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Director’s NoteI have had a long association with CLOC Musical Theatre, this being the thirteenth show that I have directed for this remarkable theatrical organisation. Few amateur musical theatre companies in the world could muster the resources and the talent needed to produce the number of high-quality productions offered to their audiences over decades. I, somewhat naively, believed that CLOC and I had peaked with the 1993 Australian amateur première production of Les Misérables. But since then, they have gone on to build a deserved reputation for wonderful productions that have enriched Melbourne’s burgeoning and extremely rich theatrical milieu. What an achievement for a group of enthusiasts who share a love of musical theatre and devote a large part of their lives to bringing it to full theatrical bloom. Never has the word “amateur” been so apt and yet inapt. On the one hand, its Latin and French roots support

the very notion of working for love, l’art pour l’art, while on the other, there is nothing in a CLOC production that supports

its pejorative meaning of below standard. This is

a professional group of amateurs, both

on and off stage.

Bravo, congratulations and well done!

It is, therefore, hardly surprising that so many theatrical firsts have come their way including this one, the one for which we have waited for over twenty-five years. Could there be a more successful piece of musical theatre than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera? Well, perhaps there is a little competition from another rather popular show on a French theme. But Phantom hits a different nerve. Whereas that other one thrills with the championing of human kindness, forgiveness and sacrifice for a cause, Webber’s chef d’oeuvre soars with romance and the titillation of flirting with the darker side. The theme has been exploited by entertainers for centuries and continues to be so, witness the current success of the Twilight movies.

Gaston Leroux, the creator of the original novel, a Parisian writer and journalist, must have smelt the success as easily as Victor Hugo whiffed the sewers. Both knew a good story when they heard one. However, whereas Hugo was a stickler for verisimilitude and historical accuracy, Leroux never spoiled a good story with the truth. Webber,

ever the showman, has a similar bent. Although we like to think that our Phantom has truly emerged from the murky depths of the real Paris Opera House, the Palais Garnier, resplendently dominating Avenue and Place de L’Opéra on the posh right bank of the Seine, the facts leave little doubt that Erik, the lake, his lair and labyrinth are but a fanciful myth. The romance of the building, completed in 1875, its lavish beaux-arts decorations and splendid interiors have become a temple to the arts, an architectural muse, inspiring generations of story tellers. These have included countless film directors, playwrights and, of course, the irrepressible Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. Notre Dame inspired Hugo’s Hunchback and the Palais Garnier, Leroux’s Phantom. Paris is indeed a city of inspiration. Does it really matter that the dates don’t add up, that the lake is but a small reservoir, rather more tank-like than a candle-lit waterway, or that the Phantom is most likely one of the thousands of mythological creatures born of theatrical superstition that

“haunt” any number of theatres worldwide? Why spoil a good story with the cold facts? What a great story and what a clever, entertaining, tuneful, romantic, beautiful, lush retelling of the urban myth we have in this Lloyd Webber version.

From my first meetings with designer Brenton Staples, Musical Director Andy McCalman, choreographer Wendy Belli and costumière Nerissa Saville, to auditions, rehearsals and finally to performance, the journey has been such a pleasure. That journey has attracted a small army of dedicated and talented believers and lovers of musical theatre. The results of their efforts, I hope you agree, have led to a remarkable production that will rank among CLOC’s finest and most memorable. My thanks and admiration to and of them all.

Chris Bradtke

with

Toby Truscott, Laura Slavin, Patrick Hill, Samantha Du Rennes, Scott Hili, Tim Minturn, Beryle Frees, Julian Dunham, Lucinda Barratt, Shane Foster, Nicole Free, Jackson Harnwell,

Gemma Hedger, Genevieve Kingsford, Phil Lambert, Rowena McDowell, Elise Naismith, Patrick O’Halloran, Richard Perdriau, Tim Phillips, Jon Sebastian, Allie Sutherland, Chris van Raay, Kelly Windle, Geordie Worland,

Lindy Yeates, Peter Leithhead, Chantelle Davina, Kaitlin Jempson, Natalie Marinopoulos, Sarah Mitchell, Claire Robinson, Jessie Young

May 10 - 25 2013National Theatre St.Kilda

Based on the novel ‘Le Fantôme de l’Opera’ by Gaston Leroux Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Charles Hart Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe

Book by Richard Stilgoe & Andrew Lloyd Webber

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ORiGiN™ THEATRICALON BEHALF OF THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP LIMITED

Logo TM & ©1986 RUG Ltd.

C

3

with

Toby Truscott, Laura Slavin, Patrick Hill, Samantha Du Rennes, Scott Hili, Tim Minturn, Beryle Frees, Julian Dunham, Lucinda Barratt, Shane Foster, Nicole Free, Jackson Harnwell,

Gemma Hedger, Genevieve Kingsford, Phil Lambert, Rowena McDowell, Elise Naismith, Patrick O’Halloran, Richard Perdriau, Tim Phillips, Jon Sebastian, Allie Sutherland, Chris van Raay, Kelly Windle, Geordie Worland,

Lindy Yeates, Peter Leithhead, Chantelle Davina, Kaitlin Jempson, Natalie Marinopoulos, Sarah Mitchell, Claire Robinson, Jessie Young

May 10 - 25 2013National Theatre St.Kilda

Based on the novel ‘Le Fantôme de l’Opera’ by Gaston Leroux Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Charles Hart Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe

Book by Richard Stilgoe & Andrew Lloyd Webber

BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ORiGiN™ THEATRICALON BEHALF OF THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP LIMITED

Logo TM & ©1986 RUG Ltd.

Wendy Belli

ChoreographerChris Bradtke

DirectorAndy McCalman Musical Director

Brenton Staples Set Designer

Sandra Davies Stage Manager

Nerissa Saville Costume Designer

Grant Alley

Technical Director

Bernard Hedger Stage Director

Stelios Karagiannis Lighting Designer

Debbie Osborne Production Manager

Assistant to the Director

Crisanne Fox Set Dressing

Marcello Lo Ricco Sound Designer

Melinda Peebles Costume Co-ordinator

Beth Stryk Props Co-ordinator

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President’s Note

I t is with great excitement and much satisfaction that I can write something in a President’s Report that I have never been able to write before – welcome to

the WORLD amateur premiere of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera. In 2012, CLOC continued to consolidate its position as one of the leading music theatre companies in Australia. We produced two outstanding productions – both very different, both presenting unique technical challenges and both receiving wonderful audience feedback as

well as an amazing 24 Music Theatre Guild award nominations, and 6 awards, including the prestigious top award Production of the Year for our October show All Shook Up. Two of the awards won for Sunset Boulevard, for Musical Director and Set Design, were won by Andy McCalman and Brenton Staples, both of whom have returned to be part of the Phantom production team, along with Director Chris Bradtke, who makes Phantom his lucky thirteenth directorial assignment with us.

