 | |
Anna O’Byrne has established an international career spanning opera, theatre, concert and film. Well known for her performance as Eliza Doolittle in Opera Australia’s My Fair Lady, Anna received the 2017 Helpmann Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber cast Anna as Christine Daaé in Love Never Dies, his sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. Anna made her West End debut as Christine in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London. Subsequent West End credits include The Woman in White, Strangers on a Train, Kings of Broadway, and A Little Night Music. Anna debuted with English National Opera in Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, starring Emma Thompson. She recently completed the Australian Tour of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap and touring with her one-woman show Becoming Eliza. The show reflects on her unique experience and shares stories about working intimately with internationally adored icon Julie Andrews. Anna takes the show to Melbourne for a very special performance on August 26th. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘Tim Time’ -Actor, Director, Playwright; Tim McGarry | 09 Aug 2023 | 00:53:18 | |
Passionate about interrogating, developing and devising new Australian work, Tim trained at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and works as a writer, director, dramaturge and a devising theatre maker. Tim is currently a commissioned writer for Riverside Theatres, Parramatta and The Art House Wyong to create a write a new play based on Colleen McCullough’s award-winning novel Tim due to hit the stage in 2023. Most recently Tim saw his 2019 commission by Queensland Theatre to create a theatre script based on Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe come to life with a sold out production which premiered at the 2021 Brisbane Festival. In 2019 he was also commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) to write and direct a new work based on Margaret Wild’s There’s a Sea in My Bedroom which is due to hit the stage in July 2022. In 2018 Tim stepped in as interim Director on Caleb Lewis’s Maggie Stone for the Eternity Playhouse, and wrote and directed Music for the Dreaming, a collaboration between ABC Classic FM and Sydney Opera House Presents. Tim also directed the ABC Classic FM/SOH Sounds like Australia earlier in 2018. He devised a new work for the SSO with Simon Tedeschi Who Needs A Conductor Anyway which premiered in March 2018. Tim was engaged by CDP to translate and write additional content for the Australasian version of Spot the Dog, set to tour nationally in 2019. Between 2005-2017 Tim was a Creative Director and Producer at Monkey Baa Theatre Company, one of Australia’s largest touring companies for young audiences, where he co-wrote and produced nearly 20 new Australian works, including the critically acclaimed Goodbye Jamie Boyd, award winning Jackie French’s Hitler’s Daughter and Sonya Hartnett’s Thursday’s Child. Tim directed multi award winning The Peasant Prince – The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer, which toured 36 theatres nationally. He assistant directed on Tim Winton’s The Bugalugs Bum Thief and was the remount Director on The Unknown Soldier, a new Australian play written by Sandra Eldridge. In 2017 he worked as dramaturgical consultant on Randa Abdel Fattah’s Where the Streets Had a Name. In 2013 Tim was engaged by CDP Producers to write and direct several works for the Sydney Opera House Baby Proms Program including Swing Baby Swing featuring Wayne Scott Kermond and The Nutcracker (co directed with choreographer Adrian Burnett). He co-devised The Pirate Ship (script) for Urban Myth Theatre Company SA, A More Fortunate Life for Theatre Ink and EscapAIDS for the One Night Stand Theatre Company, a work which targeted both young people at risk and the WA prison population about HIV AIDS. He is devised a new work for the SSO Education with Simon Tedeschi called Who Needs A Conductor Anyway , which premiered in 2018. | |||
| ‘Good Guys & Bad Guys’- Actor; Damon Herriman | 05 Aug 2023 | 01:14:34 | |
Damon Herriman was born in Adelaide and has been acting since the age of eight. His extensive credits are a testament to his versatility and standing. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. | |||
| ‘Everything About it is Appealing’ - Actor, Designer, Director; Doug Kingsman | 02 Aug 2023 | 01:00:03 | |
Doug Kingsman now retired (or resting), has navigated an exciting career as a theatre actor, designer and director. Following a lengthy stint in showbiz, he subsequently carved a career as an Interior designer for 25 years on the Gold Coast, Queensland. | |||
| STAGES Episode 516: SILVIE PALADINO | 30 Aug 2024 | 00:53:03 | |
Silvie Paladino has established herself as one of Australia’s most versatile and talented entertainers. Her first theatrical role was Eponine in the Australasian tour of Les Misérables. She was then invited to perform the same role on the West End in the London production. In 1997, Silvie returned to London and performed the role of Fantine in Les Misérables for a successful two-year season. Silvie’s other Australasian credits include the role of Jeannie in Hair, Grizabella in the Australian and Asian tour of Cats, Ellen in Cameron Mackintosh’s Australian premiere of Miss Saigon, Donna in the smash hit Mamma Mia!, Rita in the world premiere of Sideshow Alley, Lady Thiang in The King And I, Florence in Chess (Green Room Award and Helpmann nomination), Clara in Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, Helen Bechdel in MTC’s Fun Home and the Fairy Godmother, in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. She has performed as guest solo artist with Australia’s leading orchestras and has also toured with Patrizio Buanne and Michael Bolton. She has had the honour of performing with celebrated theatre composers Stephen Schwartz and Stephen Sondheim. Silvie is also well known to Australian audiences through her performances at special events including the AFL Grand Final, NRL Grand Final, The Boxing Day Cricket Test, The Asia Pacific Special Olympics, The Olympic Dinner in Beijing, A Night with Roger Federer and Friends – and regular television appearances including Carols by Candlelight. Her recordings include Silvie Paladino Sings Streisand (a live recording of her one-woman show for which she was nominated for a Green Room Award), Silvie Paladino – Christmas List, On My Own, When You Believe, O Holy Night and I Give You My Heart with the Salvation Army Band. Silvie is currently playing the role of Norma Desmond at select performances in Opera Australia’s production of Sunset Boulevard. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| ‘Baubles, Bangles and Beads’ - Stage Legend; Sheila Bradley | 29 Jul 2023 | 00:56:04 | |
Sheila Bradley is one of the country's most experienced and best-loved music theatre stars, with a career that has spanned 70 years working all over the world. Born in Essex, U.K., Sheila was brought to Australia in the 1950s by J.C. Williamson's to play the lead in Grab Me a Gondola. She had an established career as a lead singer with the George Mitchell Singers and playing Lalume in Kismet opposite Alfred Drake in the West End. Sheila quickly decided on Australia as home, and so begun a litany of leading roles in plays and musical theatre around the country. Sheila was the nation’s original Nancy in Oliver, playing opposite Johnny Lockwood as Fagin. Celebrated turns include Princess Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, Sharon Mclonegran in Finian’s Rainbow, Vera Charles in Mame, and Mrs Peachum in The Threepenny Opera. Performances in revue at the Phillip Street theatre, alongside colleagues Gordon Chater, Johnny Ladd and June Salter, confirmed her position as a fine comedienne with a dynamic voice. Her indelible presence made it’s mark in productions right up to the early 2000s with performances of The Wizard of Oz, Nunsense 2, Crazy For You, Jolson, Hello Dolly!, Follies in Concert, Me and My Girl, My Fair Lady, The Pirates of Penzance, and in pantomime and theatre restaurant. Sheila is one of Australia’s much loved and enduring performers. She recently celebrated her 90th birthday and retains the energy, humour and passion that made her a star several decades ago. It was indeed a tremendous privilege to share a couple of hours with the wonderful Sheila Bradley. | |||
