January Session: Performer’s Choice

Ali is a proud Scot continuing his Aussie adventure working as Box Office Manager for Adelaide Fringe. He is an experienced amateur performer being a member of various musical theatre groups, having also worked as a Singing Waiter at weddings, functions and events. His previous musical roles include Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Eddie in Sister Act, Link in Hairspray, Cortina in Made in Dagenham and ‘Star to Be’ in Annie. He has been immersed in the world of local pantomime in the UK, both on and offstage, as a performer, writer and director for the last 17 years.

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.

Catherine is an actor, singer, director and educator. Their credits include performances in Australia and New York in cabaret as well as nationally and internationally in musical theatre, opera, comedy, show bands, theatre, with Adelaide Chamber Singers and as an MC/host.
Cabaret includes: various Cabaret Festivals: solo show My Blue Angel (created & co-written with Frank Ford & toured to New York); trio Gentlemen Prefer Curves; Secret Love; various shows with visiting artists, including Jason Robert-Brown (Songs For A New World), Maltby & Shire (Take Flight), and Andrew Lippa. Other cabaret: Award-winning Berlin Cabaret (created the role of Greta); various solo shows including Baby! It’s Cabaret (at 9 months pregnant) and Around The World In 80 Bars. Music Theatre includes: The Witch in Sondheim’s Into The Woods (SA Premiere, Space Theatre); Mrs Mullins, Carousel (State Opera SA);  Mimi Schwinn, A New Brain (Davine Productions). Opera: State Opera SA (chorus member since 1997; various minor principal roles); roles with Co*Opera and Various People.
Teaching: UniSA Performing Arts (SA’s only non-auditioned experiential performing arts course); Elder Conservatorium; Ballarat Academy of Performing Arts; lead vocal tutor in Adelaide Festival Centre’s OnStage Performing Arts program. Catherine once sang backing vocals for Split Enz and has never quite gotten over it.

Chloe found her love for performing when she joined Pelican Productions at just nine years old. Her favourite camp roles have included Jasmine in Aladdin, Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, and Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls, along with participating in their mid-year musicals including Seussical Jr, The Little Mermaid Jr, School of Rock and most recently Legally Blonde as Serena. Chloe recently made her professional debut in the 2023 Adelaide Festival with Windmill Theatre in their production of Hans and Gret as the role of Clone Girl. Other roles have included Louisa in The Sound of Music by Emma Knights Productions and her most recent (and favourite) role has been Dawn in Waitress for Pelican Production's 2024 Music Theatre Camp.

Performing and choreographing for the upcoming Adelaide Fringe show ‘An Evening on Broadway,’ Claudia is currently Head of Performing Arts and Director of Choreography at VIVA Perfoming Arts.

Cooper is a singer, dancer, actor, musical theatre nerd, studying music theatre at VCA in 2024. He was part of the 2022 Class of Cabaret program. Cooper receives his vocal coaching from the fabulous Carolyn Ferrie and dances at Barbara Jayne Dance Centre. If he’s not at the piano playing and writing music, you will find him busking on Jetty Road Glenelg or playing vinyl.

When David is not performing in local musical theatre and cabaret, you can catch him busking at Adelaide's beaches and surrounding suburbs with his ukulele, performing puppets for children, and enjoying singalongs at old folks homes. His recent credits include playing Peter Allen in the Met's Boy from Oz, Princeton in Matt Byrne Media's Avenue Q. as well as leads in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for Opus, Little Shop of Horrors for Northern Light Theatre Company, and the local cabaret showcases Sing on Through Tomorrow and Homemade Fusion.

David recently played the role of Denny Doherty in the Davine Interventionz sell out season production of Flowerchildren – The Mamas and Papas Story after performing in Davine's 2013 production of Altar Boyz.

Gregory hails from the coastal town of Port Macquarie in NSW, and now calls Adelaide home. Most recently seen in The Australian Ballet’s Swan Lake at Sydney Opera House and Adelaide’s Festival Theatre, his other professional credits include Ziegfeld Boy (dir. Josh Sanders) with Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Jackson in Playback: 80’s Pop Show (dir. Renee Auciello) as part of Adelaide Fringe. Greg has completed a Diploma of Music Theatre at the Western Australian Academy of Music Theatre, where he was seen as Frank in Working: The Musical (dir, Nicole Stinton). Greg is in his final year of training with Elder Conservatorium, and most recently stepped into the ‘hooves’ of Donkey in Shrek the Musical.

Hayley is going into her third year of studying a bachelor of performance in Classical Voice at Sydney Con. She has lived in the Middle East for most of her life and returned back to Australia when she was 15. Aside from performance in countless musicals, the highlights of her musical career so far have been supporting Hugh Jackman in his roadshow in Australia and performing solo with the Qatar Phillharmonic Orchestra.

