September Session: Unplugged

Andrew has been around for a while having played in bands since the early 80's.  This is his first foray into the musical theatre world though .. unless you count the 1980 appearance as Louis Leonowens in a highschool production of The King and I or an even earlier Primary School outing as the Artful Dodger. He has never played Pokémon Go. Honest.

Cara is an international choral and theatre performer with her feet firmly planted in musical theatre. She started on stage in the days before mobile phones and microphones for amateur performers. Should you know her, it explains a lot!

Cara has appeared in various television shows and films as well as a panellist for The Project (Ch 10). Cara is also a stagecraft, character development and movement for stage teacher through her own studio as well as producing successful burlesque shows for Adelaide Fringe and a variety of charity nights around Adelaide. She has participated in over 21 years of Adelaide Fringes and has been performing, in total, for over 30 years. She now produces cabaret shows with her company Burly Q Events.

Cara's hobbies include handicrafts, costuming and destroying bigots on the internet. She likes playfully teasing sopranos and intends to clean her room soon.

Casmira is an experienced performer and teacher with a great passion for storytelling. Highlights have included performing the role of ‘Violet’ in Davine Productions’ Violet (for which she won the TASA award for Best Female Performance 2017) and 'Fantine' in the G&S Society's production of Les Misérables (for which she was nominated for a Curtain Call: Best Female Performance 2018).

In 2018 she performed in Edges with Irregular Productions for the Adelaide Fringe, ‘Shelby’ in Steel Magnolias with IpSkip,'The Lady of the Lake' in Spamalot with Marie Clark (winner of Best Ensemble Curtain Call 2018), and the ‘Sour Kangaroo’ in Seussical with Northern Light. In 2019 Casmira played nine characters in Judge Jackie: Disorder in the Court with Davine Productions (which won Best Ensemble and Best Musical at the 2019 Curtain Call Awards, as well as the TASA for Best Musical) and Lynette ‘Squeaky’ Fromme in Assassins for Hills Musical Company.

Professionally, Casmira has acted and provided voices for several short films and children’s productions. She also spent many years directing and music directing musicals for Adelaide Theatre Academy, including Snow White and Alice in Wonderland for the Festival Centre’s ‘Something on Saturday’ program. Her fondest memories are working with Peter Combe in directing and choreographing his Adelaide Fringe shows from 2013-2015.

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.

Jennifer Cruise has recently completed a degree in social work at Flinders University and is fairly new to the Adelaide musical scene. Last season Jennifer participated as a chorus member in all three shows in the G&S fest and is currently a member of the Soul Factor Gospel choir. Jennifer has been under the tutelage of Peter Hopkins for the last two years and is looking forward to performing at Broadway Sessions for the first time.

Originally from the US, Jeri Williams immigrated to Adelaide in 2011. She’s a born performer, growing up singing in choirs, glee club, a pop/R&B girl group, and musical theatre. She got her start in theatre performing in the ensemble of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at age 16. After school, Jeri got a job singing in an acapella group at a theme park in Florida, which led to being cast as Wendy Darling by Disney Cruise Line. Jeri spent her early 20s working and performing on various cruise ships with her husband.

Since making Adelaide her home, Jeri has delved into the local theatre scene on a few occasions, being cast in leading roles in NLTC’s Into The Woods (2012) as the Baker’s Wife; G&SSA’s Guys & Dolls (2015) as Adelaide and NLTC's Mack and Mabel (2016) as Mabel.

When life gets too busy for a full show schedule, Jeri enjoys singing with the Civic Park Carols Choir and joining in for a sing at Broadway Sessions as often as possible.

Jonathon is currently in his second year at Federation University Arts Academy in Ballarat studying a Bachelor of Music Theatre. Earlier this year he had the opportunity of playing the role of 'Mrs. White' in a new Australian musical called Showtrain at FedUni and in a few weeks time Jonathon will be playing the role of 'Albert Petersen' in Bye Bye Birdie. His Adelaide theatre credits include, Grease with The Met, The Addams Family with Matt Byrne Media and Young Frankenstein with Marie Clark Music Theatre. He has been completing vocal coaching with Ursula White for five years, and with Robyn Womersly and Richard Chew at University.