Phantom has been a massive undertaking in every department – sets, costumes, wigs, lights, sound, set dressing, props, special effects, and of course casting, to find just the right voices and talent to give justice to the vocally demanding score. After auditioning nearly 200 incredibly talented people of the highest calibre, we are confident that we chose a cast of 33 who could not be bettered, and we are sure that by the end of tonight’s performance, you will agree.

The next twelve months will be very exciting for CLOC as we head towards our 50th year and our 100th production in May 2014. And before that, of course, for show number 99 in October, we will be returning to a genuinely true classic of the musical stage – Guys and Dolls, a show long overdue for a new production and something a million light years away from Phantom in every possible way.

We look forward to your presence to help us celebrate this special time in the history of CLOC, as we count down towards the big 1-0-0. But for now, enjoy being part of history as we drop the chandelier, sail the gondola and unmask The Phantom of the Opera.

Grant Alley

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History

I n 1984, Andrew Lloyd Webber had several hit shows playing in the West End. Cats (1981) was a massive hit, and in the third year of what was

to become a 21 year run, Song and Dance (1982) and Starlight Express (1984) were all enjoying successful West End seasons. Lloyd Webber was looking around for his next project, and decided he wanted “a major romantic story”, mainly as a vehicle for his new wife Sarah Brightman (who had previously appeared in Cats, where she met her future husband, who then cast her in Song and Dance).

Lloyd Webber attended Ken Hill’s musical stage play The Phantom of the Opera, and was smitten with the story. After reading the original 1910 book by French author Gaston Leroux, and viewing both film versions of the story (1925 with Lon Chaney, and 1943 with Claude Rains), he was convinced that here was the grand romantic tale he was looking for. Lloyd Webber approached various lyricists, including Jim Steinman (who was busy producing Bonnie Tyler’s new album), and Alan Jay Lerner (who became seriously ill after joining the project and was forced to withdraw). Finally, he used a collaboration of Richard Stilgoe (the lyricist for Starlight Express) and Charles Hart, then a young and relatively unknown lyricist, to write both the book and lyrics.

Phantom began previews in London’s West End on September 27, 1986, opening officially on October 9. It starred (the previously lightweight comedic actor-singer) Michael Crawford as the Phantom (in a role that was to change the public’s perception of him and forever define his career) and the new Mrs Lloyd Webber, Sarah Brightman, as Christine. The American Steve Barton was cast as Raoul (and later took over the role of the Phantom). All three cast members repeated their roles when the show moved to Broadway in January 1988.

The creative team consisted of legendary American director Hal Prince (who continues to this day to be involved with Phantom productions around the world), choreographer Gillian Lynne (who had so brilliantly choreographed Cats) and designer Maria Björnson, who designed the unforgettable set (including the legendary chandelier, subterranean gondola and sweeping Masquerade staircase), over 200 elaborate costumes and the Phantom’s iconic mask. Interestingly the mask originally covered the Phantom’s entire face and remained in place throughout the performance. However, this obscured the actor’s vision and muffled his voice. So a new mask was designed to replace it, covering only half the actor’s face, and the unmasking sequence was written, adding climactic drama and pathos to the show. Björnson’s designs set a standard for stage spectacle seldom seen before or equalled since, and earned her multiple awards. Sadly, Maria passed away in 2002 at the age of 53, reportedly due to heart failure. Somewhat eerily, this followed the equally early death of Steve Barton the year before, at the age of 47, also apparently from heart failure.

Phantom was an instant worldwide hit and phenomenon wherever it opened, garnering 50 international theatre awards, including 7 Tony awards (Best Production, Actor, Actress, Featured

Actress, Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design). It is the second longest running musical ever on London’s West End (behind Les Miserables). It is the longest running musical on Broadway ever, celebrating its 25th anniversary in January 2013, and the first to surpass 10,000 performances (in February 2012). It has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen in 145 cities in 27 countries by over 130 million people, including an abridged restaged version that ran in Las Vegas for six years until September 2012. It has earned higher box office revenues than any film or stage play in history.

Today, over 26 record breaking years later, Phantom is still being performed at both original locations on the West End (Her Majesty’s Theatre) and Broadway (Majestic Theatre), as well as several productions staged in major world cities at any given time, featuring some cast members who were not yet born when the show opened. As well as breaking many theatrical artistic and financial records, the show has been a stepping stone for many performers, some of whom have played the role of both Raoul and the Phantom, and other long-term cast members who have alternated roles, most notably swapping between playing the roles of the two opera owners, André and Firmin. In fact, George Lee Andrews, who was an original cast member of the Broadway production, retired from the cast in September 2011 after 23 ½ years and a record breaking 9,382 performances, earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records for being the longest running actor in the same Broadway show. He performed 3 years in the ensemble and then 10 years as each of the opera owners. Interestingly, Broadway’s current Raoul, Kyle Barisich, has played all 20 male ensemble roles since 2007, when he joined the touring company.

In October 2011, the 25th anniversary of the original production was celebrated with a special performance of the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London. To meet the challenges of mounting the production in a concert hall that had no stage, no wings, a chandelier that could not fall and an expanded cast of 130, with an onstage choir and orchestra of over 200, the show was cleverly reimagined with the use of modern digital projection and technology and was an artistic triumph, capped off by the appearance of two of the original stars, Michael Crawford and Lloyd Webber’s own ‘angel of music’ Sarah Brightman, as well as four Phantoms from world productions (including our very own Anthony Warlow), who all performed the classic title song with Ms Brightman.

The Phantom of the Opera has proved to be a show that keeps breaking records as it keeps on keeping on - an enduring classic of mammoth proportions that has survived and triumphed years longer than the marriage between the composer and his leading lady. The public’s appetite for the drama, passion, emotion and grandeur of this defining spectacle of music theatre shows no sign of abating, as audiences around the world continue to “surrender to the music of the night.”

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Chris Bradtke Director In a career that spans all aspects of theatrical production, multi award-winning director and actor Chris Bradtke has developed an enviable reputation as one of Melbourne’s most creative, dynamic and innovative music theatre talents.

