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Monday 15 July
Tuesday 16 July
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Copyright 2024 Music Theatre Futures
What Future are we training
them for?
Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion on the intricacies of music theatre training in the 21st century. Hosted by Head of Music Theatre, Tyran Parke (VCA, University of Melbourne), alongside expert panelists Associate Professor & Music Theatre Program Leader, Dr. Narelle Yeo (Sydney Conservatorium, University of Sydney) Nicole Stinton (Head of Music, NIDA), Ross Hannaford (VCA, University of Melbourne) and leading Sydney-based voice teacher Jennifer Peers.
In this session, we'll delve into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of music theatre training , and explore the evolving landscape of music theatre education and its impact on performers today.
TYRAN PARKE
Tyran is a director, singer, producer, educator who runs his own company, Clovelly Fox Productions, is the Head of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) Musical Theatre Program and is the new Executive Producer of the Australian Musical Theatre Festival, in Launceston. With credits that span Shakespeare, plays, musicals, cabaret, concerts and opera, Tyran is considered one of Australia’s most exciting directors.
Professional Directing credits include the musicals; ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, ‘Lovebites’, ‘Cheek to Cheek’, ‘Rent’, ‘The Goodbye Girl’, ‘A Chorus Line’, ‘Hello Again’, “Sunday in the Park with George” the plays;‘Thom Pain’, ‘Pool (no water)’, ‘The Laramie Project’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Proof’ and the operas; ‘The Coronation of Poppea and ‘The Fairy Queen’.
Concert work includes the acclaimed ‘Rob Mills is Surprisingly Good’ ,Debra Byrne and Vika Bull in ‘Tapestry’, Caroline O’Connor’s, ‘From Broadway with Love’ and three separate national tours of ‘From Broadway to La Scala’ , over a six-year period. Other productions include the acclaimed, ‘Ordinary Days’ (Green Room Award – Best Director), ‘Big Fish’ (Broadway World and Glugg nominations- best director), Falsetto’s’, (Green Room Nomination- Best Director) and the opera ‘The Coronation of Poppea’ (Opera Chaser Award – Best director of an Opera) ‘Assassins’, ‘Into the Woods’ and ‘Follies’.
Tyran directed the musical, ‘Barnum’ starring Todd McKenny and Rachael Beck and directed the national tour of ‘Chess’starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Paulini and Rob Mills. www.tyranparke.com
Dr. NERELLE YEO
Associate Professor Narelle Yeo is the inaugural Program Leader of the Music Theatre course at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music at the University of Sydney. Narelle designed and devised the course at the Sydney Conservatorium based on her experience in the USA teaching, directing and performing in a diverse range of styles from musical theatre, theatre and opera. She has advanced degrees from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory. She has performed over 40 roles in opera, musical theatre and cabaret, ranging from CioCioSan in Madama Butterfly to the soprano Sharon in Terence McNally’s Masterclass for Pacific Repertory Theatre, to Guenevere in Camelot to Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers to Anna I in Weill’s Die Sieben Tödsunden (Seven Deadly Sins). On the concert stage, she soloed for the San Francisco Symphony and the Berkeley Symphony before returning to Australia. Narelle has premiered a number of new works in both the USA and Australia, including recently directing and singing the lead role of Queen Elizabeth in the world premiere of Annus Horribilis in Hobart by composer Thomas Rimes, and directing/dramaturging A Box of Memories by Erin McKellar in Adelaide, Sydney and remotely for a season in Pittsburgh. Narelle’s directing resume includes directing over 30 opera and musical theatre productions. She was mentored by renowned US director Willene Gunn, and has directed new works at the Moorambilla Festival, Brisbane Festival and directed Bernstein’s Mass with 500 performers for the 100 year anniversary of the Con in the Sydney Opera House. Narelle spearheaded the Music Theatre Research Network in Australia, and also co-created Bayumi Birrung (music stars in the Sydney language), a music program for talented Indigenous musicians. She also developed Amplification – Mentoring for Women/Womxn in the Creative and Performing Arts. She has three published CDs, two celebrating the work of mid-century composer Meta Overmann and one CD based on her research on the songs of Henry Handel Richardson Let Spring Come… on Toccata Classics, London.
NICOLE STINTON
Nicole has worked as a director, actor and vocal coach for three decades across the Asia-Pacific, specialising in music theatre. Across her professional career, she has trained conservatoire actors and is currently the Head of Music at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Nicole has also taught and directed at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore. She has conducted masterclasses and conference presentations globally, including in New York, London and across Asia, and has published journal articles and textbooks extensively. A current PhD candidate, Nicole is developing an acting technique for the singing actor that utilises music to holistically inform acting and creative choices.
JENNIFER PEERS
Jennifer Peers is a singing teacher, singer and actor based in Sydney. She provides voice training to professional and aspiring professional singers in musical theatre.
She works with many of Australia's premier musical theatre performers in her studio and online internationally, as well as teaching vocal technique and musical theatre for NIDA, Brent Street and The Hub Studio. She is also engaged as a singing voice specialist and consultant on musical productions, most recently working with the Australian Ballet on “An American In Paris”.
Australian performing credits include: Miss Lark in the Australia/NZ tour of Disney’s “Mary Poppins”, Sister Sophia in the Australian tour of “The Sound of Music”, “Fiddler on the Roof" Australian tour, “My Fair Lady” for Opera Australia, Peaches in “Jerry Springer the Opera” at the Sydney Opera House, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”, “Showboat” and “The Pirates Of Penzance” for The Production Company, Angel City 4 in “City of Angels”, Gertrude Stein in “Loving Repeating”, Frieda/Betty in “Sunday In The Park With George” and she originated the role of Minnie Davies in Australian musical, “The Hatpin”.
UK performing credits include: Lead singer in “Shoes (West End), “Master Class” (UK Tour) and “57 Hours” at the National Theatre Studio London.
Training: Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, Bachelor of Music (Voice) Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
For further info visit jenniferpeers.com
ROSS HANNAFORD
Ross first appeared in professional musical theatre over 20 years ago playing the role of Tiny Tim in Scrooge at Melbourne’s Princess Theatre. This set him on a path that would carve out a life of creative practice both at home and abroad. Career highlights include his portrayals of Princeton and Rod in Avenue Q at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne, receiving a Green Room Award nomination for his portrayal of Tobias Ragg in Victorian Opera’s Sweeney Todd and his portrayal of Paul in A Chorus Line. He played the role of Skimbleshanks in the Australian tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s re-created CATS and went on to become the resident director of the international production. His other credits include Wicked, King Kong, We Will Rock You, Theo in Pippin, Colin in The Secret Garden and SHOUT the musical. His Production Company credits include Clarius in Camelot, Junior in Little Me, Thoroughly Modern Millie & Sweet Charity.
Ross is a recipient of the Solo Seal Award from the Royal Academy of Dance and was a finalist at the international Genee awards. He is also a graduate of the VCA Secondary School where he received the Anne Wooliams award for excellence.
Ross has more recently dedicated his craft to teaching, choreographing and directing within the music theatre program at Melbourne Universities VCA as well as the VCA secondary school’s Dance and Theatre Arts programs; a great privilege, honor and responsibility that is not lost on him.