| ‘Ding Dong the Bells are Gonna Chime!’ - Actor and Television Pioneer; Denise Drysdale | 28 Jul 2023 | 01:00:30 | |
Denise Drysdale began her career at GTV-9 when she was 10 years old, performing in the Tarax Happy Show. She has worked in and around television ever since, providing a host of magical moments through the live medium. The longevity and brilliance of her career in television confirms she is one of the best and few have replicated her golden talent. | |||
| ‘The World Must be Bigger Than An Avenue’ - Entertainment Legend; Julie Anthony | 27 Jul 2023 | 01:34:04 | |
Julie Moncrieff Anthony (nee Lush) was born on a farm at Galga, South Australia. The population of the location was 15 and by necessity cultivated a vivid imagination in young Julie and a talent to amuse. She began singing in her teens with a local band, an engagement instigated by her enthusiastic father. In 1970 Julie won an amateur television talent quest which led to regular appearances on Ernie Sigley’s Adelaide Tonight. She moved to Sydney, making television appearances and performing on the club and cabaret circuit, eventually extending her music-making to international tours. An engagement at the Hong Kong Hilton in 1973 was followed by lead role in the Australian production of the musical Irene. Julie was keen to diversify her talents, so without any acting credits presented herself to J.C. Williamson’s to extend her performance repertoire. Guided by the legendary Betty Pounder, Julie Anthony became Irene O’Dare and three years after the Australian production, she starred in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre. The Play and Players of London honoured her with the Best Newcomer for 1976. She returned to Australian television and appeared in three national specials. Julie won the Sammy and Penguin awards for Best Television Variety Performer. Tours of America followed and Julie Anthony worked with Bill Cosby, Roy Clarke and Merv Griffin. Julie played Maria in The Sound Of Music in 1983 for JCW. For the 1988 World Expo in Brisbane, Anthony was invited to sing with the renewed Seekers, joining the group as lead singer from 1988-89. The same year she returned to the stage in I Do!, I Do!. In 1990, she was awarded AM in the Order of Australia for services to the entertainment industry. Anthony teamed with jazz musician Don Burrows in 1994 for tours, including the Jazz and Blues Festival at the Gold Coast International Hotel in 1995. A year later she returned to cabaret with a season at the Tilbury Hotel in Sydney. Julie Anthony’s voice is known to millions for singing the national anthem live at various formal events and in recorded versions that have included the broadcast closing time of ABC television, Australian Football League finals, the opening of Australia’s new Parliament House and the opening of the Sydney Olympics. Her theatrical ventures continued in productions of Spamalot as The Lady of the Lake and The Mikado as Katisha. She starred in a biographical musical at the Sydney Theatre Company, titled Lush! And for several decades performed with Simon Gallaher in live concerts and on television, proving they had a remarkable vocal blend. Their hit series of concerts titled Together At Last produced an album which was recorded live in concert. This album was in addition to Julie’s extensive recording output of some 15 albums and various singles. Julie Anthony has won Australia’s prestigious Mo Award for entertainer of the year three times and best female variety performer nine times. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘Minuscule Musical’ - Performer, Podcast Producer & Musical Purveyor; Simon Hall | 26 Jul 2023 | 00:55:21 | |
imon Hall (Yon) is best known for his work in comedy band Tripod. His solo projects include Second Wedding Singer, commissioned by the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the Green-Room award-winning Mandaddy: Songs of Love and Love. More recently, Yon has also written songs for Dragon Lady starring Fiona Choi, Musical Fictions for the Sydney Writers’ Festival and for upcoming video game musical, Stray Gods. As part of Tripod, Yon has performed on stage in the Edinburgh Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival as well as with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Tripod have made countless TV appearances, including Just for Laughs Montreal, the Melbourne Comedy Festival Gala, (Network Ten and ABCTV), Skithouse (Network Ten) and The Sideshow (ABCTV). Tripod have written songs for Monster Beach (Cartoon Network) and the video game Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (Ubisoft). | |||
| ‘Curtain Up!’ - Arts Educationalist, Administrator, Researcher & Practitioner; Dr Peter Cooke | 22 Jul 2023 | 01:12:53 | |
Peter Cooke, AM PhD, is an internationally recognised performing arts educationalist, administrator, researcher and practitioner. Born in Brisbane, Australia and educated in Kuala Lumpur, Canberra, Southport and Sydney, Peter was the first graduate of the Theatre Design Course at Australia’s premiere theater school, the National Institute of Dramatic Art [NIDA] in Sydney, Australia. He earned his PhD at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Peter was appointed Professor and Head of Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama in January 2009. He was subsequently appointed a University Professor in 2019. Peter stepped down as Head of School in September 2020, after 12 years in the position. Prior to his appointment he was Deputy Director and Head of Design at NIDA, a role he held for twenty-two years. Peter is a member of the NIDA Foundation Trust and of the governing NIDA Company. Peter has taught and lectured extensively throughout Southeast Asia – including leading design master classes and designing productions at the National School of Drama in New Delhi, India, where he has been a visiting professor for the past 16 years. Over three decades Peter has designed some one hundred and fifty productions across the disciplines of drama, opera, dance, puppetry, music-theatre, television, casinos and large-scale events. Peter’s Australian, Indian and American students have gone on to win numerous national and international accolades for their contributions to the arts, including, Helpmann and Green Room Awards [AU], and Tony Awards, Emmy Awards and Academy Awards [USA]. In 1990 Peter was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to audit theatre training pedagogy and practice in several leading drama schools across Europe and the USA. In 1996-97 he spent an academic year at the Yale School of Drama as a Special Research Fellow, auditing the Directing, Producing, Design and Playwriting Courses. He subsequently published a book about his time spent with Yale’s legendary design teacher, Professor Ming Cho Lee – ‘Yale School of Drama – Theatre Design Training’, Nairnpress 1999. In 1996 Peter led the design team responsible for the Handover Ceremony at the Closing Ceremony of the Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. His inclusion of Australian student designers in the Atlanta team led to many being commissioned to design the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Sydney Summer Olympic Games in 2000. Peter completed his PhD at the University of New South Wales in 2002 – researching the notion of ‘Australianness’ in the output of the London based and Tasmanian born theatre designer, Loudon Sainthill, 1919-1969. Peter co-presented the ‘Excellence in Theatre Education Award at the 2015, 2016 and 2017 CBS Tony Awards ceremonies in New York City.