Chris began his theatre life more years ago than he cares to remember as a performer of note before making the move into directing over twenty years ago. Since then, his achievements have been truly outstanding – since 1987, he has been nominated as Best Director an incredible nineteen times (plus once for Best Actor) and has won seven awards. Among his credits are shows such as: Candide, My One and Only, On the Twentieth Century, Chess, La Cage Aux Folles, A Chorus Line, The Secret Garden, Man of La Mancha, Beauty and the Beast, The Producers, Sweeney Todd, CLOC’s hugely successful 1993 blockbuster Les Miserables (the first show he directed for CLOC and which he again directed for Whitehorse ten years after CLOC’s production) and its highly acclaimed productions of A Little Night Music, West Side Story, Gigi, Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel (for which Chris won Guild awards for both Best Direction and Best Production) and The Boy from Oz. In 2009, Chris directed both of CLOC’s productions – the Australasian non-professional premiere of Miss Saigon (nominated for 11 Guild awards), followed by the elegant and witty High Society (one of CLOC’s most successful shows ever). After directing work with Stonnington City Council and the National Boys Choir, Chris returned to CLOC in 2012 to direct another Andrew Lloyd Webber premiere, Sunset Boulevard.Chris now makes a welcome return to CLOC for the lucky thirteenth time to direct a show that has long been on his ‘to do’ list.

Andy McCalman Musical Director Andy has a long standing and diverse theatrical background, incorporating playing in orchestras, performing on stage, musically directing, directing and teaching. Originally from Ballarat, where he is a Life Member of Ballarat Lyric Theatre, his musical theatre debut was in their production of Grease in the role of Doody. Among his many performance highlights since then have included four – yes four – productions of Les Miserables (two as Enjolras, two as Jean Valjean – notching up two Music Theatre Guild nominations before winning the Best Actor Award for his most recent portrayal of Jean Valjean in Ballarat’s 2009 production). Andy also managed to squeeze in a previous CLOC performance, as Rapunzel’s prince in our 1994 production of Into the Woods. As a Musical Director, Andy has enjoyed success, winning the Guild award for Musical Direction for Ballarat’s 2007 production of Cats, and being nominated for Chicago (2004) and Grease (2005). Last year, Andy had the double honour of being nominated TWICE for both shows he musically directed (Sunset Boulevard-CLOC, and Hairspray-Ballarat) and we were all delighted to see him deservedly share the award for Musical Director of the Year for Sunset Boulevard, winning with our other Musical Director for 2012, Danny Forward.

Wendy Belli Choreographer Dance in all its forms have formed the markers and milestones of Wendy’s life - studying, teaching, choreographing and performing. As Wendy Bent she commenced ballet training with the late Marie Cumisky (well known as a theatre choreographer), before moving to the Victorian College of the Arts. After graduating in 1989, she began to teach classical, jazz and tap classes, while beginning her performing career with Festival Theatre Company in 1990, under the direction of Chris Bradtke, playing Anne in their spectacularly successful production of La Cage Aux Folles. Over the last 23 years, Wendy has performed and choreographed in musicals with

companies all over Melbourne. Since 1992, CLOC has played a major role in shaping Wendy’s life. Not only has she performed, choreographed and/or worked backstage in fourteen CLOC productions (including several directed by Chris), but in 1996, while working as part of the backstage crew for 42nd Street, she met one of our long-standing floor managers Paul Belli, and CLOC proudly chalked up yet another marriage. Wendy and Paul now have two gorgeous children (Madeline and James) and it is with great delight and excitement that Wendy is making her return to CLOC with this show since taking a mummy break. And it also gives her a chance to see a bit more of Paul, who is as usual working as one of our floor managers. When not dancing, or choreographing, Wendy’s life is still all about dance, as she has her own Dancewear and Fairy Shop in Berwick, called ‘Dance n Dreams’.

Direction & Design

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(Present Tense), Hairspray (PLOS & Catchment), Next To Normal (WMTC), Cats (Footlight), Avenue Q (JYM), Oz Made Musicals (Comedy Theatre), Young Australian Broadway Chorus (CPCA, National Theatre) and the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Awards. Marcello has received awards for best sound for productions of Cats, Miss Saigon, Into the Woods and Sweeney Todd. Away from theatre Marcello has engineered many studio and live recordings for a variety of projects, recently recording and mixing Rhonda Burchmore’s ‘Cry Me A River – The World of Julie London’.

Nerissa Saville Costume Designer Originally from Queensland, Nerissa moved to Melbourne in 2009 and enrolled in the Diploma of Costume for Performance at Swinburne University. She graduated in 2010, winning the annual first prize for Excellence in Costume Design, awarded by CLOC Musical Theatre. Whilst studying for her Diploma, Nerissa was involved as costume designer, co-ordinator, maker, and supervisor for a number of companies, including the National Institute of Circus Arts, the Victorian College of the Arts, Steppes Dance School and the Globe Shakespeare Theatre Company in New Zealand, where her work was later sent to be on display at the Globe in London.

In musical theatre, Nerissa worked as part of the costume team for The Boy from Oz (PLOS 2009) and then had a very busy 2011, working on the sewing team for CLOC’s Fiddler on the Roof then as costume co-ordinator for our production of Aspects of Love, while at the same time doing double duty as costume designer and co-ordinator for Babirra Theatre Company’s The Pajama Game (for which she was nominated for a Lyrebird award). Last year’s Sunset Boulevard marked Nerissa’s debut as Costume Designer for CLOC, for which she received a well deserved Guild nomination for Best Costumes.

Marcello Lo RiccoSound Designer Marcello studied Performing Arts at Monash University before completing Audio Engineering studies at SAE Institute and has worked extensively in theatre sound design.