Jaxon is an avid 19 year old musical theatre performer and fan in Adelaide. Since he began performing regularly in 2017, Jaxon has explored various outlets of Adelaide theatre, performing in major shows, original musicals, and even his own cabaret. Jaxon’s love of Music Theatre has only grown since finding his niche, a challenge for him as a performer on the spectrum. Some notable roles include Captain Hook in Adelaide Theatre Academy’s Peter Pan (2020), Grantaire and Courfreyac in two productions of Les Misérables; the first with Adelaide Youth Theatre (2021), the latter with Northern Light Theatre Company (2022), and Joe Pesci in Northern Light Theatre Company’s Jersey Boys (2022). Jaxon is also keen within the background of theatre as the youngest MD in the history of Scouts SA's Performing Arts Branch for Adelaide Gang Show, where he initiated the return of a full youth band. Jaxon is also a keen Theatre Technician, working casually in a northern adelaide theatre. Jaxon is currently studying the Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Elder Conservatorium, with an aim to finish at the end of 2025.

Most recently, Jaxon performed in the Fringe-award winning Show Fountain Lakes: A Very Foxy Parody Musical, where he played the role of Kel Knight.

Karen has been involved with a number of theatre companies in Adelaide over the last 15 years. Some of her stage highlights include Oliver, Into the Woods, Beauty and the Beast, Avenue Q and Spamalot. Although she had a seven year run off stage in the role of "Mother of two", she recently made the return to the theatre by playing Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid, and in the ensemble of Les Misérables with Northern Light Theatre Company and Granny/Cinderella's Mother/Giant in Into the Woods with the G&S Society of South Australia.  You will also be able to see Karen in the upcoming production of Urinetown at the Hills Musical Company in the role of Old Ma Strong.

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.

Liam, 17, has been on the stage since he was 12. His passion for musical theatre struck after being in Pulteney Grammar School’s Wicked. Throughout his schooling, he has gone on to perform in Mary Poppins as Michael Banks, Matilda as Bruce Bogtrotter, and most recently Jesus Christ Superstar as Caiaphas. Liam looks forward to significantly improving all three aspects of his performance in his final year of schooling as he goes on to perform his final school show as Warner in Legally Blonde.

Lily has moved to the great Festival State from Melbourne, to study the Bachelor of Music Theatre at the Elder Conservatorium of Music. In April this year, she will be performing as Jo March in ECMT's production of Little Women (dir. Erin James). Previous ECMT credits include Fairy Godmother/Ensemble in Shrek the Musical (dir. Erin James) and Songs and Scenes: Magic, Myths and Monsters (dir. Joseph Simons). Prior to her move, Lily completed a Diploma of Musical Theatre at APO Arts Academy in Melbourne, graduating with the 2019 Achievement Award and the 2018 Showmanship Award. Lily is very excited to be joining this month's Broadway Sessions line-up!

After a busy 2023, Maddy is excited to be back on stage performing at Broadway Sessions. She has performed with Pelican Productions in their annual musical theatre camps for the past five years where she has had some wonderful roles including Mal from Descendants. In 2021 she played the role of Summer in School of Rock (Pelican Productions) alongside her wonderful vocal coach and mentor, Mim Sarre. Maddy has more recently played the role of Matilda in her schools production of Matilda, the loveable seagull Scuttle in the The Little Mermaid Jr (Shane Davidson Presents) and was fortunate to be selected as a soloist in the Public Primary Schools Festival of Music in September, 2022.

Mat Monti is a proudly pansexual, non-binary artist with a passion for theatre and activism. With training in musical theatre, cabaret, comedy and jazz, Monti is a performer with a diverse skill set; having performed in the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Fringe Festival, and was part of the Australian Premiere of Considering Matthew Shepard as part of Feast Festival in 2019. Monti took every opportunity thrown their way at the Elder Conservatorium, having played Chip Tolentino and U/S Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Judge Pitkin in On The Town: In Concert and Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd.

Monique Monti is a local music theatre lover and performer. She is currently working in retail and enjoys singing and writing songs in her spare time. Monique previously studied music and drama in high school, she performed in the Wedding Singer and was given the lead role in Mary Poppins throughout her highschool career. Monique is hoping to write and release music in the near future.

Noah Byrne is a tenor singer and composer who is currently undertaking music studies at Marryatville High School. From an early age Noah has had a love of music, making his opera debut at age twelve with the solo part of Frantik in Leoš Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen with State Opera SA for which he was also in the children’s chorus. Noah has been a regular vocal soloist at the South Australian Primary School Festival of Music, first performing a solo in 2018 and again in 2019 and was a guest artist in 2021 and 2022.