Jonathon's dream role is Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening, as well as Bud Frump in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

Kate Neville is 16 years old and has been singing, dancing and acting for 8 years. Kate studies songwriting, voice and audio production at The Studio and Star Factory and takes vocal lessons with Kirsty Roberts and Emma Riggs. Kate also currently dances at TIDC Performing Arts Studio. Kate fell in love with Musical Theatre at the age of 10 when she performed in the professional production of Adelaide’s season of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with TML Enterprises. Since then, Kate has performed with various companies including Adelaide Youth Theatre, Heaps Good Productions, Spark of Inspiration, Promise Adelaide, Australian Classical Youth Ballet, Pelican Productions, Broadway 4 Kids and Loreto College.

Musicals Kate has performed in include; Alice in Wonderland (Small Alice), Charlotte's Web the Musical (Fern), Annie (Annie), Peter Pan (Tinkerbell), Mary Poppins (Michael and Mary Poppins) and Behind The Front- A tribute to the Battle of Fromelles. Kate travelled and performed in the United States with the Australian Youth Performing Arts Team including the Candlelight Processional Choir at Epcot Park and The Junior Theatre iTheatrics Celebration in Atlanta. Kate also had the privilege to be Performing Arts Vice Captain for her school’s Annual Performing Arts Festival in June.

Kate has a passion for songwriting and has been writing songs since 2017 with mentor Tori Marshall. Kate wrote her first song Somewhere Like Home which was a tribute to the Manchester Bombings at Ariana Grande’s concert and reached number #4 on the Singer-Songwriter Australian iTunes Charts. Kate has also co-written with Alexandra Hosking where she recorded and released her second song Counting Stars after receiving the Jemma Rix scholarship. Kate's passion for songwriting and musical theatre is continually developing and she can’t wait for many more exciting opportunities in the future.

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.

Katie has played such roles in Adelaide as Little Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, Lady Thiang in The King & I, Antonia in Man of La Mancha as well as Footnote in Pratchett Pieces for the Adelaide Fringe Festival. After moving to Melbourne in 2005 she played The Narrator in Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Lt. Janice Fury in M*A*S*H, Pamela Lukowski in The Full Monty and received Lyrebird Award nominations for playing Sister Amnesia in Nunsense & Nunsense 2. She also played one of her dream roles, The Witch in Into The Woods as well as the wonderful Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn in The Music Man. Since moving back to Adelaide in 2015, Katie has portrayed Margaret Johnson in The Light In The Piazza for the 2016 Adelaide Fringe Festival and Jen in John & Jen. She had the opportunity to work with composer John Bucchino on his show It’s Only Life for the 2018 Adelaide Fringe Festival, to be a part of the small ensemble cast of Godspell, and portrayed Judge Jackie Justice in Judge Jackie: Disorder in the Court for the 2019 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Most recently she portrayed Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley.

Katie has Musically Directed The Outsiders, All The New Stuff, Kids On Broadway, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Godspell, Little Shop Of Horrors, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, The Wedding Singer, Seussical The Musical, The Wizard Of Oz, Annie, Once Upon A Mattress and most recently Betty Blue Eyes. She also had the opportunity to co-direct for the first time with Avenue Q in 2014.

Kristin is a music teacher, musician, and performer based in the Adelaide Hills. Favourite musical theatre roles include: Muriel (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - Hills Musical Company 2022); Laura (High Fidelity - Hills Musical Company 2021); Vivienne (Legally Blonde - The MET 2021); Simone (Shane Warne The Musical - Segue Productions 2020); Elizabeth (If/Then - Segue Productions 2018); Cathy (The Last Five Years - Segue Productions 2017); Clara (The Light In The Piazza - Davine Productions 2016); Inga (Young Frankenstein - Marie Clark Musical Theatre 2014); Smitty (How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying - Marie Clark Musical Theatre 2013); and Ensemble/Lady of The Lake Understudy (Spamalot - Marie Clark Musical Theatre 2018). Kristin will be playing Ms Gardner/Female Authority Voice in Carrie The Musical with Hills Musical Company in November 2023.