His most recent designs include Flowerchildren – the Mamas and Papas Story (Magnormos), Les Misérables (Footlight), The Secret Garden (PLOS), Grease (Encore – Tasmania), Margaret Fulton: Queen Of The Dessert

Brenton Staples Set DesignerOver the past 30 years Brenton has performed in, stage managed, crewed, built scenery and more recently designed and painted sets for many musical and repertory theatre companies. He was a Life Member and Past President of Whitehorse Musical Theatre and is a Life Member of the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria. Brenton has been nominated for Best Set Design an amazing twenty times and won the award on nine occasions – CLOC productions Gigi (2003, co-designed with the late Les Cook), The Scarlet Pimpernel (2006) and Aspects of Love (2011), and Whitehorse productions Man of La Mancha (1998), The Secret Garden (1999), The Producers (2007) and Aida (2008, co-designed with John Burrett). Many of his other nominations were for CLOC shows (Jekyll & Hyde (2005), SHOUT! (2007), The Boy from Oz (2008), Miss Saigon and High Society (both in 2009), Dusty (2010)), often in productions directed by Chris Bradtke and sometimes on occasions when he competed against himself. Last year, he won his ninth Guild award for his spectacular design of the Sunset Boulevard mansion, which drew audience applause nightly. With this show, Brenton has finally had a chance to realise a design that he has dreamt about for years since he first saw Phantom.

Stelios KaragiannisLighting Designer Stelios has been involved in theatre for over twenty years, working in both musical and straight drama. Stel enjoys the challenge of working on different styles of theatrical productions in many unusual settings all around Melbourne including Federation Square, MTC’s Lawler Studio, The Athenaeum Theatre, La Mama, The Comedy Club, The Organ Factory, Chapel-off-Chapel and Theatreworks. He is also the resident lighting designer for Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre.

For CLOC, Stelios has created innovative lighting designs for Company, West Side Story, Hot Mikado, Gigi, CATS, Blood Brothers, The Boy from Oz and Miss Saigon, receiving Guild nominations for all eight productions. Stelios also won consecutive Guild awards for his designs in 2005 for CLOC’s Jekyll & Hyde and then again in 2006, for our Production of the Year, The Scarlet Pimpernel. His most recent designs for us were 2009’s High Society, 2010’s Man of La Mancha, 2011’s Aspects of Love and last year’s Sunset Boulevard. We welcome Stel back for his fifteenth CLOC show.

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Toby Truscott The Phantom

Toby has appeared in many lead roles, both here and in the United Kingdom, where he lived for several years in his professional role as a recruitment manager. Theatrical highlights include Sky Masterton (Guys and Dolls), Perchik (Fiddler on the Roof), Jesus (Jesus Christ Superstar), Caliph (Kismet), Roger (A New Brain), Anthony (Sweeney Todd), Freddy (My Fair Lady), and two appearances in one of his favourite shows, The Secret Garden, for Whitehorse in 1999 (when he was nominated for a Guild award for his role as Albert Lennox), and most recently, for PLOS, where he appeared in the lead role of Archibald Craven earlier this year.

For CLOC, Toby appeared as Paul in Company (1999), then after his return from the UK, starred in the title role of our 2006 Production of the Year, The Scarlet Pimpernel, receiving a Guild nomination for Best Actor. He immediately followed this up by donning a furry cat suit and appearing as Old Deuteronomy in Cats, a role that changed his life forever, as it was during this show that he met his gorgeous wife Bree, with whom Toby now has the adorable Tommy (with No. 2 due just after our season finishes!). In 2009, Toby and Bree appeared together in our premiere production of Miss Saigon, in which Toby stopped the show every night with his stunning rendition of the stirring anthem Bui Doi. He then took some time out to enjoy his new family, but he could not resist the temptation to fulfil his dream of playing a role that has long been on his bucket list. So it is with open arms and much excitement that, after four years, we welcome Toby back to CLOC to give all of us the pleasure and gift of his stunning voice and talents which you are about to experience.

Patrick HillRaoul, Vicomte de Chagny Patrick was bitten by the performing bug while a student at Caulfield Grammar and also as a member of the Australian Boys Choir. He went on to train at the Victorian College of the Arts (B. Mus. Theatre) and the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts (B. Perf. Arts). He performed several musical and non-musical roles as part of his course requirements (including Berger in HAIR!, Officer Krupke in West Side Story and Buddy Fidler in City of Angels) and also directed two productions for the Caulfield Grammarians’ Fairfax Players (An Ideal Husband and As You Like It). Patrick makes his CLOC debut tonight as the romantic lead prepared to fight to the death for his true love Christine.

Laura Slavin Christine Daaé Laura is an expert at juggling many balls in the air at once, for not only is she a talented music theatre and opera performer with a truly stunning voice, but when she is not performing onstage, she dons a stethoscope and becomes Dr Slavin at one of our big city hospitals! Even more remarkably, Laura has managed to pursue her love of performing while still keeping up with her studies all through medical school, and now her long hours at the hospital as a medical registrar. Over the last ten years, Laura has appeared regularly with Melbourne Opera and the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, as well as in various choirs, choral events and festivals. In music theatre, highlights have included Cosette in Les Miserables, Eliza in My Fair Lady and Johanna in Sweeney Todd (all with OSMaD, the last directed by Chris Bradtke), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof and Marsinah in Kismet (both with Babirra), and Cinderella in Into the Woods (Waterdale). Laura is marking several ‘firsts’ with this show – her first appearance with CLOC performing a role she has long coveted in a world premiere - altogether a dream come true for her.

Cast

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Cast

Samantha Du Rennes Carlotta GuidicelliSamantha graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Music (Performance) and also holds a Bachelor of Speech Pathology with a major in voice therapy. She currently runs her own private voice therapy practice “In Good Voice”. Samantha appeared in her first opera with The Australian Opera at the age of 14. She has been a member of the Melbourne chorus with Opera Australia since 2004 and also appears with Victorian Opera and Melbourne Opera, as both a chorus member and as an understudy. In music theatre, Samantha has appeared as Cosette (Les Miserables, Altona City Theatre), Josephine (HMS Pinafore-Babirra), Velma Von Tussle (Hairspray, SLAMS) and most recently, she appeared as Rose in PLOS’ acclaimed production of The Secret Garden. For this show, Samantha is delighted to have the opportunity to channel her inner Italian diva (complete with accent) in her first CLOC show.

Julian Dunham Ubaldo Piangi Julian is an interesting man to have a conversation with, as not only is he the proud father of four daughters, aged 15 down to 7 (lucky man!), but he is also a Christian Minister, otherwise known as Rev. Dunham! Twenty five years ago, Julian moonlighted with some theatre and opera work until work/family commitments became a priority, and it was not until 2006, that the performing bug got the better of him and Julian returned to the stage, appearing in Les Miserables, then taking lead roles in The Producers (playing the crazy Franz, directed by Chris Bradtke), Oliver! (as Fagin) and Aida (as Pharoah) – a pattern in which Julian seems to delight in playing decidedly non-righteous characters! For this show, although not really playing a ‘baddie’, Julian would like it known that he has had to pad up with a (very) large fat suit!

