February Session #1: The Best of Broadway Sessions

14 Sunday February 2016
When: 6:30pm Where: The Jade Monkey Tickets: $10

About this Session

February in Adelaide means Festival time and we just had to join in the fun. Since we couldn’t possibly fit everything into one night we have added an extra Session. That’s right. TWO BROADWAY SESSIONS. It’s Christmas all over again!

Join us on the 14th of February as we revisit some of our favourite performances and performers since we launched six months ago. They aren’t necessarily perfect in technique and pitch (although they could well be…), but they each capture the very essence of Broadway Sessions in their own unique way. More than anything else, we want to show you (and let you bask in the enjoyment of) what Broadway Sessions is all about – what it set out to be, and where it intends to go heading into the future.

There is also (of course) the opportunity for you to register to perform on-stage with the Session band.

*Please note that due to all tickets being sold via Adelaide Fringe and FringeTIX there is a slight price increase for this session.

Session Host

Mark Oates (he/him)

Mark is an award winning South Australian performer whose credits include the Adelaide and Brisbane Festivals, State Opera South Australia, SINGular Productions, Co Opera, Various People, Aerial Artists Australia, and MOatesArt Productions.

In 2022 Mark was nominated for an Adelaide Critic's Circle Award for his body of work. He premiered the dual roles of Ian Duncan and Don Dunstan in Neil Armfield's Ruby Award-winning Watershed: The Death Of Dr Duncan for the Adelaide Festival – while for State Opera South Australia he performed Lt Tom in Voss and Gastone in La Traviata, as well as embarking on a national tour of Love Burns, completing the first orchestration workshop of When The Rain Stops Falling and appearing in Bright Lights, Big Dreams.

Previous Adelaide Festival appearances are Mozart Requiem (2020), Bernstein Mass – featured Street Singer (2012) and Le Grande Macabre - Ruffiak (2010).

In State Opera of South Australia's 2023 season Mark will be appearing as the Defendant in Trial by Jury and in Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore, as well as hosting the Tra La La Bar for the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, with further exciting projects to be announced. In 2021, Mark appeared as Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd and Jack in Love Burns, and opened the year in Carousel. Further highlights with the company include Njegus in The Merry Widow, Arjuna in Satyagraha, John Styx in Orpheus in the Underworld, The Cantor in Maria de Buenos Aires (co production with Leigh Warren Dancers – Adelaide Festival Centre Playhouse and Brisbane Festival). Mark is a proud and long-standing State Opera South Australia artist, both as a chorister and a principal performer.

Well known and regarded on the concert stage, Mark also mentors Class of Cabaret for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, works extensively with Primary Schools Music Festival and regularly tours with Aerial Artists Australia in Le Aerial, including Perth Fringeworld, Adelaide Fringe, Auckland Fringe, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Arts Centre and Port Douglas. Mark is Associate Producer and regular host of Broadway Sessions, Adelaide's long running monthly music theatre focussed, curated open mic night.

Session Performers

Amelie Peters

Amelie Peters is an award winning, classically trained vocalist, international performer, songwriter and BAST accredited vocal coach.

Amelie holds a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice (Performance and Pedagogy) from the Elder Conservatorium of Adelaide. Her professional performance work includes Carmen (2019) and Carmina Burana (2020) with the State Opera of South Australia as well as successful tours in Australia and the US, where Amelie was invited to sing at the Soho Playhouse in New York City. Her credits as a vocal director for youth theatre include High School Musical 2 (2016), Hairspray the Musical (2018) and Mary Poppins the Musical (2019.) Amelie has also produced and performed original music in Cabernet the Cabaret (2019) and Cabernet Refined (2020) at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

While she specialises in classical voice, Amelie also has a strong background in musical theatre, jazz and contemporary music. She has worked with renowned opera singers, musical theatre composers and Broadway stars from around the world.

Amelie’s ability to inspire, guide and nurture talent has led to consistently outstanding results for her private students and vocal ensembles, making Amelie one of the most sought after young vocal coaches in Adelaide.

David Gauci (he/him)

David Gauci, proudly from Adelaide’s western suburbs, wouldn’t stop singing from an early age – so much so that the Sisters of St Joseph at primary school wished he’d just shut up and do maths.

At Woodville High, teachers and parents suggested – after David showed interest in acting or journalism – a career in accounting. He did study accountancy but also theology and music (Elder Conservatorium). David was introduced to opera and classical singing but went down the dark path of corporate functions, cabaret and music theatre. He worked in piano bars for 20 years in Adelaide, Darwin, Melbourne, Sydney and Townsville.