Kristin holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the Elder Conservatorium, majoring in Classical Piano, and has extensive accompanying and pit experience. Music Direction credits include: Heathers: The Musical (Segue Productions 2019); Calamity Jane (Marie Clark Musical Theatre 2014); Poor Expectations (Investigator College 2014); Mulan Jr (Investigator College 2013); and Honk! (Investigator College 2011).

Kristin teaches piano, voice, violin and music theory, and loves seeing students grow in confidence as they develop their skills in music.

Lauren started her musical career after following in her parents’ footsteps and performing in her high school musicals, then with a local musical society in the Riverland. She has been involved in various choirs and has 21 years of calisthenics training behind her. She also worked at Pelican Productions Music Theatre Camp SA for 7 years as a choreographer and supervisor.

Lauren has an extensive background in Adelaide productions as a performer, choreographer, assistant director and production manager. Her onstage highlights include Jolene Oakes in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with OPUS Performing Arts, Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music with Northern Light Theatre Company and Graziella/Soloist in West Side Story with The Metropolitan Musical Society. More recently she assisted the director on The Hills Musical Company’s Legally Blonde and South Australian Light Opera Society’s The Student Prince, and directed Seaford Secondary College’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Lauren had her directorial debut earlier this year with Northern Light Theatre Company's version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Leah Boots is currently at school in year nine at Marryatville High. She loves singing, acting and dancing. So far she has been in a few musicals, such as Chip in Beauty and the Beast (NLTC), Little Cosette in Les Misérables, and Gabriella in High School Musical, and has also done a bit of TV work. She has also performed as part of the ensemble in a few Pelican Productions performances such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bring It On. Leah has been a featured soloist in the Festival of Music (twice), and an assisting artist.

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 Urinetown, 42nd Street, Crazy 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.

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.

Sophie graduated from WAAPA in 2014 where she had the great opportunity and honour to work with such names as Tayna Mitford, Jason Langley, Lisa O'Dea and the head of Performing Arts at WAAPA Andrew Lewis. Throughout her time there she was featured in roles such as Sheila in Hair, Mae Colman in Reefer Madness and Consuela in West Side Story and had the privilege to perform with Hugh Jackman. After moving to Melbourne she took a contract as the lead vocalist on one of Royal Caribbeans newest ships – The Quantum of the Seas. She returns to Australia excited to continue pursuing her dreams of working in musical theatre.

Tom is an actor with an increasingly disconcerting habit of wandering onto cabaret stages. In 2017, he received vocal training at AC Arts and starred in his first two professional productions (Will Eno's Title and Deed and Adam Rapp's Nocturne). In 2019, he directed and performed in the Australian première of Nerve by Adam Szymkowicz, for which both he and co-star Katherine Silbereisen were nominated for ATG Curtain Call Awards.

Outside of theatre projects, Tom has been active in the comedy scene since 2015, both online and onstage, often in collaboration with Sebastian Benn.

Zak is currently in his third year at the Victorian College of the Arts studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre). He has been passionate about theatre for as long as he can remember, undertaking both on and offstage roles for a variety of productions. He has completed a Certificate IV in Commercial Dance at Gravity Dance, specialising in tap, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, ballroom and ballet.

Zak’s choreography credits include Singin’ in the Rain JR (2017, TB Arts, Fringe Festival), A Peter Combe Extravaganza! (2017, Something on Saturday) and A Night on Broadway (2014, Glenunga High School). Zak made his professional debut with State Opera of South Australia’s production of Hansel and Gretel. Since then, he has played many memorable roles such as Boq in Wicked the Musical (2016, Matt Byrne Media), Mary Sunshine in Chicago (2017, Emma Knights Productions), The Tinman in The Wiz (2013, GIHS), Danny in Grease (2014, GIHS), Bert in Mary Poppins (2014, GIHS) and also appeared as a featured dancer in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2016, G&S Society of SA).

An avid performer, he has entertained at many events around Adelaide, such as the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the Royal Adelaide Show and Adelaide's Clipsal 500, as well as at private functions, weddings and parties. Zak also works as an entertainer for Nickelodeon and Showtime Attractions and has performed in many children’s shows with them.

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 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.