Scott Hili Richard Firmin Scott has straddled the worlds of professional and non-professional theatre for many years. Some of his professional roles have included the Sydney season of Billy Elliot, Sugar for the Production Company and Doctor Zhivago (original cast). Scott has also made his mark as a performer, choreographer, designer and director in the Melbourne music theatre scene. He has received several nominations for both Lyrebird and Guild awards for direction, choreography and set design (including Jesus Christ Superstar PLOS, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat Dandenong, There’s No Business Like Show Business Dandenong, Urinetown MUMCo), and won in both 2004 (Nicely Nicely Johnson, Guys and Dolls, Babirra) and in 2006 (Lefou, Beauty and the Beast, Whitehorse), both for Best Supporting Actor. For CLOC Scott has appeared in A Chorus Line, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard (all directed by Chris Bradtke).

Tim Minturn Gilles André In 1995, Tim graduated in Music Theatre from the highly regarded Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. As a performer and director, Tim has worked professionally all over Australia and his birthplace New Zealand in such productions as The Sound of Music, Cinderella, Disney Live!, The Boy from Oz, Sunset Boulevard, Cats, Titanic, Godspell and Perform! Educational Musicals. In 1999, Tim was diagnosed with brain cancer and thought he would never perform again. Twelve years later, he returned to the stage at this very theatre in Quirky Productions’ La Cage Aux Folles and tonight, he is continuing the journey he thought he would never make. It gives us particular joy and pleasure to welcome Tim to the National and to CLOC, as part of such a special production.

Beryle Frees Madame Giry Beryle is one of our music theatre veterans, having an extensive thirty year background in classical ballet, choirs, opera, revues, straight theatre and music theatre. Her performance CV covers most of Melbourne’s leading theatre companies (Whitehorse-Les Miserables, CLK-Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Fab Nobs-Arlene in Baby, SHooSH-Mother in Kiss of the Spiderwoman, PLOS-Mrs Winthrop in The Secret Garden). Some highlights of note include her Music Theatre Guild award winning performance as Fräulein Schneider in PLOS’ Cabaret, and her previous two appearances with CLOC, as Lady Beaconsfield in Jekyll & Hyde (2005) and her Guild nominated performance as Marion Woolnough in The Boy from Oz (2008), both directed by Chris Bradtke. After a five year break, we welcome Beryle back to take on a role we think she was destined to play.

Lucinda Barratt Meg Giry A student of all forms of dance (ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary) over the last fifteen years, Lucinda completed her Bachelor of Performing Arts at Monash University in 2012 and is now working as an entertainer with the Entertainment Store. She spent her high school years featuring in musicals at McKinnon Secondary College, and followed this up with appearances in both dramatic and musical productions with her university course. After performances in Fab Nobs’ Spring Awakening, and Williamstown’s stunning 2011 production of Chicago, Lucinda appeared in the ensemble of both of CLOC’s 2012 productions, Sunset Boulevard and All Shook Up. She is thrilled and delighted to be making her first appearance as a principal performer with us, combining all her musical theatre loves of acting, singing and dancing.

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Shane Foster Don Attilio/Ensemble Shane is a graduate of the three year National Theatre Drama School Acting course (located right here!), with much experience in dramatic theatre (including appearances in such classics as Medea, Three Sisters, Six Characters in Search of an Author and The Good Woman of Setzuan). After taking a break from performing, Shane decided to move into musical theatre and in 2011, appeared in both of Williamstown Musical Theatre Company’s productions - Dusty-The Original Pop Diva and their sell-out season of Chicago. He then made his CLOC debut in our premiere production of Sunset Boulevard last year and was one of several of our cast members who appeared in PLOS’ The Secret Garden earlier this year. By day, Shane is one of many musical theatre performers who works in IT.

Jackson Harnwell Fop 2/Ensemble Originally from Wangaratta, where he cut his performing teeth in school musicals and the Wangaratta Players theatre company, Jackson moved to Melbourne where last year, he completed a Bachelor of Music (Performance - Classical Voice) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. As well as a gorgeous classically trained voice, which he exercises as a member of the MSO chorus, Jackson is also proficient at playing both piano and trumpet. At only 22 years of age, Jackson has also already amassed an impressive range of experience in his first love, orchestral conducting (including gigs conducting Opera in the Market and Opera in the Alps), and he currently works as Assistant Conductor with Opera Scholars Australia.

Gemma Hedger Ensemble With every CLOC production, Gemma finds herself either dressed in black working backstage as a highly valued member of our backstage crew (alongside her husband Bernard, our long standing Stage Director), or, as in the case tonight, dressed in far more glamorous attire, bejewelled and bewigged as a cast member. Either role is not surprising for the versatile and talented Gemma, who is a graduate of the Melba Conservatorium of Music, has studied singing, drama, tap, jazz and calisthenics, and works as a singing teacher and stage manager for schools. Her performance experience includes musicals, cabaret, concerts, revues, films and television. In musical theatre, Gemma has worked with Whitehorse (The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady), and Catchment (Evita, West Side Story). This is Gemma’s sixth onstage appearance with CLOC, following A Little Night Music, Anything Goes, Barnum, The Scarlet Pimpernel and most recently, Fiddler on the Roof.

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Nicole Free EnsembleNicole works as a speech pathologist, both in clinical practice and in academia at La Trobe University. As if that is not enough, she also has a Bachelor of Music (Performance-Classical Voice) from Monash University, and currently moonlights as a performer with both the Melbourne Chamber Choir and The Sirens, a female acapella vocal ensemble. She has appeared with Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Victoria, Lyric Opera and Victorian Opera. This is Nicole’s first appearance in a musical and with CLOC.

Phil Lambert Joseph Buquet/ Fire Marshall/EnsemblePhil is originally from Queensland, where he has a wealth of experience, mainly in dramatic theatre, with roles in such classics as Private Lives, Waiting for Godot, Death and the Maiden, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Speaking in Tongues and several Shakespeare productions, including Richard III, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Since moving to Melbourne, Phil has worked for The Australian Shakespeare Company (yes, more Shakespeare) in The Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and Richard III (again). He has also added opera to his repertoire by appearing with Melbourne City Opera in Andrea Chenier and Luisa Miller. In 2011, Phil appeared as the evil Judge Turpin in OSMaD’s production of Sweeney Todd and he made his CLOC debut last year as Max von Mayerling in Sunset Boulevard. Phil is delighted to be working with Chris Bradtke for his third successive show and his second CLOC appearance.