In March 2021, Noah took to the stage in the children’s chorus in the Adelaide Festival production of Neil Armfield’s adaptation of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, with the ASO and the following year performed in The Armed Man. He has been fortunate enough to travel to Tasmania to be a part of The Festival of Voices and to Mt Gambier for Generations in Jazz. He has just returned from The Junior Theatre Festival in Newcastle where he played Evan Goldman in 13 Jr, Davey in Newsies Jr and Hiccup in How to Train your Dragon Jr. He has performed in Les Misérables with AYT, Kristoff in Pelican’s Frozen Jr. and has recently been selected to participate in the 2024 Class of Cabaret.

Noah was previously a performer in Young Adelaide Voices Concert Choir and is currently the youngest performer in the Festival Statesman Chorus. His dedication to his studies has also rewarded him as winner of the Lobethal Harmony Club’s, Clara Serena Memorial Scholarship in 2022 and more recently is the 2023 June Genders Award recipient through the Male Metropolitan Choir of SA.

Pilates Instructor by day, Performer by night! A passion for Music Theatre, Oriana has been performing from age 8, undertaking Singing, Jazz, Ballet, Tap and Acting with The Johnny Young Talent School under the tuition of renowned mentors Malcolm Harslett, Bec Schembri, Gwen Mackey (OAM), Sue Scott, Rachel Symons, Tina Pollard (nee Casper), Debra Krizak and Kim Spargo. Oriana has completed her Ballet, Tap and Student Teachers' Examinations under the Commonwealth Society of Dancing.

At age 10, saw her first professional performance with Mighty Good Productions Pty Ltd in Humphrey B. Bear and his Magic Lamp with many other pantomimes following. Theatre credits include the roles of July (Annie, The Met), Brigitta (The Sound of Music, The Met). Helene (Sweet Charity, Mayfair Theatre Company) along with holiday entertainment as numerous Warner Bros. Suit Character roles for Conrad & Co Pty Ltd.

Part of The Three Chillies Cabaret group, this act has performed for numerous events around SA, including the Adelaide Fringe Festival, 2010, 2011 & 2012 receiving a 5 Star review for Hot Chillie Box accompanied by renowned pianist, Matthew Carey.  They performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2009) & Out of the Square as well as a fortnightly residency at Tongue Thai'd Restaurant from 2006-2010. Other Adelaide Fringe credits include lead Female Vocalist alongside Darren Mullen (founder of Hindley Street Country Club) in But I Won't Do That, Swamp Fairy under the direction of Jo Casson (DING Productions) and Sharon Angove.

Swamp Fairy performances include A Night on Broadway, Destination Broadway and Encore. Roles include Hunyak (Chicago), Carmen (Fame), Rumpleteazer (Cats). Oriana is currently a Backing Vocalist with Australia's Elvis Tribute Artist, Mark Anthony as well as International Elvis Tribute Artists at the Parkes Elvis Festival 2018/2019, American Trilogy 2018, Cooly Rocks On Festival, 2023 and Royal Carribean, Blue Suede Cruise 2023.

Tahlia Hope is a local musician, and playwright. She is currently working for AJZ Productions where she has written and released her first two plays I Am... and When the Curtains are Closed. She has also composed the music for the company's past eight productions. Currently, Tahlia is working with AJZ productions as a Creative Arts Tutor and she is also working on recording and preparing to release her debut album Dream-Like State.

Zachary Baseby is 23 years old and has had a burning passion for all things musical theatre related from a very young age, starting from his first performance in 2008 as Humpty Dumpty in Surprising Old King Cole (Stars on Stage). From there on, he has trained with various acting schools such as Actors Ink., Theatrebugs, Mighty Good Productions, and Heesom Casting before performing in his first musical theatre show in 2017 with The Parks Youth Theatre as an ensemble member in Grease.

Some of Zachary’s theatre highlights over the past few years have been: The Grinch in Seussical (NLTC, 2018), Horton the Elephant in Seussical Jr (Shane Davidson Presents, 2020), Javert in Les Misérables (NOW Productions, 2021), The Wolf in Into the Woods (Adelaide Youth Theatre, 2022), Uncle Fester in The Addams Family (Alternative Theatre Company, 2022), Wadsworth in Clue (Phoenix Variety & Music Group, 2023), Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid (Balaklava Community Arts, 2023) and most recently, the titular role in Peter Pan: A Christmas Pantomime (Blackwood Players, 2023).

Other than theatre, Zachary has also appeared in two short films to date created by students of Flinders University: Plastic Aeroplane (2018) and Rock, Paper, Scissors (2019). He has also appeared in two full length film projects with NOW Productions as the role of Bobby Packer in TEN FOUR, Agent Percash: REWIND, and Detective Jamieson in their spin-off adaptation: RED DAWN.

Recently, Zachary has landed his most recent roles as Cretin in Agatha Twisty: A Murder in Pantoland for the Adelaide Fringe 2024 and venturing into his first show with the G&S Society of South Australia in their May 2024 production of Oklahoma!

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.