David wrote cabaret shows New York According to Bernstein, The Sinatra Show and The Broadway Show, performed with co-writer and accompanist Matthew Carey in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Townsville and Darwin.

He performed at the inaugural Adelaide Cabaret Festival and again in 2016 when he returned with the award-winning It was Worth the Weight. David also wrote and performed in The Big Book of Broadway, Cole’s Girls, Leading Men I’ll Never Play and Wireless.

He was equal winner in the 2015 Australian Cabaret Competition Adelaide final and most recently performed in the Australian Touring production of Hairspray as understudy to the role of Edna Turnblad – adding to professional stage roles in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney

David’s also appeared in TV commercials and films, e.g. The Brush Off, directed by Sam Neill.

This led to forming his own Davine Interventionz Productions in 2013 with a string of shows he’s produced, directed and/or designed to glowing reviews and a welter of awards. And David’s still singing!

Ellis Dolan (he/him)

Ellis Dolan toured as Eddie/Dr. Scott in The Rocky Horror Show, and with the company of School of Rock as an Understudy for Dewey Finn and as a Swing – travelling all over Australia, China, and New Zealand.

He spent 2017 studying Musical Theatre at NIDA; appearing in the Sydney Theatre Company production of Chimerica as part of the NIDA Ensemble.

He has appeared in several productions around Adelaide, including Evita (The Met) in which he portrayed Che; The Producers (HMC) as the Stormtrooper; Oliver! (Shane Davidson Presents) as Bill Sykes; as well as ensemble roles in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (HMC) and Jesus Christ Superstar (G&S Society). Off-stage, he acted as Assistant Director for You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown and Smokey Joe's Cafe (HMC).

He also toured across Australia, portraying the role of Peter Dutton, as part of Abbott: The Musical (George Glass Productions), performing as part of the Canberra Comedy Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, as well as a sell-out run in the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Outside of performing, Ellis is a writer – having completed his Honours in Creative Arts: Creative Writing at Flinders University. He’s currently struggling through the third draft of a novel and is constantly side-tracked by wanting to write reviews and film analysis; because of this, nothing seems to get done, but he has a lot of fun doing it.

He made his directorial debut with Edges as part of the 2018 Adelaide Fringe Festival and loved every second of working with such fine people.

Erin McKellar

Erin McKellar is an aspiring young vocalist, from Adelaide. Erin is currently studying a bachelor of music, specializing in jazz performance at the Elder Conservatorium of Music. Prior to this Erin studied at Saint Peter’s Girls School, where she achieved several SACE merits in her final music and drama studies. Erin recently returned from undergoing a Jazz singers intensive summer workshop in London at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, learning from a various faulty members from the school.

In 2014 Erin was selected as a mentor for the 2014 New York Jazz Symposium in Melbourne, working along side and learning from some of New Yorks finest Jazz musicians including Carl Allen, Rodney Jones and Carla Cook. Erin also received a scholarship to attend the 2013 Juilliard Jazz Winter School, again learning under the guidance of Carl Allen, Rodney Jones, Matthew Jodrell and many more. She also placed first in the Edith and Ern Vocal eisteddfod and placed second in the 2014 talent on show competition.

As well as being a solo vocalist Erin is also a member of Adelaide’s finest jazz choir, The Adelaide Connection and The Jones Commentary directed by Charmaine Jones. Erin is currently involved in the live music scene in Adelaide and values every opportunity to share music with the community. Erin is looking forward to returning to her roots in musical theatre.

Gemma Dandie

Gemma has been singing and dancing and acting since she was three years old and at fifteen is already an accomplished performer - a true triple threat! Gemma's passion for musical theatre has allowed her to feature in a number of shows over the past few years including Wendy in Peter Pan and The Witch in Into The Woods Jr with Adelaide Youth Theatre. Gemma has just returned from performing in DisneyWorld and Universal Studios, Orlando.

Gemma is a student at TIDC Performing Arts Studio and has competed successfully in State, National and International Hip Hop, Jazz, Tap and Contemporary competitions. She attends Loreto College where she is very much involved in the performing arts, is a keen saxophone player and a member of the school band. Gemma is thrilled to be singing at Broadway Sessions this month!