Genevieve Kingsford Ensemble One half of a very musical pair of twins, Genevieve is an alumni of St Leonard’s College in Brighton, where she played an active role in the school’s music, drama and theatre departments, and in fact was the recipient of a performing arts award from the school. Some of her school performances included roles in HONK!, Seussical and Children of Eden, as well as in straight plays The Crucible and Much Ado about Nothing. Since leaving school, Genevieve has continued her theatrical involvement with St Leonard’s Uniting Church (Godspell, Footloose), the Leonardian Players (Rent) and at Monash University, where she has been involved in student theatre while studying for a degree in Behavioural Neuroscience. And between performing and studying, Genevieve managed to indulge her passion for theatre by attending over 50 plays in 2012 (that’s one a week for the entire year – PHEW!).

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Richard Perdriau Monsieur Lefèvre/Ensemble After working in Melbourne theatre during the 1980s, Richard spent the 1990s working professionally in the UK and USA performing in regional musical theatre, cruise ship productions and theatre in education. More recent Melbourne amateur theatre credits include Miss Saigon (ensemble), High Society (George Kittredge) and Man of La Mancha (Governor/Innkeeper) all with CLOC, Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Esteban) with ShoosH! and Little Shop of Horrors (Mushnik) with Phoenix. Richard has directed and designed two shows for Phoenix Theatre Company: Godspell in 2010 and Into the Woods in 2011. In 2012 he directed and set designed the very successful How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for MDMS, which picked up five Lyrebird awards, including two for Richard personally for Best Direction and Best Sets, as well as the coveted Production of the Year. As if that was not enough, Richard then ended 2012 by appearing as Gangster 2 in Fab Nob’s The Drowsy Chaperone. He is thrilled to be putting on his performer’s hat to return to CLOC as part of such a special event.

Rowena McDowell Ensemble Rowena (O’Callaghan, as she was then known) worked with Chris Bradtke on a number of occasions with different companies, including CLOC (Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Miss Saigon which she worked on as repetiteur) and Whitehorse (Les Miserables). Rowena then took time out while she married husband Mark and then had her two beautiful children Hudson and Mason. It took the temptation of such an exciting theatrical event, plus the prospect of once more working with Chris that took Rowena out of her role as Mummy and back on to a stage. Welcome back, Rowena.

Tim Phillips Fop 1/ Fire Marshall/Ensemble Tim has studied Performing Arts at Monash University and is currently enrolled at the Victorian College of the Arts, in the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre Practice) course. He has appeared in both dramatic plays and musical theatre, including Anything Goes (Whitehorse) and most recently as Tobias in OSMaD’s 2011 production of Sweeney Todd, directed by Chris Bradtke. We welcome Tim for his first CLOC performance.

Patrick O’Halloran Auctioneer/Ensemble Patrick is a relatively new arrival from Tasmania, now living and working in Melbourne as a lawyer. He played some major roles in theatre in the apple isle, including Cinderella’s Prince/The Wolf (Into the Woods), John Wilkes Booth (Assassins), Tom Collins (Rent), and most recently, Peter Allen (The Boy from Oz). Patrick makes his Melbourne and CLOC debut with Phantom, in his first stage appearance since 2009.

Elise Naismith Ensemble Elise is in the third year of a double degree in Music (Classical Voice) and Performing Arts at Monash University. Her love of theatre was nurtured by five years as a member of the Young Australian Broadway Chorus, during which time she was promoted to the top performance “Triple Threat” group in the company, and performed various roles in their twice yearly concerts held right here at the National Theatre. While a student at Mount Lilydale Mercy College, Elise performed lead roles in several school musicals (including Cinderella, West Side Story, Les Miserables, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Sound of Music), and became Drama Prefect in Year 12. Last year, Elise played the role of Shelley in PEP’s production of Bat Boy, the Musical.

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Jon Sebastian Monsieur Reyer/EnsembleJon, CLOC and Chris Bradtke all have a long shared history, which spans the last fifteen years. After initially joining CLOC to star as Don Lockwood in our 1998 production of Singin’ in the Rain, Jon then proceeded to appear in four more CLOC productions, all directed by Chris – A Chorus Line, Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and most recently, he starred as Peter Allen in our 2008 premiere production of The Boy from Oz. Interspersed with these shows were lead roles with several other major companies (including two Whitehorse shows directed by Chris – Beauty and the Beast and The Producers). His last theatrical performance was in 2008 as Zoser in Whitehorse’s Aida, after which he relocated to Sydney for work (another IT whiz!). Having returned to Melbourne a year ago, Jon decided it was time to ‘jump back on the horse’, and took the opportunity to work once more with both CLOC and Chris in what is a very welcome return to this enduring collaboration.

Allie Sutherland Ensemble Allie hails from Ballarat, where, in 2006, she received a Music Theatre Guild award for Best Junior Performer for her portrayal of Maria in Ballarat College’s production of West Side Story, followed the next year by a commendation for her appearance as Babe in The Pajama Game. Moving to Melbourne to study, Allie appeared in several productions with the University of Melbourne Musical Theatre Association (UMMTA) – Sweet Charity, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (playing Lucy) and The Wedding Singer. In 2010, she was appointed the Artistic Director of UMMTA and directed their production of A New Brain, receiving a Guild commendation for Best Director. She also appeared in two OSMaD productions Jesus Christ Superstar (2009) and Sweeney Todd (2011). Allie made her CLOC debut last year with Sunset Boulevard while completing her full-time music theatre course at Showfit. Now studying law, she is delighted to be back for her second CLOC appearance.

Lindy YeatesEnsemble Lindy is originally from South Australia, where she began her musical and theatrical career. After she moved to Melbourne in the mid 1990s, she continued to perform (Pride and Prejudice, HMS Pinafore, Godspell, South Pacific, Les Miserables, Oliver!) and in 2001, she received a Lyrebird award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance in the title role of Mame for NOVA. She then took an extended break from theatre, performing as a vocal soloist at many weddings, church services and community events, while also working as a primary school teacher and specialist in Art and Music. After retiring from teaching, she now works from a home studio as an artist, while enjoying quality time with her husband, three grown sons and their partners. After a ten year break from theatre, Lindy returned with a bang, taking the lead role of Golde in our much praised season of Fiddler on the Roof in 2011. She then had great fun playing the murderess Leticia Blacklock in Agatha Christie’s A Murder is Announced for Croydon Parish Players, and most recently appeared as Mrs Medlock in The Secret Garden for PLOS.