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| ‘A Song For Somebody’ - Virtuosic Vocalist and Showbiz Shapeshifter; Bernadette Robinson | 19 Jul 2023 | 00:35:59 | |
Bernadette Robinson’s acclaimed performances in multiple sell-out seasons of the one-woman musical plays Songs For Nobodies and Pennsylvania Avenue have confirmed her standing as one of Australia’s leading singer/actresses. | |||
| ‘A Summer Song’ - Artistic & Theatre Director; Lindy Hume | 15 Jul 2023 | 00:55:06 | |
Lindy Hume, AM, is one of Australia’s leading directors, acknowledged internationally for fresh interpretations of a wide variety of repertoire, and for progressive artistic leadership of a number of Australian arts organisations, including Opera Queensland (2012-2017), Sydney Festival (2010-2012) and Perth International Arts Festival (2004-2007). She was also the first Artistic Director of West Australian Opera (1992-96), Artistic Director of Victoria State Opera and then OzOpera (1996-2001). Lindy has most recently been Creative Director of the Four Winds Easter Festival, Bermagui and is currently Artistic Director of the 10 Days on the Island Festival, Tasmania 2019-2023. In 2021 Lindy Hume was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts, particularly to opera. After a hugely successful year in 2021, during which Lindy directed The Marriage of Figaro for New Zealand Opera, Madama Butterfly for Welsh National Opera and The Barber of Seville for State Opera South Australia, 2022 saw her continuing in her roles as Creative Director of the Four Winds Easter Festival and Artistic Director of the 10 Days on the Island Festival, Tasmania as well as developing a new staged presentation of Schubert’s Die Winterreise for Musica Viva’s national tour of the work with Alan Clayton, which was also seen at the Barbican, in London. Lindy’s production of Rigoletto was also presented by Opera Philadelphia. As a director, Lindy has created more than 50 major productions across Australasia including Carmen, Don Giovanni, Fledermaus, La Périchole and Les pêcheurs de perles (Opera Australia), Orlando, Trouble in Tahiti and The Barber of Seville (OzOpera), Alcina and Orpheus in the Underworld (West Australian Opera), Carmina Burana (State Opera of South Australia/The Australian Ballet), Idomeneo (Pinchgut Opera), Rigoletto and Lucia di Lammermoor (NBR New Zealand Opera). European productions include La bohème (Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin, which was telecast live throughout Europe), Tolomeo (Musiektheater Transparant in Belgium), Radamisto (Handel Festspiele and Opernhaus Halle), A Streetcar Named Desire and Norma (Opera Theatre St Gallen in Switzerland), Così fan tutte (Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London), and Albert Herring and Phaedra (Aldeburgh Festival in the UK). She made her American debut in 2004 directing The Barber of Seville for Houston Grand Opera, returning in 2009 and 2013 to direct Rigoletto and Die Fledermaus respectively. Her production of “Cenerentola” was produced by NBR New Zealand Opera in 2015 and presented by Oper Leipzig and in San Diego in 2016. Lindy is recognised as a champion of new Australian work across a range of genres. As Artistic Director of OzOpera, she commissioned the MDTV project, award-winning screen operas with ABC TV, and major Australian works including Paul Grabowsky’s Love in the Age of Therapy and Richard Mills’ Batavia (with Opera Australia and the Melbourne Centenary of Federation Festival). In 2007, she commissioned and directed the world première of Richard Mills/Timberlake Wertenbaker’s opera The Love of the Nightingale. New Australian work, a focus on contemporary Indigenous culture, the development of a distinctive regional identity and celebration of local communities have been fortes of her tenure as Artistic Director of the Perth International Arts Festival 2004-2007 and as Festival Director of the 2010-2012 Sydney Festival. Lindy has just directed a new production of Mozart’s Idomeneo, in a co-production between Victorian Opera and Opera Australia. The production has just finished a season at the Palais theatre in Melbourne and will be seen in Sydney from February 20th to March 15th in 2024. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. | |||
| ‘Chanson’ - Conductor & Opera Australia Chorus Master; Paul Fitzsimon | 12 Jul 2023 | 00:52:06 | |
Australian conductor Paul Fitzsimon has been Chorus Master at Opera Australia since 2019, and has worked as repetituer and conductor with the company since 2012, most recently conducting performances of La Boheme and Don Giovanni at the Sydney Opera House. He was Assistant Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 2008/09 and has conducted most of the symphony orchestras in Australia, and in Europe has conducted the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris, and the Hamburg Ballet at the Baden Baden Festival. Highlights in recent years include conducting the national tours of The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute, and Madama Butterfly for Opera Australia, Dvorak’s Symphony no. 7 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, as well as a new production of Brian Howard’s Metamorphosis for Opera Australia in 2018. Paul majored in piano performance at The University of Melbourne and later completed his orchestral conducting studies at the Universität der Künste in Berlin and through the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program. He was the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award for Emerging Conductors in 2008. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘Oh, You Beautiful Doll!’ - Operatic Soprano; Jessica Pratt | 08 Jul 2023 | 01:16:03 | |
Hailed by the New York Times as a soprano of “gleaming sound, free and easy high notes, agile coloratura runs and lyrical grace,” Jessica Pratt is considered one of today’s foremost interpreters of some of bel canto’s most challenging repertoire. | |||
| ‘Here’s a Howdy Do!’ - Opera, Theatre & Cabaret Performer; Kanen Breen | 24 Jun 2023 | 01:04:12 | |
Kanen Breen is one of Australia’s most sought-after operatic tenors and a renowned concert and cabaret artist. He made his international debut, in 2003, in the role of Rodolfo, in Baz Luhrman’s Broadway production of LA BOHEME in New York. He has been a principal artist for OPERA AUSTRALIA over many years singing an extensive range of roles including Camille in THE MERRY WIDOW , Nanki Poo in THE MIKADO, Truffaldino in THE LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES, Florville in IL SIGNOR BRUSCHINO, Alfred in DIE FLEDERMAUS, Monostatos in THE MAGIC FLUTE and Ralph Rackstraw in HMS PINAFORE, Sellem in THE RAKE’S PROGRESS, Marco Palmieri in THE GONDOLIERS, Dr. Caius and Bardolf in FALSTAFF, Pong in TURANDOT, Andres/Cochenille/Pittinaccio/Frantz/Nathanael in THE TALES OF HOFFMANN, Pirelli in SWEENEY TODD, Almaviva in THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, Rinuccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI, Nadir in The Pearlfishers, The Duke and Borsa in RIGOLETTO, Almaviva in THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, Count Albert in DIE TOTE STADT, the title role in ALBERT HERRING and Rev. Horace Evans in PETER GRIMES, the Sorcerer in DIDO & AENEAS and Damon in ACIS & GALATEA, Dr. Blind in DIE FLEDERMAUS, Guillot in MANON, Ramiro in LA CENERENTOLA, Count Elemer in ARABELLA, Pliable and Lord Lechery in THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS, Arturo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Squeak in BILLY BUDD, Vitek in THE MAKROPULOS AFFAIR and Johnny in the company’s world premiere seasons of BLISS at the EDINBURGH FESTIVAL. His performances of Emilio in Handel’s PARTENOPE were awarded a HELPMANN AWARD. For the STATE OPERA OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA his roles include Peter Quint in A TURN OF THE SCREW and Dr. Studz in HOW TO KILL YOUR HUSBAND. And for WEST AUSTRALIAN OPERA he appears as Cassio in OTELLO during 2023. He was first engaged by VICTORIAN OPERA for its premiere season of THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS and has since appeared as The Beadle in SWEENEY TODD, Uncle Ernie in THE WHO’S TOMMY and the premiere season of Richard Mills’ ‘TIS PITY with Meow Meow. For OPERA NEW ZEALAND he has appeared as the Governor/Vanderdendur/Ragotski in CANDIDE. Breen is also regularly engaged by PINCHGUT OPERA, in 2021 appearing in the title role of Rameau’s PLATÉE. His past appearances including Erice in Cavalli’s, L’ORMINDO and Arnalta/Nutrice/Famigliari in Monteverdi’s THE CORONATION OF POPPEA. Other engagements have included the MELBOURNE FESTIVAL‘s production of Jonathan Mills’ THE GHOSTWIFE, performances which he repeated at the Adelaide and Sydney festivals and in London at the BARBICAN’s BITE02 festival, The Witch Of Endor in the ADELAIDE FESTIVAL‘s season of the GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL OPERA production of Handel’s SAUL, his performances receiving a HELPMANN AWARD and the role of Wilhelm in Tom Wait’s THE BLACK RIDER. And on the musical theatre stage, he joined the cast of the GORDON FROST ORGANISATION‘s Australian production of CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. 2023 includes the role of Dr Treves in THE MARVELLOUS ELEPHANT MAN in Melbourne. His recent concert engagements include CARMINA BURANA with the MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and the SYDNEY PHILHARMONIA CHOIR. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| STAGES Episode 515: ANTON BEREZIN | 28 Aug 2024 | 00:52:54 | |