Iman Saleh

Iman has been a musician for 10 years playing bass in several local bands throughout that time and also having completed a diploma in music. Always having a natural knack for the arts he always wanted to explore the side of acting and dancing, and was given the opportunity in 2015 when he first entered the Adelaide musical theatre scene in JamaeRaws adaptation of the musical Grease, portraying the role of Danny Zuko. He has since been in Wicked (Matt Byrne Media) and Anything Goes (JamaeRaw) playing Moonface Martin and most recently MBM's Saturday Night Fever as Bobby C. Iman has been enjoying his experiences and developing his stage skills and is excited to see where it will take him.

Kathryn Driver

Kathryn was born in England and has had a rich upbringing in the world of the arts. She has been in various characters such as tweedledum in Alice in wonderland, Betty Rizzo in Grease and is currently playing Erma in JamaeRaws adaptation of Anything Goes. Kathryn has been singing in Soul Factor Gospel Choir for many years and is currently receiving vocal training by David Gauci.

Recently out of uni with a degree in teaching and the arts, Kathryn has been in musical theatre since a young age. She is currently in the Hills production of Aida and also teaches musical theatre, acting and singing at Starlets SA.

Leah Harford

At 18, Leah is trained in Musical Theatre, dance and has private singing tuition with Kirsty Roberts. The Met’s The King & I was Leah’s first musical at eight years old whereby she played the role of Princess Ying Yaowalack and some ten years on Leah was very excited to accept the beautiful role of Tuptim with The Met – shows start 13th October at the Arts Theatre.

In the ten year gap Leah has performed for both professional and amateur companies in varying lead and support roles: Adelaide Youth Theatre – Into The Woods (Cinderella), Seussical (Gertrude), Hairspray (Nicest Kid), High School Musical (Taylor McKessie), You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Sally u/s), G&S Society – Les Misérables (Young Cosette), Swell Productions – Thoroughly Modern Millie (Bun Foo), Into the Woods (Rapunzel), Beauty & The Beast (Le Fou), Seussical (Jo-Jo), … just to name a some of the shows. Leah extended her CV to include directing with AYT giving her the opportunity to direct her first musical Aladdin Jr. earlier this year – a fantastic experience which she loved.

Leah has performed overseas in Disneyland Hong Kong & Paris and on the West End in London with the Australian Youth Performing Arts Team and has sung at many previous Broadway Sessions. Leah hopes to go on and study and teach in the Arts Industry.

Lindsay Prodea (he/him)

Lindsay has performed over the past decade in both musical theatre and cabaret, having enjoyed success in various genres: classical roles such as John Brooke in Little Women (The Musical) (Therry Dramatic Society 2013) and Cinderella's Prince in Into the Woods (Northern Light Theatre Company 2012); to contemporary roles such as Abraham in the Adelaide premiere of Altar Boyz (Davine Interventionz 2013), Sonny Malone in Xanadu (The Musical) (Davine Interventionz 2014), George in The Drowsy Chaperone (Hills Musical Company 2013), Kyle the UPS Delivery guy in Legally Blonde (HMC 2014) and most recently Elliott Garfield in The Goodbye Girl (Therry 2015). Lindsay has also appeared in countless other shows, favourites including Urinetown42nd StreetCrazy for You & Les Misérables. Most recently he premiered in Adelaide the role of Fabrizio for Davine Interventionz's 2016 Adelaide Fringe Show, The Light In The Piazza.

Aside from musical theatre, Lindsay has a keen passion for cabaret, having written, co-produced and performed at numerous cabaret events over the years. Stepping out side his usual genre, Lindsay played the role of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby (old sport), produced by Independent Theatre.

Lisa Simonetti

Lisa has been singing since a very young age and has been receiving singing tuition since the age of 14 – most recently with David Gauci. Lisa has also been a vocal coach & singing teacher for almost 9 years and became involved in Adelaide community theatre around this time. Since then Lisa has gone on to be involved in many shows – some of her favourite roles include Ellie Greenwich in Leader of the Pack (NLTC, 2011), Mrs Potts in Disney's Beauty & the Beast (2011), Motormouth Maybelle in Hairspray (MBM 2012) and most recently Mama Cass Elliott in the South Australian premiere of Flower Children (Davine Interventionz, 2015).

Lisa has also had the opportunity to be involved with performing in the Adelaide Fringe Festival (Michelle & the Gentleman's Club, 2013 & Flower Children, 2015) & several workshops & masterclasses during the Adelaide Cabaret Festival (with Jason Robert Brown, Adam Guettel, Matthew Robinson & Scott Evan Davis). She was also recently in New York this year in July and was lucky enough to have a one on one class with Adam Guettel (lyrical writter for Light in the Piazza). By night she is a performer but by day works as a midwife at the Women's & Children's Hospital, where the song of choice is 'Happy Birthday' for all the new babies she gets to welcome into the world!

