|
Patrons
SIMON GALLAHER
Simon Gallaher is a theatrical star, singer, musician, pianist, hit songwriter and respected theatrical producer and entrepreneur. He started his entrepreneurial exploits by endeavouring to promote his own career as a performer as early as 1977 when he staged his first concert season in his home town of Brisbane. As no promoter was interested in Simon's potential, he decided to risk all in an attempt to showcase his talent to a local public who had some knowledge of the young singer from his earlier television show which he hosted for 2 years from the age of 15.
Only months after his successful concert debut, Simon's career was launched nationally through the highly successful The Mike Walsh Show followed quickly by a tour across Australia with Hollywood legend Debbie Reynolds. Suddenly thousands of viewers around Australia discovered the talent of this young Queenslander and he quickly won the hearts of Australians eager to see his concerts and buy his recordings.
In 1982 Simon became the youngest entertainer to be given his own night-time television variety show running for two successful seasons on ABC-TV. Then in 1984 he made the transition to the stage in the Australian production of the Broadway smash hit "The Pirates of Penzance" playing the role of Frederic. Together with Jon English he played for almost three years and over 700 performances in one of the most successful musical productions in Australian history. As an actor he has also performed as Cornelius in "Hello Dolly"; the title role of Karl Franz in the Lyric Opera's revival of "The Student Prince"; Freddie Eynsford-Hill in the hit revival of "My Fair Lady" and more recently in creating the roles of Nanki-Poo in his company's production of The Mikado, Ralph Rackstraw in his company's production of HMS Pinafore and romantic tenor Camille in Essgee's two productions of The Merry Widow.
In 1992 Gallaher's company again took on the entrepreneurial task of a national capital city tour entitled An Unforgettable Evening combining his talents with Australian singer Julie Anthony, conductor Tommy Tycho and the symphony orchestra in each city's major concert hall. After this success he was determined to make his ultimate dream a reality by recreating The Pirates of Penzance in a new 1990's version. In 1995 Essgee Entertainment and the Pirates creative team brought a new version of The Mikado to the stage to more critical acclaim and a loyal audience hungry for this fresh approach to musical theatre.
Simon returned to the musical stage in 2001 to recreate his role of Frederic in his new anniversary production of The Pirates of Penzance which played through until 2003 marking a 20 year period since first performing the show with Jon English. He and his organisation along with composer Michael Harvey produced a new $6 million Australian musical entitled EUREKA which opened in Melbourne in October 2004 to rave reviews. 2005 saw Simon return to the concert stage once more but this time joining forces with Julie Anthony in a special show written for them entitled Together At Last. They continued to tour together for limited engagements in 2006 and have just released a new CD under the same title.
Simon recently announced a new initiative for his company which is producing a series of music-theatre workshops for kids and students entitled Showstoppers which commenced in Brisbane in January 2007. It was an immense success with further workshops and events planned.
LEISA BARRY-SMITH
Leisa is a familiar face to Brisbane audiences and has been performing professionally since the age of fifteen. Leisa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the QUT’s Academy of the Arts in 1990, majoring in acting and directing. During her study she played principal roles in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Melba, The Killing of Sister George, Ubu Roi and Technique - The Mechanical Skill of Art. Her directing credits include Charlie the Chicken, The End of the Picnic and Inner Voices.
As a member of close harmony cabaret group, "Vocalpoint" Leisa appeared with a wide range of Australian personalities including Anthony Warlow, Tina Arena, Rhonda Burchmore, Rick Price and Yothu Yindi. She has toured Japan, Indonesia and Taiwan, as well as performing throughout Australia.
Leisa’s music theatre roles include Eponine in Les Miserables, Mary Magdelene in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Wood’s, Sister Robert Ann in Nunsense II, and Sylviane in The Merry Widow. In 1997 Leisa had the pleasure of touring Australia and New Zealand with Simon Gallaher and Jon English in HMS Pinafore in which she understudied and performed the roles of Buttercup and the Absolutely Fabulettes. Their association continued with the Australian and New Zealand tours of Stephen Sondheim’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to The Forum in which she understudied and performed the role of Domina. Concert performances include Kiss Me Kate for the Brisbane Festival, Bernstein on Broadway and Civic Gala Concert with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and the Lord Mayors Gala Concert 2000.
Leisa is also in demand as a scriptwriter and director and has just completed writing and directing several corporate theatre showcases for Opera Queensland.
2001 saw Leisa reprising her Perform Award nominated role as Judy Denmark in the award winning musical, Ruthless. She also toured Queensland in Federation Ragtime, a piece written especially for the Centenary of Federation.
JASON BARRY-SMITH
Since graduating from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 1991, Jason Barry-Smith has rapidly established a reputation as one of Australia’s most sought after singers. In 1991 he was awarded the Queensland Conservatorium Medal for Excellence, in 1992 won the Marianne Mathy Scholarship in the Australian Singing Competition, and in 2001 he won Opera Foundation Australia’s Italian Opera Award. He has also studied at the Musikhockschule in Munich, with Professor Hanno Blaschke, during 1989-90 and in London with Janice Chapman in 1999.
His experience to date embraces concerts, opera and music theatre. As a concert soloist he has performed Faure’s Requiem (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Haydn’s Paukenmesse (Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra), Bach’s St John Passion (Brisbane Chorale), Butterley’s Lawrence Hargrave Flying Alone (Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Bach’s St Matthew Passion, Christmas Oratorio and Purcell’s Ode to St Cecilia’s Day (Bach Society of Queensland), The Hoffnung Concert, Bernstein on Broadway and The Lord Mayor’s Gala Concert 2000 (Queensland Symphony Orchestra), Glorious Vienna in Melbourne with stars of Opera Australia, and The Pops Concert at the 4MBS Festival 2000, Tunes Tender and Triumphant with the Queensland Pops Orchestra and the return season of Scotland the Brave in the Melbourne Concert Hall.
Jason’s versatility is reflected in the wide range of roles he has undertaken in both opera and musical theatre. While still studying at the Queensland Conservatorium, Jason performed the title role in the Australian premiere of Billy Budd. Other roles include Enjolras in Les Miserables (Wellington Operatic), Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance (Essgee Productions), Morales in Carmen (Opera Queensland), the title role of Don Giovanni, for which he won a National Opera Award (Opera Queensland), the Boatswain in HMS Pinafore (Essgee Melodies), Dr Falke in Fledermaus (Opera Queensland), Danilo in The Merry Widow (Essgee Melodies), Kiss Me, Kate! (1998 ENERGEX Brisbane Festival), Escamillo in Carmen (Opera 21, Belfast); and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, the title role of The Barber of Seville and Guglielmo in Cosi fan Tutte for Opera Queensland.
In 2001 Jason was a soloist in the world premiere of Richard Mills’ new work, Symphonic Poems, with The Queensland Orchestra. His opera calendar included his debuts as Papageno in The Magic Flute for Opera Queensland, Marullo in Rigoletto for Oz Opera and Mathieu in Andrea Chenier for The State Opera of South Australia. For the first five months of 2002 he wwas resident at an opera house in Italy.
|