After originally studying double degrees in Law and Arts (Politics and Economics) at Monash University, Anton Berezin found success as an Actor, Producer, Writer and Director. He established his first Production Company in 1994. He is known for his roles in commercial musical theatre productions for over 30 years, in celebrated productions such as The Phantom of the Opera, The Bridges of Madison County, Evita, Sweeney Todd, Wicked, The Producers, Cabaret, Fiddler of the Roof and Cats. Anton was co-founder of Australasia's leader in live family entertainment; from humble beginnings, Life Like Touring and The Entertainment Store grew to become the third ranked (by sales volume) businesses of their kind globally. Anton's businesses were acquired by Australian entertainment behemoth, TEG, in 2016, with Anton staying on as Managing Director until October 2019. The independent production company, Monstrous Theatre, is Anton’s next commercial venture, a production house he established with his wife and creative force, Theresa Borg. Monstrous Theatre presents opera, musicals and plays, with coming attractions that include bold productions of You’re the Man at La Mama in Melbourne, Yentl at the Sydney Opera House and Anne Being Frank across the USA. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| ‘If The Shoe Fits’ - Musical Theatre Composer and Storyteller; Anthony Costanzo | 21 Jun 2023 | 00:46:02 | |
Anthony Costanzo's career as a performer spans more than 20 years. His theatre credits: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Mack & Mabel, The Music Of Andrew Lloyd Webber – Masterpiece, Pinocchio, Hair, The Witches Of Eastwick, CATS – World tour – Asian Tour, We Will Rock You, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seriously – The Petshop Boys Reinterpreted, Wicked – Australian tour Strange Bedfellows and Chess. Anthony studied at Monash University, majoring in Classical Piano and Musical Theatre. In 1995 he won The International Year of Tolerance song writing competition and the ASA National Songwriting Contest in 1998, 2000, 2003. In 2002 Anthony was commissioned to compose additional songs for the Australian Production of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. He has collaborated twice with Mary Anne McCormack, writing John & Sarah, which was short-listed for the Pratt Prize and on BOXED-IN which was produced by the VCA. Anthony also collaborated with Peter Fitzpatrick on Life’s a Circus, which was short-listed twice for the Pratt Prize, nominated for three Green Room awards including Best New Australian Musical, featured in the Short, Sweet & Song Festival and the 2008 OzMade Musicals. In 2015 Anthony and Peter wrote and produced Crossroads. Anthony is currently writing a personal project titled One Way Ticket and is one of the creative writing team for Midnight – The Cinderella Story, set to premiere in Melbourne in June. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘Don’t Dream It, Be It’ - Performer, Choreographer, Creative; Nathan M. Wright | 17 Jun 2023 | 00:51:17 | |
With nearly 30 years’ experience and nominations for his work as both a performer and choreographer, Nathan is a driving force in the performance industry. After 14 successful years as a performer, Nathan began his transition into choreography and direction in 2006. He has since made a name for himself as a highly acclaimed and sought-after Artistic Director and Choreographer with an impressive portfolio that highlights the scope of his skill-set. | |||
| ‘Where Painted Trees and Flowers Grow’ - Theatre Connoisseur; Stuart Greene | 14 Jun 2023 | 01:07:22 | |
Stuart Green has been a fixture around theatre foyers for over 5 decades - as the genial bar manager who attends to your cocktail pre-show and at interval …. or sometimes even post-show if the theatre allows (a disappearing culture). | |||
| ‘Life is a Cabaret, Old Chum!’ - Living Legend, Industry Pioneer, and Provocateur; Robyn Archer | 11 Jun 2023 | 01:04:37 | |
Robyn Archer AO FAHA is a singer, writer, artistic director and public advocate for the arts. Winner of the Helpmann Award for Best Cabaret Performer 2013 and named Cabaret Icon at the 2016 Adelaide Cabaret Festival, she currently performs highly acclaimed recitals of French (Que Reste-t’Il) , German (Dancing on the Volcano) and American (The Other Great American Songbook) song, wrote and directed The Sound of Falling Stars (2017/18) and released her album Classic Cabaret Rarities in 2019. In July 2022 Robyn premiered Robyn Archer: an Australian Songbook with a two-week season for Queensland Theatre. Working with long term accordionist George Butrumlis, actor and guitarist Cameron Goodall and pianist Enio Pozzebon the show was an audience and critical success and will tour in 2023. Robyn is recognised internationally for her expertise in the repertoire of the Weimar Republic (Brecht and his musical collaborators and others from 1920s and 30s Germany) which she has been performing through Australia and worldwide since the 1970s, including at the National Theatre, London in 1977, in Hong Kong, Honolulu, and at the Brecht Festival in Augsburg. Her many other stage successes include The Seven Deadly Sins which opened the Space in 1974, and one-woman shows A Star is Torn (through Australia and at Wyndham’s in London’s West End for a year) and Tonight Lola Blau both at the Adelaide Festival Centre. She has written and had produced, plays including Il Magnifico, Poor Joanna (with poet Judith Rodriguez), and Architektin; plays with music including Songs from Sideshow Alley, Café Fledermaus and The Bridge; and devised cabarets featuring her own songs and writing such as The Pack of Women, Scandals and Cut and Thrust. Robyn has published numerous books from The Robyn Archer Songbook to Mrs Bottle’s Burp and Detritus (a collection of her public speeches) as well as writing for the Griffith Review and the Australian Book Review. Among her many awards, including the ABR Laureate, the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Cultural Leadership Award, the SA Premier’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Society for Performing Arts’ International Achievement Award and an ARIA Award for Best Soundtrack (The Pack of Women), the 2018 Adelaide Festival of Ideas Dedication recognised Robyn for her contribution to the world of ideas and public life. In the same year she also received the JC Williamson Centenary Lifetime Achievement Award. Robyn is an Officer of the Order of Australia, Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France), Officer of the Crown (Belgium), Honorary Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities and has Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Sydney and Adelaide as well as Flinders, Canberra and Griffith Universities and the University of South Australia. Robyn Archer - An Australian Songbook - commences a National Tour - kicking off in Melbourne tonight playing …. | |||
| ‘King of the World’ - Dancer - Shaun Parker Dance Company; Joel Fenton | 10 Jun 2023 | 00:42:30 | |
Joel Fenton is a contemporary dance theatre artist. Born in Tasmania, he completed a Master of Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2017 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance) at Queensland University of Technology in 2010. His masters explored the process of creating and crafting contemporary dance theatre through his SITCOMS task based improvisation practice. | |||
| TONY Episode - ‘Folks, It’s Funny Girl, Fiddler and Dolly Combined’ - Satirist and Broadcaster; Mark Humphries | 07 Jun 2023 | 01:02:57 | |
