“Beg, Borrow, or steal your ticket to Life Like Company’s The Light in the Piazza”
Broadway World
Summer 1953: Margaret Johnson (Chelsea Plumley), an elegant and strong-willed Southern woman, has taken her daughter, Clara (Genevieve Kingsford), on a vacation to Italy. When a gust of wind blows Clara’s hat right into the hands of Fabrizio (Jonathan Hickey), a young Italian gentleman, neither age nor language nor familial disapproval can stop their whirlwind love affair. As Clara and Fabrizio fall into each other’s arms, Margaret must grapple with the question of whether to disclose Clara’s devastating secret to Fabrizio’s family, potentially destroying her daughter’s happiness.
With soaring melodies that set it apart from most contemporary musical theatre, The Light in the Piazza is a story about mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and the deeply intertwined emotions of love and loss. With a Book by Craig Lucas, Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel, and a winner of six Tony Awards, this modern musical will take your breath away.
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Margaret Johnson
Chelsea Plumley
Chelsea Plumley is one of the rare artists who can bend an audience to her will, break their hearts, then render them breathless with laughter. An expert technician, Plumley combines subtlety, sophistication, strength, volatility, vulnerability, humour and delicious physical comedy with a voice to thrill.
Stage highlights: Blood Brothers, Guys and Dolls, Sunset Boulevard, City of Angels, Promises Promises, Kismet, Life’s A Circus, Company, Grease, Breast Wishes, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Host of Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music.
Television Highlights: seven seasons as the Queen of the Fairies in William and Sparkles’ Magical Tales, guest coach and accompanist on I Will Survive, and Offspring.
Clara Johnson
Genevieve Kingsford
Genevieve graduated from the London School of Musical Theatre in 2014. Credits whilst training include Violet in Violet (Bridewell Theatre) and Martine in RSVP ASAP; workshops included Annie in The Faith Machine, Rose in Ruddigore and Rosalind in As You Like It. She debuted playing Johanna in Sweeney Todd at the Twickenham Theatre. This production won the 2015 What’s On Stage Award for Best Off-West End Production.
Since returning to live in Australia, Genevieve has performed in the Australian International Opera Company’s China tour of La Traviata and in Sing On Through Tomorrow, a musical review by acclaimed Australian composer Matthew Lee Robinson.
Fabrizio Naccarelli
Jonathan Hickey
Jonathan’s performance journey began at the age of 9 where he was trained as a boy soprano for the St John’s Cathedral choir. In 2010 he was fortunate enough to attain a 1-year scholarship to live and study in northern Italy, where he studied its beautiful language and culture. He then went on to study a Bachelor of Musical Theatre at the Queensland Conservatorium. Jonathan is a multi-instrumentalist having attained his Associate Diploma on violin in 2010.
In his spare time, he enjoys composing music and playing guitar in his family band ‘Chinatown Carpark’. For the past two years he has toured schools throughout regional Queensland as part of Opera Queensland’s Open Stage program such as FiZZ!. Jonathan made his Sydney debut earlier in 2016 in The Fantasticks at the Hayes Theatre.
Giuseppe Naccarelli
Josh Piterman
Josh Piterman, actor and fitness model, trained at The University of Ballarat Arts Academy where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Music Theatre) in 2006. Josh most recently starred as Gus, Growltiger and Bustopher in Really Useful Group’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS.
Previously, Josh has played Corny Collins in the UK touring production of Hairspray, Ramon Gutierrez in An Officer And A Gentleman for GFO, Michael in Grease 2 for StageArt, and The Caliph in Kismet for The Production Company. Prior to that, Josh performed the lead role of Tony in the 2010/2011 national production of West Side Story.
In 2010 Josh performed alongside Geoffrey Rush in The Drowsy Chaperone with the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), where he understudied and performed the role of George.
Franca Naccarelli
Madison Green
Madison graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in 2014 with a Bachelor of Music (Musical Theatre).
She then joined the regional tour of Back To Broadway: A Concert Tribute to Cole Porter and Irving Berlin (Style Music/Country Arts) before joining the World Premiere cast of Georgy Girl – The Seekers Musical, understudying and performing the lead role of Judith Durham throughout the Melbourne and Sydney seasons.