Mim Sarre (she/her)

Millicent Sarre (Mim) is a cabaret artist, singer-songwriter, vocal coach, and musical theatre performer, brought up and working on Kaurna Land. She has toured her original cabaret works Australia-wide; her most recent show Millicent Sarre is Opinionated won ‘Best Cabaret’ of the Adelaide Fringe 2023, and the album of the original songs from the show was released in February 2023. Previous musical theatre roles include Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd (ECMT, dir. James Millar), Hildy in On the Town (ECMT, dir. Erin James), Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (ECMT, dir. Joseph Simons), and Ivy in the Australian premiere of Ivy + Bean: The Musical (The Gemini Collective, dir. Sarah Williams). Mim will graduate with a Bachelor of Music Theatre from the Elder Conservatorium in 2023.

Mitchell Smith

Mitchell is so excited to be back at Broadway Sessions for the first time since almost 3 years living in Melbourne. Favourite past roles include Melchior in Spring Awakening (HMC), Marius in Les Misérables (PLOS - Melbourne), Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (G&S), and Monty in Violet (Davine). He currently works as a paediatric podiatrist in the public sector in Victoria and is so grateful to be able to get across the border (and hopefully back) to sing tonight.

Nathan Quadrio

Nathan has been performing onstage since the age of six starting as a tiny, little magician alongside his mother. Since then he has worked his way up the ranks of Scout Shouts Youth Theatre as performer and Young Director for several years (2007-2014). Pirates of Penzance (Ensemble/2012) marked his amateur theatre debut and he has since appeared in Little Shop of Horrors (Ensemble/2013), Eurobeat: Almost Eurovision (Russia, Estonia, Italy/2013), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Frank Pontipee/2014), White Christmas (Broadway Chorus/2014), Happy Days (Richie Cunningham/2015), all with the Northern Light Theatre Company, Mary Poppins (Bear, Tap Ensemble/2015) with Matt Byrne Media, and Guys and Dolls (Rusty Charlie/2015) with the G&S Society of SA. He now serves on the Northern Light committee as Publicity Officer. Nathan has enjoyed singing in fundraising cabarets for NLTC, ADSSA and Riding for the Disabled, his ability in which has grown through singing tuition over the past four years.

Paul Talbot

Paul is a co-founder of Six Foot Something Productions, producing and performing in Picture Perfect (Adelaide Cabaret Festival), playing Dan in Next to Normal (nominated for an Adelaide Theatre Guide award as best professional performance, Male) as one of the five performers in Elegies: Song Cycle and as Jamie in The Last Five Years. He is a regular performer with the State Opera Chorus (most recently appearing as God in Faust) and has appeared as a soloist at a number of corporate events.

With Swamp Fairy Paul appeared in a touring production of Loving Lloyd Weber and sang for the Cancer Council (opening for Rhonda Burchmore at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre). He performed as part of Fright Night for CanDo4Kids and sung the national anthem from a diving board for the National Junior Diving Championships. He has also sung with the Adelaide Chamber Singers and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, including the first performance of Peter Sculthorpe’s Requiem (Adelaide Fringe Festival). Paul was nominated for an Adelaide Critic’s Circle award for his performance as Grosvenor in Patience (opposite Denis Olsen). He has performed many lead roles in amateur theatre, including both plays and musicals. Favourite roles include Bill Sikes (Oliver), Jack (Into the Woods) and Enjolras (Les Misérables).

Rod Schultz

Rod has proven his versatility in a broad variety of roles, from musicals to children’s theatre. Leading roles include Fagin in Oliver! (The G&S Society of SA), Paul in A Chorus Line and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Hills Musical Company), The Man in the Saloon in Blues in the Night (Northern Light Theatre Company), and The Baker in Into the Woods (MS Society). Other credits include Dr Madden/Dr Fine in Next to Normal (Six Foot Something Productions), Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music (Hills Musical Company), Collins in RENT (Catchy Title Productions), the Villan in The Musical of Musicals, the Musical! (Toot Toot Productions), Linus in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (MS Society) and Thenardier in several productions of Les Misérables.

As a vocalist, Rod has featured in cabaret, benefit concerts, corporate entertainment, and has originated roles in developing local works. He has sung live for ABC radio and has toured Australia extensively with children’s favourite The Fairies.