It’s TONY time once again - the annual celebration of the Broadway community via their awards ceremony - The Tony’s - named after Antoinette Perry, an actress, producer and theatre director who was co-founder and secretary of the American Theatre Wing | |||
| ‘I have played in my time, every possible part …’ - Esteemed Actor; Peter Carroll Pt2 | 06 Jun 2023 | 00:55:33 | |
Peter Carroll’s distinguished career has spanned over 100 productions and 50 years. He continues to work in musical theatre, new Australian texts, and global classics. He has worked with the major theatre companies and commercial managements in Australia including, MTC, QTC, STC, STCSA, Belvoir, Bell Shakespeare, and Opera Australia. Peter began his career as a teacher (English, History and Drama) while gaining experiences in theatre work. In 1968 he went to London to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama where he topped the course. He returned to Sydney in 1970 and for three years headed the Voice and Speech department at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. During this time, he produced many plays for the students and kept up his acting work with guest appearances. At the end of 1973 Peter decided to attempt a full-time acting career and his work since then has more than vindicated his choice. He was a founding member in the 1970’s of the Nimrod Theatre Company, performing up to seven or eight major roles a year, ranging from Shakespeare and Restoration comedy to contemporary Australian drama. He has acted for the Sydney Theatre Company from its beginnings at the Sydney Opera House. Some of his early performances were as Benedick in John Bell’s hilarious production of Much Ado About Nothing, the dual roles of Hotspur and Pistol in Richard Wherrett’s production of Henry IV, Jesus in a Perth Festival production of The Mystery Plays of Wakefield and Thomas à Becket in a Perth Festival production of Murder in the Cathedral. As one of Australia’s most admired and popular stage actors, he is particularly well remembered for his beautifully studied role of the Catholic priest in Ron Blair’s one-character play, The Christian Brothers, which was performed to acclaim from leading critics and audiences in all Australian capitals, numerous country centres, NZ and Riverside studios in London. In a vast career some standout performances include, Money and Friends, The Cherry Orchard, The Blind Giant is Dancing, A Hard God, Happy Days and Night on Bald Mountain. His repertoire is extensive. His casting in the role of Juan Peron, in the musical Evita marked a return to the earliest days of his career when he sang Gilbert and Sullivan productions at Sydney University. A resume of iconic musical theatre roles have peppered his career - Sweeney Todd, Thenadier in Les Miserables, Gus the theatre cat in CATS, Bella Zangler in Crazy for You, Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar and The Narrator in Into the Woods. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘Climb Every Mountain’ - Esteemed Actor; Peter Carroll Pt1 | 05 Jun 2023 | 00:57:24 | |
Peter Carroll’s distinguished career has spanned over 100 productions and 50 years. He continues to work in musical theatre, new Australian texts, and global classics. He has worked with the major theatre companies and commercial managements in Australia including, MTC, QTC, STC, STCSA, Belvoir, Bell Shakespeare, and Opera Australia. Peter began his career as a teacher (English, History and Drama) while gaining experiences in theatre work. In 1968 he went to London to study at the Central School of Speech and Drama where he topped the course. He returned to Sydney in 1970 and for three years headed the Voice and Speech department at the National Institute of Dramatic Art. During this time, he produced many plays for the students and kept up his acting work with guest appearances. At the end of 1973 Peter decided to attempt a full-time acting career and his work since then has more than vindicated his choice. He was a founding member in the 1970’s of the Nimrod Theatre Company, performing up to seven or eight major roles a year, ranging from Shakespeare and Restoration comedy to contemporary Australian drama. He has acted for the Sydney Theatre Company from its beginnings at the Sydney Opera House. Some of his early performances were as Benedick in John Bell’s hilarious production of Much Ado About Nothing, the dual roles of Hotspur and Pistol in Richard Wherrett’s production of Henry IV, Jesus in a Perth Festival production of The Mystery Plays of Wakefield and Thomas à Becket in a Perth Festival production of Murder in the Cathedral. As one of Australia’s most admired and popular stage actors, he is particularly well remembered for his beautifully studied role of the Catholic priest in Ron Blair’s one-character play, The Christian Brothers, which was performed to acclaim from leading critics and audiences in all Australian capitals, numerous country centres, NZ and Riverside studios in London. In a vast career some standout performances include, Money and Friends, The Cherry Orchard, The Blind Giant is Dancing, A Hard God, Happy Days and Night on Bald Mountain. His repertoire is extensive. His casting in the role of Juan Peron, in the musical Evita marked a return to the earliest days of his career when he sang Gilbert and Sullivan productions at Sydney University. A resume of iconic musical theatre roles have peppered his career - Sweeney Todd, Thenadier in Les Miserables, Gus the theatre cat in CATS, Bella Zangler in Crazy for You, Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar and The Narrator in Into the Woods.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘… Drew Back The Curtain, To See For Certain’ - Stage & Screen Lyricist, Storyteller and Musical Theatre Titan; Sir Tim Rice | 03 Jun 2023 | 01:10:16 | |
From an early age Tim Rice was a pop music fanatic. He began his professional life as a trainee solicitor. While still an apprenticed clerk Tim approached the head of Arlington Books, Desmond Elliot, with the idea of writing a book about pop history. The idea didn't impress Elliot, but the fact that Tim was also a budding song-writer did. Elliot knew someone in need of a collaborator: a young man called Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wanted to be a composer. At Elliot's suggestion, Tim wrote to Andrew, and a meeting was quickly arranged. The two men hit it off immediately, and, owing to Andrew’s love of American musical theatre, began to try to write a musical rather than pop singles. And so this story begins. Tim Rice continued to work with Andrew Lloyd Webber, giving us visceral and intelligent musical theatre fare that includes Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. The pair also share the unique accolade of writing a song for Elvis Presley; “It’s Easy for You”. The song is also remarkable in that it is the last song on the last album released during Elvis' lifetime. Subsequent collaborations have been with fellow titans of the craft - Elton John, Alan Menken, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson creating popular theatrical fare that includes Chess, The Lion King, Aladdin and Aida. His output has been presented by the Disney Organisation, on Broadway, in The West End and for commercial stages around the globe. The popularity of his works with community and school theatres has ensured that at any time, somewhere in the world, a Tim Rice musical is being produced. This year in Australia alone we have seen commercial productions of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and Beauty & the Beast. Tim is the recipient of 3 Academy Awards, 4 Tonys, 5 Grammys and 1 Emmy - making him that ‘rare bird’ in the entertainment industry - one of only 17 artists to have garnered an EGOT. He was knighted by Elizabeth 2nd for services to music in 1994. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is an inductee to the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, a Disney Legend Recipient, a fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, and has his own Cricket team. | |||
| "Whatever you please, it's okay, even if it's impossible, we'll arrange it” - Actor, Director, Producer; John Diedrich Pt2 | 01 Jun 2023 | 00:42:13 | |
John Diedrich is one of the Australian theatre’s greatest and most versatile talents, having contributed to the industry across many platforms as actor, writer, director and producer. | |||
| STAGES Episode 514: BENJAMIN OSBORNE | 24 Aug 2024 | 01:05:57 | |