Signor Naccarelli
Anton Berezin
Anton had his first professional acting engagement in Larry’s Song at the age of 18 at the Malthouse Theatre. He subsequently trained at the Actors Centre, London and landed his first major role in a musical as Anthony Warlow’s understudy in The Secret Garden during 1995-1996. He has since had roles in Australian productions of Wicked, The Producers, Side Show Alley, Cabaret the Musical, Follies, Fiddler on the Roof, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Cats, Mack and Mabel, Sondheim on Sondheim, Anything Goes, Rain the Musical, Doctor Zhivago as the alternate lead, Mr Eichelberg in Promises Promises, The Reciter in Pacific Overtures and received rave reviews as The Bank Manager in Once the Musical and Stine in City of Angels.
On television, Anton has had roles in Jack Irish, Neighbours, The Secret Life of Us, Marshall Law, MDA, Miss Fischer’s Murder Mysteries and most recently, The Divorce.
Signora Naccarelli
Johanna Allen
Johanna has worked in musical theatre, theatre, opera, film, television, and cabaret. She holds a Bachelor of Music (hons Music Performance), a Bachelor of Arts (Drama Performance and Direction), with further study: Mr Daniel Ferro, Juilliard School New York.
Australian theatre credits include: The Threepenny Opera, Into the Woods, Wicked and Dr Zhivago. Opera credits include Ode to Nonsense and numerous roles as part of the State Opera of South Australia Young Artist Program. With Opera Australia she has appeared in The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, Cloudstreet and Dead Man Walking.
Most recently she has starred in The Sound of Music as Sister Sophia and appeared in Showboat, The Phantom of the Opera, Assassins, Company, Dogfight and The Songs that Got Away.
Roy Johnson
Jeremy Stanford
Jeremy has had a long and varied career in musical theatre which began with his portrayal of Buddy in The Buddy Holly Story. Other credits include High Society, Company, Sweet Charity, Looking Through A Glass Onion, The Club for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Gordon/Frost’s, Hello Dolly! in which he played Cornelius Hackle.
Recently Jeremy’s credits include South Pacific in which he played Commander Harbison; he also recreated Hugo Weaving’s famous role of Tick in the stage production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert – the Musical, which became the highest grossing Australian musical of all time.
Priest
Colin Dean
Colin Dean is a proud Tasmanian. In Hobart’s magnificent Theatre Royal, Colin has played leading roles such as Bill Snibson in Me & My Girl, Sky Masterson in Guys n Dolls, Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden and Captain Von Trapp The Sound Of Music. Other favorites include Javert in Les Miserable and Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd.
Colin performed in the ensemble of Billy Elliott, whilst understudying/performing the roles of Dad and George, he was also in the ensemble for Jekyll & Hyde, the Taiwan tour. 2012 saw Colin play Squelch the Strong Man in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies and then in 2014 playing Billy in the multi award winning & Australian premiere of Once – A New Musical, for which he was nominated for a Helpmann Award. Since late 2015, Colin has been touring with the Palladium Anniversary production of The Sound of Music.
Ensemble
Ashleigh Hauschild
Originally from Adelaide, Ashleigh appeared in various productions including Spring Awakening as Wendla (Gin and Vodka Productions), Hansel and Gretel (The State Opera of South Australia) and was a lead vocalist at the Port Power Fundraiser Gala Dinner at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre. After study in Melbourne, she performed in Hello, Dolly! (Magnormous) and sang at the Victorian Cancer Council’s Tuxedo Junction “Raise The Roof”. Ashleigh played Lilly in Cinderella (Victorian Opera) and performed in the Australian tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (TML Enterprises).
Most recently Ashleigh toured Australia and New Zealand with CATS the musical (Really Useful Group/Lunchbox Productions), performed in Follies In Concert (Storeyboard Entertainment), Funny Girl (The Production Company) and Curtains (The Production Company). She was also a semi-finalist in the prestigious Rob Guest Endowment.