Since joining Co-Opera in 2012, Rod has toured Australia and Malaysia with Die Fledermaus (Frank), and recently made his opera debut covering the role of Goro for Co-Opera’s touring production of Madama Butterfly.

Ron Abelita

Music has always been part of Ron’s life. As part of Novo Concertante Manila, an international award-winning chamber choir in the Philippines, Ron travelled to Europe and Asia performing a wide range of A Cappella music of various genres in competitions and concerts. Since moving to Adelaide in 2010, he found his passion for music theatre in both amateur and professional productions. Ron has done shows including Miss Saigon (MCMT 2011 & MMTC 2019), Bernstein Mass & Ennio Morriconne Live (ASO 2012), Forbidden Broadway (MCMT 2012), The Cross (ACTS 2013 & 2014), Chorus for Andrea Bocelli (ASO 2014), Rent (MCMT 2016), Godspell (IP & LP 2018).

Ron had a fabulous time with G&S' Kinky Boots in his first lead role as Lola in September 2019. Weeks after KB, Ron is covered up from head to toe as Sr Mary Amnesia in MBM’s production of Nunsense A-Men! Ron secretly wishes that like Hamilton, more shows and production outfits will now start to be inclusive and recognise talent over race and culture, to play roles not usually given to people of colour. In February 2016, Ron first took part in Broadway Sessions and is again thrilled to take part in this month's session.

Sandy Marion

Sandy grew up singing jazz and soul and was intorduced to musical theatre by her Grandpa - she now works for Amnesty International, but still loves to perform whenever she can!

Scott Lorien (he/him)

Scott has always had a love of the theatre, but his real obsession began in high school, with performances as the Foreman, Pimp and a Student in Les Misérables, Priam in Paris and Action in West Side Story. Since completing high school he performed non-stop for a number of years, starting with Gerald Bolingbroke in Me and My Girl, an Apostle in Jesus Christ Superstar and Ugly in Honk! (Marie Clark Musical Theatre). After playing Cornelius Hackl in Hello, Dolly! and Asher and the Butler in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Metropolitan Musical Theatre Company of SA), Scott joined Northern Light Theatre Company’s production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as Monsieur D’Arque to round out 2011. The following year started with an incredible experience: Scott won the role of Henry in Six Foot Something’s pro-am Production of Next to Normal. After a mild performance hiatus in more recent times, Scott starred as Hunter in Irregular Productions sell out 2015 Adelaide Fringe season of [title of show].

If there’s one thing he regrets, it’s not starting singing and performing (publicly of course) at an earlier age. Off-stage (but in the theatre) Scott enjoys both sound and lighting design, and the challenges each of these areas brings to his knowledge of design in the digital world. Broadway Sessions is certainly the start of a new chapter, bringing together many ongoing stories and plot lines, but allowing the love of theatre (musical theatre in particular) to continue in new and exciting ways.

When not strutting his stuff on stage, or manically helping out backstage or in the roof of a theatre, Scott is a web designer & developer, creating sites like this one! You can see more of his work at www.scottreynolds.com.au.

Serena Martino-Williams

Serena began performing with the Adelaide Youth Theatre in 2011 and since, has played many roles for the youth theatre such as Tracy in Hairspray, Mrs Potts in Beauty and the Beast, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Dragon in Shrek the Musical and most recently as Elphaba in their production of Wicked. Serena has also performed in many shows for Emma Knights Productions, including as Ado Annie in Oklahoma: On a Farm!, Buffy in Buffy Kills Edward and as New York Woman in I Love You Because.

Recently, Serena performed the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera for the G&S Society of SA, and has played Elphaba in Wicked and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. Serena has also performed many roles professionally for companies such as The Entertainment Store and Heaps Good Productions, most recently in the successful season of Snowmageddon at the South Australian Maritime Museum. In addition to musical theatre, Serena performs regularly with The Three Little Sisters, an Andrews Sisters tribute show, and performs in and directs The Honey-Bees, a 60s-tribute show.

Tegan Gully-Crispe (She/Her)

Tegan has appeared in amateur and professional shows since the age of nine, her favourite roles include Lois/Bianca in Kiss Me Kate (MCMT- 2006 and Co Opera SA - 2007), Ariel in Footloose (Matt Byrne Media – 2006), Lucy T Slut in Avenue Q (Matt Byrne Media – 2011), Rizzo in Grease (The Met – 2013), Calamity Jane in Calamity Jane (MCMT- 2014), Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (Hills Musical Company – 2014) and Julia in The Wedding Singer (MCMT- 2015).