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Chris van Raay Passarino/Ensemble Chris makes a return to CLOC after appearing as an American soldier in our 2009 smash hit Miss Saigon. This show has extra special significance for Chris, as it is where he met his wife Deborah, who was also in the cast. Chris and Deb married earlier this year in what we can proudly chalk up as another CLOC marriage. This year marks Chris’ tenth year in musical theatre, after appearances with Dandenong (Fame, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd), CPAC (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Sound of Music, Joseph..Dreamcoat) and Babirra (Calamity Jane, The Sentimental Bloke, Sweet Charity). By day, Chris works as a technology consultant, designing mobile applications, which means he gets to be creative both on and off the stage.

Kelly Windle Confidante/Ensemble Kelly has had a varied performing career covering drama, film, cabaret, improvisational theatre and music theatre. Amongst her most noted theatrical highlights are two appearances in both Oklahoma! (Ado Annie-Loyola, Laurey-NOVA) and in Into the Woods (Cinderella-Williamstown , Baker’s Wife-Phoenix). This is Kelly’s third time working with Chris Bradtke, following The Producers (Whitehorse) in 2007 and then her 2009 starring role as Tracy Lord in CLOC’s record breaking season of High Society, our final production at The Alexander Theatre, before our relocation to the National.

Geordie Worland Chief Fire Marshall/Ensemble Geordie is originally from Sydney, where he worked in theatre for over ten years. Most of his roles were with Willoughby Theatre Company and included Les Miserables, Cabaret, Beauty and the Beast, Grease, Hot Shoe Shuffle and Company. In 2010, Geordie was a semi-finalist for the Rob Guest Endowment award. Geordie’s first show in Melbourne was as a cast member of CLOC’s 2012 production of Sunset Boulevard, followed by an appearance as Pat Denning with NOVA’s 42nd Street. Geordie was delighted to have the opportunity to return to CLOC and be part of such a prestigious production. By day, Geordie is studying Building and Construction Management.

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The Ballet

Jessie Young Eighteen year old Jessie completed Year 12 last year, and is currently working part-time while studying dance (ballet, jazz, tap) at T.J. Dance Studio in Hallam, where she has trained for the last 15 years. She is making her music theatre debut with CLOC and with a world premiere production – not a bad way to start her performing career!

Sarah Mitchell Twenty year old Sarah is very excited to be making her musical theatre debut in such a prestigious production. Originally from rural Western Australia where her parents still live and work on the family farm, Sarah came alone to Melbourne at just 17 years of age to take up an offer to study full-time classical dance at the National Theatre Ballet School, located directly under our theatre where you are sitting right now (so she doesn’t have too far to travel!). She is now in the final year of her Dance Studies, and is hoping to forge a career as a professional dancer. Sarah is honoured to have been given the opportunity to be part of this production, and is extra excited as her parents are going to make the long trek from W.A. to proudly watch their daughter onstage.

Peter Leithhead Lead male dancer/ Marksman Peter’s first stage appearance in a musical was while still a student at Melbourne High School, in their 1984 production of Pippin, directed by a young teacher named Chris Bradtke. Peter then undertook tertiary studies at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Dance between 1987 and 1989, where he first met fellow student and dancer Wendy Bent. From 1986 to 1998, Peter was a familiar face and lead dancer in shows all around Melbourne, including NOVA (five shows), Whitehorse (four shows), Windmill, Altona and CLOC, where he appeared in eight productions, including Mame, Carousel, Kiss Me Kate, 42nd Street and Singin’ in the Rain. Peter then ‘retired’ while he married, had three children (now aged 13, 12 and 5) and established his professional life as a senior business analyst (yes, another theatre person working in IT). Although it has been fifteen years since he appeared onstage, Peter has kept his body in fine shape (as you will see tonight) by being a gym junkie on the side. So it was not hard for him to get back in shape and resume dancing under the watchful eye of his old friend and dancing partner Wendy Bent/Belli.

Claire Robinson Claire is one of the many Kiwi performers who seem to make CLOC their first stop after making the move across the Tasman. She has studied, taught, choreographed and adjudicated dance, both here and in New Zealand, and was also a gym instructor for seven years with the Les Mills program. She performed many roles in music theatre (most recently, Bombalurina in Cats) before relocating to Melbourne in 2010. Since then, Claire has been busy organizing her life here, working as an office manager in a recruitment company, and teaching dance at Jason Coleman’s Ministry of Dance and the Children’s Performing Company. This is Claire’s first onstage performance since moving to Oz and we welcome her.

Chantelle DavinaChantelle has lived up to her perfect ballerina name, with over twenty years’ experience in all forms of dance, including RAD advanced classical ballet and a Diploma in Dance (majoring in classical ballet) from Dance World Studios. Chantelle leads a very busy and diverse life. As well as her day job as a fashion consultant at Giorgio Armani, she is studying psychology part-time, and she also teaches dance – ballet, jazz, latin, ballroom and contemporary. Chantelle makes her musical theatre and CLOC debut with Phantom – and what a way to start!

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Natalie Marinopoulos Natalie got her start performing in school musicals at Loreto Mandeville Hall, where she appeared in High School Musical, Pirates of Penzance and Hot Mikado. She then went on to study dance full-time at Patrick Studios Australia, appearing in a number of events, festivals and conventions, including Crown Casino and Melbourne Town Hall. She is currently studying Communication Design at RMIT University and teaching dancing part-time at the Melbourne Academy of the Arts. Natalie was one of our dancers in the fabulous All Shook Up, and had such a ball, she could not wait to return to dance for us again, although in a show and dance style that could not be more different.

Kaitlin Jempson Kaitlin is one of our younger cast members, having been in the middle of her Year 12 exams when she auditioned last year. She has since begun full time study in Dance at the Michelle Slater Performing Arts Studio as well as a part time Bachelor of Arts at Melbourne University. Kaitlin’s passion for performing kept her busy throughout her secondary school years, in shows such as Oliver!, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland Jr (The Mad Hatter), Seussical Jr (The Cat in the Hat) and Into the Woods Jr (The Baker’s Wife) – all with Catchment Players, as well as the title role in her school musical, Sweet Charity, for Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar, where she was the recipient of a music scholarship. Kaitlin has also studied all forms of dance for thirteen years, as well as classical and music theatre singing, receiving a High Distinction for Sixth Grade Classical Voice.