Ensemble
Tobias Madden
Originally from Ballarat, Tobias trained at the Ballarat Ballet Centre. He then studied at Brent Street in Sydney, before completing a Bachelor of Music Theatre at WAAPA.
Tobias played Valentine (understudying and performing the role of Bert) in the Aus/NZ tour of Mary Poppins, and recently performed as Carbuckety in the Aus/NZ tour of CATS . Other credits include: Corporal Calvin in Guys and Dolls; Rod in Singin’ in the Rain (both for The Production Company); Harry the Horse in Harvest Rain’s Guys and Dolls; Paul in Loving Repeating; Pippin; Oklahoma!; Hollywood Honkytonk; Princess Cruises; The Aussie Boys; and various workshops in Melbourne and Sydney.
Director
Theresa Borg
Theresa Borg has worked in the theatre as a principal performer, writer and director. Her sung roles include Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Cosette in Les Miserables, Jellylorum/ Griddlebone in Cats and Hope in Anything Goes! for producers including Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Company. For Victorian Opera, Theresa sang Papaghena in the inaugural Gala Concert, Mrs Samsa in Metamorphoses, a Green Room nominated performance of Angelique in Angelique and Zerbinetta in Ariadne Auf Naxos. Opera Australia/Oz Opera highlights include Musetta in La Bohéme, Eliza cover for My Fair Lady and The Queen of the Night for Sing Your Own Opera! Events. In 2014, Theresa played Fosca in Passion for Life Like Company.
Theresa has directed and written over 20 family musicals. These include Scooby-Doo Live! Level Up, Octonauts Live: Operation Reef Shield, Chuggington Live: The Great Rescue Adventure, Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries, and Sesame Street presents Elmo’s World Tour. These shows have toured Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
In 2015 Theresa was Associate Director on City of Angels for Life Like Company. Theresa also directed The Consul for Gertrude Opera, La Cenerentola for Citiopera, and she was delighted to write and direct Disney in Concert Under the Stars for The Walt Disney Company and Live Nation earlier this year.
Musical Director
Vanessa Scammell
Vanessa has an extremely diverse portfolio of work as a conductor of ballet, musical theatre, concert repertoire and opera.
Post graduate study includes a Masters in conducting and she has been the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award and the Robert and Elizabeth Albert Conducting Fellowship for The Australian Ballet.
Conducting credits include:
The Australian Ballet: The Dream, Body Torque, Nutcracker.
Opera Australia: South Pacific, La Traviata (Oz Opera).
Music Theatre: The Producers, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera, Titanic, Cats and Fiddler on the Roof.
Having conducted the Sydney, Queensland, Melbourne, Christchurch, Perth and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, concert credits include: Broadway to La Scala; Peter and Jack starring Barry Humphries, Idina Menzel LIVE – Barefoot at the Symphony; The Wiggles: Lea Salonga in Concert.
Vanessa was Music Director for The Divorce, a commissioned opera for TV for Opera Australia, Princess Pictures and the ABC, and will return as Music Director for The Helpmann Awards and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2016.
Choreographer
Jo-Anne Robinson
Jo-Anne Robinson has had a varied career as a performer, choreographer and director around the world. Her career began as a performer in the West End of London in productions including No No Nannette, A Chorus Line (Dance Captain), Oklahoma! (lead dancer & dance captain) and a variety of Royal Command Performances. She soon began working as a choreographer and director for a variety of productions, these include assistant director/choreographer on Flowers For Algernon with director, Peter Coe; and Cats in London, New York and Vienna, with director, Trevor Nunn and choreographer, Gillian Lynne.
Her work as a choreographer includes Little Shop of Horrors, Hunting of the Snark, Aspects of Love and Nine. Jo-Anne’s work as resident director/choreographer on Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon has taken her around the world. Jo-Anne re-created the direction and choreography of Cats in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Qatar, Scandinavia, Greece and Germany. Jo-Anne has also worked as director/choreographer on The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, South Pacific, Mack and Mabel, Into the Woods, Titanic the Musical and Jekyll & Hyde.