Originally from Melbourne Australia, Benjamin Osborne made his stage debut in the original production of The Boy from Oz. This was followed by appearing in Shout - The Legend of the Wild One and the original Australian company of Mamma Mia! During his time there, he assumed the role of Dance Captain for the Australian and Asian tours. Benjamin then took on the role of Dance Captain for the Australian production of Miss Saigon, where he later became the Resident Choreographer. He has since worked on the Korean, Dutch, Japanese, New York and U.K/European Tour productions as the Associate Choreographer. Benjamin’s other credits include the 10th Anniversary production of Mamma Mia!, the Australian and New Zealand tours of Jersey Boys, and the Australian productions of The Addams Family and Disney’s Aladdin, all as Resident Choreographer. Benjamin also choreographed the first Australian professional showings of both ‘Passion’ and ‘City of Angels’ for Lifelike Productions. Benjamin and is presently the Resident Director for the Australian tour of Beauty and the Beast, guiding the inhabitants of the enchanted castle and nurturing the tale as old as time. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). | |||
| ‘There’s a Bright, Golden Haze on the Meadow’ - Actor, Director, Producer; John Diedrich Pt1 | 31 May 2023 | 00:58:01 | |
John Diedrich is one of the Australian theatre’s greatest and most versatile talents, having contributed to the industry across many platforms as actor, writer, director and producer. | |||
| ‘Bonjour Amour’ - Actor; Natalie Mosco - Pt2 | 27 May 2023 | 00:55:03 | |
Welcome back to this companion episode of the STAGES podcast and our conversation with Natalie Mosco. | |||
| ‘The Circus is Coming’ - Actor; Natalie Mosco - Pt1 | 26 May 2023 | 00:45:15 | |
New York born, Natalie Mosco appeared on Australian stages over a three decade period in productions that included The Rocky Horror Show, Get Happy, The Conquest of Carmen Miranda, Company and Oscar’s Turn to Sing. | |||
| ‘Requiem, Recorders & Ralph!’ - Artistic & Music Director; Brett Weymark | 17 May 2023 | 00:46:45 | |
Brett Weymark is one of Australia’s foremost choral conductors. Since 2003 Brett Weymark has conducted the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs throughout Australia and internationally. He has also conducted the Sydney, Adelaide, Queensland, West Australian and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, Orchestra of the Antipodes, Sydney Youth Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic and productions for WAAPA, Pacific Opera and OzOpera. He has performed with Opera Australia, Pinchgut Opera, Australian Chamber Orchestra, The Song Company and Musica Viva. He studied singing and conducting at Sydney University and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and continued conducting studies with Simon Halsey, Vance George, Daniel Barenboim and Sir John Eliot Gardiner, amongst others. His performances have included Bach’s Passions and Christmas Oratorio, the requiems of Mozart, Verdi, Duruflé and Fauré and Orff’s Carmina Burana. He is champion of Australian composers and has premiered works by Matthew Hindson, Elena Kats-Chernin, Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards and many others. He has prepared choirs for Sir Charles Mackerras, Zubin Mehta, Edo de Waart, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sir Simon Rattle. He has recorded widely for the ABC and conducted film scores, including Happy Feet, Mad Max Fury Road and Australia. Recent highlight performances include Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd (West Australian Opera), Paul Stanhope and Steve Hawke’s Jandamarra (SSO), Michael Tippett’s A Child Of Our Time (Adelaide Festival) and Carousel (State Opera South Australia). In 2001, Brett was awarded an Australian Centenary Medal. In 2021, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the performing arts through music. Brett is passionate about singing and the role that music plays in both the individual’s wellbeing and the overall health and vitality of a community’s culture. Music can transform lives and should be accessible to all. | |||
| ‘Sing Out Louise!’ - Generational Actors; Belinda Giblin and Romy Bartz | 13 May 2023 | 00:58:19 | |
A special episode of the STAGES podcast - a Mother’s Day focus with two of our favourite Mother/Daughter acting pairs - Belinda Giblin and Romy Bartz. Many women have followed their Mums into the precarious vocation that is the stage and screen. Whilst being witness to the challenge and triumph of such a career, it has not stopped them following in Mother’s footsteps - chasing the dream, telling stories and embracing a wondrous profession. For many showbiz families, it is the family business; and we are aware of the dynasties who have made Acting their focus across several generations. Some who trod the boards, are the ‘black sheep’ of the family, who find their way without a single member guiding the way. So what are the challenges, or the advances, if any, of having your Mum lead the way. Belinda and Romy offer a unique insight and allow us to celebrate their significant talents. Belinda Giblin is one of Australia’s most distinguished stage and screen actors. Her most recent theatre credits include “Amadeus” alongside Michael Sheen, and Melissa Bubnic’s “Ghosting the Party” (Griffin Theatre). Other recent credits include “Blonde Poison” (Old Fitz, SOH, Southbank) “Doubt” (Old Fitz) Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days”(Old Fitz) for all of which she was nominated for Best Actress in an Independent production by the Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards. On television Belinda has had regular roles in the series “Home and Away”; “Sons and Daughters”; “Heartbreak High”; “The Sullivans”; and “The Box “. Film credits include “ Peterson”, “Say you Want Me” for which she won a Sammy award, and an award winning short film “Stille Nacht”. Belinda appeared in an Independent feature film, “A Stitch in Time”(Sasha Hadden Productions) in 2022. Belinda is presently playing in ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ at the Ensemble Theatre. Romy Bartz is an actor and director who graduated from NIDA. Since graduating she has performed in theatre productions such as ‘Hillbilly Thriller’, ‘The Moors’, ‘Mercury Fur’, ‘Slaughterhouse’, ‘Bull’, ‘Idle Lies’, ‘Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them’ and ‘Thank You for Being a Friend’. | |||
| ‘Podium Patter’ - Conductor, Composer, Creative; Nicholas McRoberts | 10 May 2023 | 00:57:41 | |
Born in Australia, Nicholas McRoberts studied piano, composition and conducting at the Melbourne Conservatory, the Victorian College of Arts, the CNSM in Paris and the Ecole Normale. He studied conducting with Robert Rosen, Jorma Panula and Dejan Savić. | |||
| ‘Sinners, Saints and Socialites’ - Opera Australia Chorister; Katherine Wiles | 06 May 2023 | 00:55:24 | |
Katherine Wiles has been a full-time member of the Opera Australia Chorus since 2007. An essential and vital ensemble of players who contribute enormously to the world of the narrative being sung on stage. A stimulating position that sees the ensemble represent community in a breadth of operatic repertoire - as nuns, soldiers, townsfolk, mourners, socialites and sisters. But whether it’s dressing up or dressing down, the chorus is an exulted position that completes the Opera aesthetic and sound. New Zealand-born Katherine lives in Sydney, after being based in the UK where she studied with Patricia Hay. She holds an F.T.C.L. Voice from Trinity College, London, England, a Masters in Opera from Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland and a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from Auckland University, New Zealand. From 1996-1999 Katherine was a Young Artist and Chorus Member of New Zealand Opera. In 2016/2017 Katherine performed the roles of Lady Boxington/Ensemble in the Opera Australia/John Frost 60th Anniversary Production of My Fair Lady directed by Dame Julie Andrews, touring Australia. In 2015 Katherine continued performing with Opera Australia as Papagena (The Magic Flute), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) in the Melbourne season, and Handmaiden (Turandot). During 2014 Katherine’s performances with Opera Australia included Papagena in The Magic Flute and Giannetta in The Elixir of Love. In 2013 Katherine performed the role of Cupid in Orpheus in the Underworld and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni on tour for