For five years Tegan worked at the Night Train as a lead performer in their Adult, Kids and touring show, The Rockaholics, and has been the lead singer for Adelaide corporate and Party Band Jungle Jooce for the past 16 years. She also co-wrote, choreographed and performed in the sold out season of Villain-Ville: A Musical Exploration of Villainy and Evil in the 2015 Adelaide Fringe Festival.

More recently Tegan played Princess Fiona in AYT's Shrek, Tracy Samantha Lord in the METs High Society, Mayzie La Bird in NLTC’s Seussical in 2018 and Eva Peron in G&S' production of Evita in 2021. In April this year, Tegan will be playing Holly in Northern Light Theatre CO’s production of The Wedding Singer.

Session Band

Peter Johns (Piano/Musical Director)

Peter is a music director, accompanist, repertoire coach, and the founder of Irregular Productions - one half of the brains behind Broadway Sessions.

He has been a theatre music director since 2005, with a number of his shows winning local awards. Theatre Credits include: (as Music Director) Beautiful, Mamma Mia, Les Misérables, Next to Normal, Violet, The Story Of My Life, Songs For A New World, The Light In The Piazza, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, Into the Woods, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, [title of show], Edges, Avenue Q, Bring It On, Singing In The Rain, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver!, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Chicago, Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, Urinetown the Musical, Scrooge, The Witches of Eastwick, Little Shop of Horrors, Seussical the Musical, Grease, Once Upon a Mattress; (as Associate Music Director) Kinky Boots; (as Conductor) City of Angels, The Addams Family; (as Associate Conductor) Rent; (as Assistant Music Director) Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, South Pacific, Copacabana; as well as playing keyboard in over 25 other productions.

Besides co-producing Broadway Sessions, Irregular Productions has also staged the South Australian premieres of Songs for a New World, [title of show] and Edges, as well as a new production of Godspell (with Lydian Productions).

Peter is also the music director for Civic Park Carols, Australia's second-largest candlelight carols event, working with some of Adelaide’s finest musician’s and performers, as well as artists such as Justine Clarke, Guy Sebastian, Rachel Beck, and Jimmy Giggle.

Louis Cann (Bass)

Louis has been playing both double bass and bass guitar as long as he can remember. Beginning with lessons at the age of 7, he quickly developed his skills and decided that music was the career for him. Louis began playing for Musical Theatre shows in 2011, with the Northern Lights Theatre Company’s production of Beauty and the Beast, which coincidentally, was the beginning of a long-standing working relationship with Musical Director, Peter Johns! Since, Louis has played for many theatre companies around Adelaide, including Adelaide Youth Theatre, Lydian Productions, Pelican Productions, Davine Productions, Irregular Productions, Marie Clarke Musical Theatre, The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of South Australia, and Hills Musical Company. Some of his favourite shows to play for have been In the Heights, for Pelican Productions in 2019, and Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, for Davine Productions in 2020. In 2018, Louis had the privilege of playing in the pit for the Gordon Frost Organisation’s touring production of The Wizard of Oz. Louis graduated from the Elder Conservatorium of Music in 2016, with a Bachelor of Music (Classical Performance.) That same year, he began performing as a casual member of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra - some of his favourite performances include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Concert at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, and Last Night of the Proms at the Adelaide Festival Centre.

Max Ziliotto (Drums/Percussion)

Max Ziliotto has been performing since 2004, from concert bands, drumline and big band, to orchestral works and musical theatre. Prior to his acceptance as a Casual Percussionist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, he completed his Bachelor of Music in 2013 at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music under the tutelage of Amanda Grigg.

Born in Adelaide, Max began his musical journey under the guidance of Peter Matzick. Attending Marryatville High School, Max gained a wealth of performance opportunities including the Generations in Jazz festival in Mount Gambier. During his Undergraduate studies, Max won first place in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Snare Drum Award in 2011.

Max has been performing with the Elder Conservatorium's Music Theatre students' productions since 2021, most notably playing the drum score for Legally Blonde, directed by Broadway's Nikki Snelson in 2022.

Max was also an active member of the Raiders Drum Corps from 2006-2019, performing numerous times in the city's Christmas Pageant, and on stage with them at Australian Ultimate Drummers Weekend in Melbourne 2015. He has tutored at South Australian Music Camp multiple times, and has been in the house band of Broadway Sessions since its inception in 2015.