Costume Designer
Kim Bishop
The Light In The Piazza is the second show Kim has designed for Life Like Company having last year designed the costumes for the highly acclaimed City Of Angels. Kim has been Costume Designer for The 39 Steps and They’re Playing Our Song (HIT Productions, National tours) Barassi – The Stage Show (The Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne) Singin’ In The Rain, The Producers, Kismet, The King & I, The Boyfriend, Crazy For You, Mame, Damn Yankees, 42nd Street and Sweet Charity (The Production Company, Arts Centre Melbourne) and was extremely happy to do the costumes for the very successful The Boy From Oz.
As well as designing, Kim has a successful career in many other facets of the theatre costume industry. He has toured as Head of Wardrobe on many large scale musicals including The King & I, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, South Pacific, The Rocky Horror Show, Aida – The Spectacular, The Merchants Of Bollywood, Singin’ In The Rain, Shout, Moonshadow and One Man Two Guvnors. The all Australian, world premier seasons of The Boy From Oz and Dusty – The Original Pop Diva, were particular highlights.
He has dressed on Grease, Shirley Maclaine, Cats, Sugar Babies, Guys & Dolls, A Little Night Music, Shane Warne – The Musical, for Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet to name a few. Kim has made costumes with legendary costumier Bob Murphy and for some years had the pleasure of touring the world as Wardrobe Manager with Torvill & Dean and their international ice skating companies, playing everywhere from his home town Melbourne to Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden and Wembley.
The Bali Safari & Marine Park’s spectacular, Bali Agung, has a cast of 150 people from local villages and features exotic animals including a camel, white tiger, hornbills, ducks and eight elephants. When the concept was being realized, they called on Kim to teach the local crew how to establish and run their Wardrobe Department.
Set / Lighting Designer
Tom Willis
Tom is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, where he studied lighting design under John Comeadow and Nick Schlieper. Since graduating in 2008, he has established himself as a successful freelance designer, working on a wide range of projects spanning traditional theatre, puppetry, dance, circus, opera, musical theatre and cabaret. His work has been nominated for two Green Room Awards, most recently for Life Like Company’s City of Angels in 2015 and 4 Larks’ The Temptation of St. Antony in 2012.
As a lighting designer, notable projects include:
City of Angels, Scooby Doo Live: Level Up!, Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Peppa Pig’s Big Splash (Life Like Touring), Mother (IF Theatre / Regional Arts Victoria), Money Shots (Sydney Theatre Company), The Plague Dances (Malthouse), Orpheus, The Temptation of St. Antony, Undine, Peer Gynt (4 Larks), The Ugly One, The Pigeons (Griffin Independent), Pale Blue Dot (OpticNerve), Exodus (Bone Marrow Theatre), Opening Night Gala (Melbourne Cabaret Festival), DasShoku Shake! (Yumi Umiumare), Dying City and Purgatorio (Hoy Polloy), Sweeney Todd, Rhinoceros (Union House).
As an associate designer, notable projects include:
Circus Under My Bed (Flying Fruit Fly Circus), Pompeii LA, Baal (Malthouse), Assembly (Chunky Move), The White Guard, The Serpent’s Teeth, Year of Magical Thinking (Sydney Theatre Company), Realism, Moonlight and Magnolias (Melbourne Theatre Company), Measure for Measure (Company B), L’incoronazione di Poppea (Victorian Opera).
Creative Producer
Luke Gallagher
Luke Gallagher is responsible for overseeing creative elements of numerous live touring shows for Life Like Touring throughout Australia, United Kingdom, Asia, India, Russia, USA, Canada and the Middle East. These productions include, Scooby-Doo Live! Level Up, Peppa Pig Live! Big Splash, Chuggington Live: The Great Rescue Adventure, Dora’s Pirate Adventure, Peppa Pig Live! Treasure Hunt, Sesame Street presents Elmo’s World Tour, Yo Gabba Gabba Live, Scooby-Doo Live! Musical Mysteries, Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys and Ben 10 Live: Time Machine.
Luke was Creative Producer on Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Passion in 2014 and Cy Coleman, Larry Gelbart and David Zippel’s City of Angels for Life Like Company in 2015. In 2016 Luke worked with The Walt Disney Company and Live Nation on Disney in Concert Under the Stars around Australia.