OzOpera in Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales, as well as covering Oscar (Un ballo in maschera), Eurydice (Orpheus in the Underworld) and Ortlinde (Die Walküre) for Opera Australia’s Ring Cycle. In 2012 Katherine performed Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Papagena (The Magic Flute) and Handmaiden Two (Turandot) for Opera Australia and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) for OzOpera on tour in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Other recent performances include the roles of a Musician (Manon Lescaut), Mrs. Nordstrom (A Little Night Music) and First Bridesmaid (The Marriage of Figaro) for Opera Australia; Adina (L’elisir d’amore) for State Opera of South Australia; Serenade to Music with the Sydney Symphony conducted by Mark Wigglesworth; High Tea concerts at the Sydney Opera House; a series of concerts with Opus Orchestra on tour in New Zealand; Messiah for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs at Sydney Opera House as well as for Auckland Choral Society and Christchurch City Choir in New Zealand and the New Zealand Premiere of Bach St. Luke Passion for Bach Musica. She also covered the role of Betty in Bliss for Opera Australia at the Edinburgh Festival and was a guest soloist on board the Royal Yacht Britannia for an Opera Australia/Edinburgh Festival Event. Other operatic roles include Giannetta/Adina cover The Elixir of Love (NZO/NZ International Arts Festival); Adina The Elixir of Love (Grange Park Opera/Pimlico Opera UK Tour); Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro (London Opera Players, UK); Despina Cosi fan tutte, Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia, Elvira Italian Girl in Algiers, Barbarina/Susanna cover Le Nozze di Figaro (NZO); Rosina The Barber of Seville (Swansea City Opera, UK); Adele Die Fledermaus (Sevenoaks Philharmonic, UK); Olympia Les Contes D’Hoffmann (Guildford Opera, UK). | |||
| ‘Making Theatre’ - Jack of All Theatrical Trades; Danny Ball | 03 May 2023 | 00:54:39 | |
Danny Ball is a proud Italian-Australian actor, producer, educator and writer/director. He graduated from NIDA in 2016. Born in Melbourne; during high school he developed an interest in filmmaking and literature as well as being a committed martial artist competing at a national level. He studied a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Melbourne where he became involved in student theatre; performing in plays as well as producing and directing his own work. He subsequently formed an independent theatre company and produced two new Australian works; The Apartment and Narcissus (Melbourne Fringe Festival) As an actor his work includes Blackrock, Macbeth, Mercury Fur, Concrete, Romeo & Juliet, The Serpent’s Teeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Cleansed and The Italians. As playwright, his debut play, Adidas Girls, was produced by the Drama Studio and performed at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre in 2021. His play, The Italians, received a production in Sydney in 2022 at Belvoir theatre as part of the 25A program. This production can be accessed for screening from www.australiantheatre.live | |||
| ‘Mamma Mia, Here I Go Again’ - Musical Theatre Swing, Understudy, Performer; Emily Cascarino | 29 Apr 2023 | 00:53:34 | |
In May, Emily Cascarino returns to the cast of MAMMA MIA! The Musical. She made her professional debut as a swing, and Sophie, Ali & Lisa understudy; in the 10th Anniversary Tour in 2009. Since then, Emily has played Nessarose in the Australasian tour of Wicked (Gordon Frost Organisation) and was dance captain and swing on Jersey Boys (Newtheatricals). More recently, Emily covered Emma Wiggle on the Wiggle, Wiggle, Wiggle! Tour. She is effervesent, ever-ready and ever delightful . Let’s say hello to Emily Cascarino. Her other credits include Glinda in Wicked (Packemin Productions), Lorraine Hastings in Bells are Ringing and Sue Harding in Applause both for Neglected Musicals, Sally De Banis in Squabbalogic’s Reefer Madness, as well as opera productions Carmen (Alexander Productions) and Dead Man Walking (Andrew McManus Productions). | |||
| STAGES Episode 513: EWAN CAMPBELL | 21 Aug 2024 | 00:48:26 | |
Ewan Campbell, Australia's No. 1 television warm-up artist, is the creator and founder of Stentorian Communications. He is an actor, director and presentation coach; a talented and multi-faceted performer, with vast experience in corporate training and facilitation, voice-overs, and MC roles. Ewan has successfully written produced and facilitated presentations for a who's who of corporate Australia including IBM, Optus, Samsung, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Westpac, Telstra and McDonalds Australia. He was a founder and director of Instant Theatre, the first innovative impro training company using improvisational and theatrical techniques to provide a unique and different training experience. Ewan Campbell is a sought after television warm-up comedian and his resume includes The Footy Show, Midday, Andrew Denton's Enough Rope, Australian Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Master Chef, Junior Master Chef, The Biggest Loser and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. He is also a first-rate improvisation (improv) comedy performer of many years' experience, regarded as one of the best improv comics in Australia. He has a long standing reputation for his ability to catch and hold even the most challenging audience! Ewan competes in Impro’s gala event of the year … Celebrity TheatreSports™ on Sunday 25th August 4pm, at The Enmore Theatre, Newtown. Comedy magic for a cause: proudly supporting Canteen. Canteen supports young people (aged 12-25) when cancer turns their world upside down. | |||
| ‘To Thine Own Self Be True’ - Theatre Director, Actor, Teaching Artist; Jeremy James | 26 Apr 2023 | 01:05:18 | |
Jeremy James is a theatre director, actor, dramaturg and teaching artist, whose work has taken him to more than 20 countries over the past 25 years. Collaborating with renowned artists, directors and theatre companies internationally, most notably with Ariane Mnouchkine and Théâtre du Soleil for eight years, Jeremy has toured extensively to prestigious theatres and international festivals. He has received notable public and critical acclaim, with eminent theatre academic, Patrice Pavis, describing Jeremy's sharply crafted ensemble work as ’masterly performed and characteristic of the recent evolution of the dramaturgy of the actor’. Jeremy's distinctive approach to theatre practice and pedagogy evolved through his work and training with European master directors and teachers, including Mnouchkine, Katie Mitchell, Philippe Gaulier, Monika Pagneux, Kristin Linklater, Anatoly Vasiliev and the founding members of Complicité, Song of the Goat and Shared Experience. His stage language is further informed by his earlier visual art practice in photomedia, installation and performance art. An award winning graduate of the Canberra School of Art and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Jeremy studied with Anne Ferran, Ingo Kleinert, John Reid and Jan Peacock in the 1990s, while exhibiting works in Australia, Canada and the USA. Jeremy is a regular guest director and lecturer at national theatre schools and universities, while his specialist workshops for actors, directors, dancers, choreographers and musicians have been hosted in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Philippines, Spain, UK, USA and Uruguay. Embracing artistic, cultural and linguistic diversity, his interdisciplinary work spans form and genre, and actively questions the roles that theatre can play in society today. Based back in Australia since 2020, Jeremy founded RARE BIRD ensemble. Underpinned by rigorous research, investigation and exchange in the creation of innovative site-specific works, he seeks to enrich connections between artists and audience while inspiring dialogue about who we are and who we want to be.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘If They Could See Me Now’ - Broadway Veteran, Michael Misita | 22 Apr 2023 | 01:11:17 | |
Michael Misita grew up in Ohio and is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music. He subsequently carved a brilliant career as a dancer, actor and choreographer. | |||
| 'Colour and Light’ - Scenic Artists, Rod Clarke and Stella Ginsberg | 19 Apr 2023 | 01:15:16 | |
