We are thrilled to announce our Session host for August… Mark Oates!
Mark is a respected opera, cabaret and concert singer, with a passion for music theatre. He has toured South Australia with State Opera, SINGular productions and the Adelaide Art Orchestra. Mark produced and performed in his own sell out swing show – Mark Oates and the Daniel Brunner Pretty Big Band – for the 2009 and 2011 Adelaide Fringe Festivals. For the Adelaide Festival, Mark sung the roles of Ruffiak in Ligeti’s Le Grande Macabre and Street Singer in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass.
For State Opera SA, Mark premiered the role of “the Cantor” in Astor Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires, a co-production with Leigh Warren and Dancers which was reprised for the 2011 Brisbane Festival. He also performed Joe in The Station (Howard Blake), and John Styx in Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach). Last year Mark performed in the world premiere of the full Philip Glass trilogy for State Opera SA, including the role of Arjuna in Satyagraha. In the two weeks prior to the opening night of Broadway Sessions, Mark will be part of the State Opera SA chorus in Faust and the Verdi Requiem before travelling to Canberra for two concerts with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra.
Mark has also worked with many Adelaide based musical theatre companies. He was an Oscart and Curtain Call winner and Critic’s Circle nominee for his portrayal of Jean Valjean in The G&S Society’s Les Misérables. For The G&S Society Mark has also played the Baker in Into the Woods and the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. He premiered Horton the Elephant in the award winning Seussical the Musical and portrayed Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde for The Hills Musical Company. Other roles include Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar for Northern Light Theatre Company, Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden for both The Therry Dramatic Society and The G&S Society, Enoch Snow in Carousel for Swell Productions/MS Society and was part of the original cast of It’s A Dad thing for SINGular productions. Mark has also played “man” in several productions, including Songs for a New World and I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change!
Come and join Mark as he guides us through (lovingly, of course) the new and old world of musical theatre. Oh, and he’ll probably attempt some humour too – please be gentle.