The art of scenic design is a craft as old as the theatre itself. Painted cloths, gauze and scenery complete the illusion to which we attend so freely. However, with the advent of technologies, the theatrical experience, which essentially has a responsibility to transport us into other worlds, has seen new and often unsatisfying ways of conjuring this magical immersion. Rod Clarke and Stella Ginsberg are artists who have been constructing and executing the specific craft of the scenic artist for several decades. Their bespoke and alluring art has given dimension, atmosphere and life to stage settings in a most unique and hypnotic manner. It is an art form that is at some risk however, as a new generation of designers begin to explore other avenues of invention to tell their stories. Their craft was inherited from ‘old hands’ who generously and responsibly passed on their knowledge of constructing huge canvases. This ensured a dying art was kept alive so that it could continue to enhance precious storytelling. Their work has been experienced and applauded across a range of disciplines and stages - Opera Australia, Bell Shakespeare, Bangarra Dance Theatre, The Elizabethan Theatre Trust, The West Australian Ballet Company, Jupiter’s Casino and commercial musicals including Love Never Dies and South Pacific; they’ve worked with artists Charles Blackman and Sidney Nolan; and performers such as Crowded House and magician Joe Labero. Clarke and Ginsberg set up their own studio and theatrical business, Scenografic Studios, in the 1980s. Their headquarters in Newtown quickly became a location of enormous creativity and hive of activity as the couple and their staff were enlisted to prepare and paint scenery for a vast range of entertainments - pop concerts, operas, plays, dance and musicals. Their talent and experience preserving and celebrating this theatrical craft is to be applauded. Stella and Rod have keenly accepted the challenge of translating an idea on paper to a spellbinding realisation of dramatic effect on the stage. They have completed a magical experience for all of us who have ever sat in a theatre. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘If Music Be The Food Of Love’ - Maestro, Richard Bonynge | 15 Apr 2023 | 00:42:18 | |
Born in Sydney, Richard Bonynge studied at the NSW Conservatory of Music and the Royal College of Music. He served as Music Director of the Sutherland-Williamson Grand Opera Company in 1965 (Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane), as Artistic Director of the Vancouver Opera from 1974-77 and Music Director of The Australian Opera from 1976-86. Maestro Bonynge’s accomplishments as conductor and musical scholar were recognized when Queen Elizabeth II, during her Silver Jubilee Celebration in 1977, made him a Commander of the British Empire. In the summer of 1989, the French government honored him with the rank of “Commandeur de l’Ordre National des Arts et des Lettres”. | |||
| ‘Be Like The Bluebird’ - Veteran Actor, Peter Whitford | 12 Apr 2023 | 01:46:13 | |
Peter Whitford had celebrated 17 prolific years in show business as one of Australia’s leading actors before he was ever required to sing publicly in the commercial theatre. This was as the wily Governor in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Eight years later he trod the musical boards again in another Mike Walsh produced delight; Anything Goes as Moonface Martin; public enemy number 13, opposite Geraldine Turner. Another musical was to follow with Me and My Girl as Sir John, opposite Sheila Bradley. | |||
| ‘Everybody Needs A Little Mate’ - Actor and Mentor, Valerie Bader | 11 Apr 2023 | 01:03:40 | |
An actor whose career is approaching fifty years, Valerie Bader has worked extensively across all performance disciplines. Notwithstanding her considerable film and television credits, Valerie is perhaps best known for her theatre work – having performed with all of the major theatre companies (and even more of the minor ones). | |||
| ‘Silver Threads and Golden Needles’ - Entertainment Icon and Author, Angela Ayers | 10 Apr 2023 | 01:18:39 | |
Angela Ayers is an icon in the entertainment industry throughout Australia and New Zealand becoming the golden girl of NZ TV through her appearances with Peter Sinclair and Craig Scott in the musical TV shows Happen Inn and Sing in the 70’s. This led to her being voted “NZ’s Queen of Television” and “Most Popular Female Artist”. Shortly after moving to Australia, she won the plum role of Maggie in A Chorus Line subsequently winning the only scholarship the New York Shakespearian Festival Trust had ever awarded to study Jazz/Ballet in Los Angeles. She appeared regularly on all National Variety TV Shows in Australia throughout the 90’s such as The Don Lane Show, The Mike Walsh Show, Hey Hey It’s Saturday and The Two Ronnie’s Specials; as well as many TV programs in guest roles and in commercials. In 1998, she wrote her own one woman cabaret show entitled I Can Cook Too, performing with the legendary Jazz Pianist Ray Alldridge. In a career of many highlights, Angela rates one of them as singing the New Zealand National Anthem to over 90,000 people at the MCG Bledisloe Cup Match. She was a regular favourite entertainer in the 1980’s and 1990’s on Cruise ships and entertained troops in the Sinai with the late Ricky May. Returning to NZ she starred in musicals such as 42nd St, Jerry’s Girls, and Mum’s the Word. There were numerous television credits in Shortland Street, Spin Doctors and Menopause the Musical in both Australia and New Zealand. Then in 2014, Angela played Miss Potts in Hairy Maclary at The Sydney Opera House. Angela’s cabaret show, ‘I Can Cook Too’ is in demand throughout Australia and is popular with the Senior Citizens Concerts. Angela has recently launched her first children’s book; a talent discovered during the COVID lockdown. 2 LITTLE KIWI BIRDS will be released in a series of 6 with an accompanying song. It is a charming, delightful book following the adventures of two kiwi birds, Les and Beryl, who travel from New Zealand across to Australia and settle here. STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||
| ‘State of Independence’ - Performer/Creative, Kaye Tuckerman | 09 Apr 2023 | 01:03:22 | |
Originally from Sydney, Australia, Kaye Tuckerman has carved a niche internationally as a sought after director, performer, writer, and designer. Her directing career has garnered many awards globally, and her performing career has seen her headline some of the worlds biggest stage productions. She is currently producing and directing ‘Take your Seats’ a documentary about Broadway’s closure during 2020 and beyond, adapting ‘Tears on the Equator’ into a screenplay, and creating the pilot ‘The Wicked Cometh’. Other credits include the lead in the horror/thriller feature fill ‘The Girl Who got Away’, and appearing opposite James Spader on The Blacklist. Kaye has performed on Broadway in ‘Summer: The Donna Summer Musical ‘(Broadway) creating the role of ‘Pete Bellotte’. Other Highlights include: ‘Les Miserables’, ‘The Boy From Oz’, ‘Mamma Mia!’. She has performed at Madison Square Garden for the NBA, alongside Jennifer Hudson and the Dropkick Murphys with the Boston Pops, and at the Macy’s Day Parade. She has won multiple awards for her solo performances, and can be seen onscreen in 'The Matrix', ‘The Loudest Voice, 'The Characters’, 'Royal Pains’, as well as many shorts, web series and independent features such as the award winning ‘The Actor’, ‘The Prime’, ‘Vandal’ and ‘Crossroads of America’. As a designer in Kenya, she was nominated for an African Academy Award for 'From a Whisper' other work can be seen in campaigns such as Nike Write the Future,and Nokia: Sub-Saharan Africa, features such as 'I am Slave', and numerous documentaries for Discovery, National Geographic and Raw TV. Kaye gained her degree at WAAPA, and directing training at NIDA. Kaye was the Creative Producer/Director of The Australian Dance Awards for three years, Creative Director for Inglot NYC, directing and designing multiple photo shoots, and fashion events, Associate Casting Director for Disney's The Lion King' (Australia), and Casting Director for Sydney Dance Company. She has directed theatre productions throughout Australia and Asia, and most recently has directed the short films: “Black Canvas’ ‘Fragile', ‘Trumped’, ‘Nanas Room’, ‘Nil by Mouth’, 'Choice', ‘Famousland', 'On my Shoulder', 'JOE', ‘Coping’. As well as, multiple commercials, music videos, and the Hawaiian Documentary ‘The Last Queen’. Kaye was recently back in Australia and STAGES caught up with her for a long overdue reunion. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au | |||