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Act I

T he year is 1905. An auction is being held on the stage of the Paris Opera House, the Palais Garnier. Amongst the items for sale is a music

box with the figure of a mechanical monkey which is purchased by the aged and infirm Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny, for whom it seems to hold special significance. The next item for sale is the remains of a shattered chandelier, which the auctioneer says, has a connection to “the strange affair of The Phantom of the Opera…a mystery never fully explained.” As the chandelier is uncovered, it suddenly illuminates, comes back to life and rises high above the audience back to its rightful place, transporting the stage and the Opera House back to the earlier grandeur of 1881.

Rehearsals are under way for the evening’s performance of a new opera Hannibal. The opera owner uses the occasion to announce his immediate retirement and introduces the new owners, Messieurs André and Firmin, who ask Carlotta, the opera’s resident soprano prima donna, to perform a piece from the opera. As she sings, a piece of scenery suddenly falls without warning, and Carlotta, furious about the number of such unexplained ‘accidents’, storms out, vowing not to return until ‘you stop these things from happening’.

Left without a leading lady, Madame Giry the Opera Ballet mistress, and her daughter Meg, one of the ballet dancers, urge the new owners to listen to Christine Daaé, a Swedish chorus girl and orphaned daughter of a prominent violinist, saying she has been ‘well taught’. With cancellation of the performance as their only alternative, the owners reluctantly agree, and to their surprise and delight, find she is equal to the challenge and she makes a triumphant debut. After the performance, Christine confesses to Meg that she does not know who her mysterious singing teacher is, and only knows him as the ‘Angel of Music’.

Watching Christine’s performance is opera patron, Raoul, the Vicomte de Chagny, who remembers Christine from their childhood friendship. He visits her in her dressing room, where they reminisce. Christine reminds Raoul about the ‘Angel of Music’ stories that her late father used to tell them, and confides that the Angel has visited her, and taught her to sing. Raoul laughs at her ‘fantasies’, and invites her to dinner. He leaves and a jealous Phantom appears in Christine’s mirror in the guise of ‘The Angel of Music’. The mirror glides open and the Phantom draws Christine, now in a trance, into his ghostly underground realm. Christine and the Phantom journey through the labyrinth beneath the Opera House, crossing a lake to arrive at the Phantom’s lair. It is here that he explains to her why he has been teaching her--so that she may sing his music. Christine sees a mannequin of herself in a wedding dress and faints.

She awakes the next morning to the sound of a music box with a monkey playing the cymbals. The Phantom is seated at his organ, absorbed in his composition. Christine quietly approaches him and unmasks him from behind. Furious, he turns on her, and Christine recoils from the horror of his face and his anger. Once his anger is spent, he breaks down, and Christine, moved by pity, returns his mask. He takes her back to the Opera House.

Meanwhile inside the Opera House, Joseph Buquet, the Opera’s chief stagehand who, like Madame Giry, inexplicably knows much about the Phantom, regales everyone with tales of the ‘Opera Ghost’. Madame Giry cautions him not to speak about what he knows.

There is confusion everywhere regarding Christine’s overnight disappearance, which is accompanied by a series of preposterous demands via handwritten notes from The Phantom, including one that Carlotta be replaced by Christine in the lead role of the upcoming opera Il Muto. André and Firmin try to assuage the enraged Carlotta (who is convinced that Christine is behind the notes) that she will remain the star and Christine will have the silent role of the page. However, during the performance, the Phantom reduces Carlotta’s voice to a frog-like croak and then a backdrop falls to reveal the corpse of Buquet, hanging from the rafters.

In the ensuing panic, Christine escapes with Raoul to the roof where she tells him about the Phantom. Raoul is incredulous, but offers her protection. They profess their love for each other and kiss. The Phantom, who has been secretly watching, is heartbroken. He angrily vows revenge against Raoul and as the cast of Il Muto are taking their bows, he brings down the Opéra’s mighty chandelier, which crashes to the floor as the curtain falls.

Act II

I t is six months later. The Opera is having a masked ball to celebrate the New Year and the fact that the chandelier has been repaired.

Raoul and Christine have become engaged, but Christine wishes to keep the fact a secret, wearing the engagement ring on a chain around her neck. In the middle of the ball, the Phantom appears and announces that he has written an opera entitled Don Juan Triumphant. He demands that it be produced immediately, with Christine in the lead role. He then tears the engagement ring from Christine’s neck and vanishes.

Raoul questions Madame Giry about the Phantom, and she tells him what she knows - that he is a deformed musical genius who escaped from captivity in a travelling freak show, disappeared and was presumed dead, but that he still lives somewhere in the bowels of the Opera House.

Raoul hatches a plan to use Don Juan Triumphant as a trap to capture the Phantom. However Christine, torn between her love for Raoul and the Phantom’s lust for her, does not want any part in the plot because she’s afraid the Phantom will capture her. She visits her father’s grave, longing for his guidance. The Phantom appears, and again puts Christine under his spell, until Raoul arrives, awakens her from her trance, and says he will take her away. The Phantom is furious and declares war on them both.

The performance of Don Juan Triumphant, the Phantom’s opera, begins, with Christine and Ubaldo Piangi, the Opera’s principal tenor, singing the lead roles. During their duet, Christine suddenly realizes that she is singing not with Piangi, but with the Phantom himself. He expresses his love for her and gives her his ring, but Christine rips off his mask, exposing his deformed face to the audience. As Piangi is found murdered backstage, the Phantom snatches Christine and flees the theatre.

Raoul attempts to follow the Phantom, and is aided by Madame Giry, who tells him how to find the Phantom’s subterranean lair, but warns him of the danger – “keep your hand at the level of your eye”…

Down in the Phantom’s lair, Christine confronts the Phantom with the fact that his true disfigurement is that of his soul, not his face. Raoul arrives, and the Phantom lets him in, only to trap him in a noose and offer Christine an ultimatum: either she stays with him, or Raoul dies. Christine’s answer is to kiss him. The Phantom, having experienced kindness and compassion for the first time, sets them both free. Christine returns the Phantom’s ring to him, and he tells her he loves her. She cries, forces herself to turn away, and exits with Raoul, leaving the Phantom to weep at his loss, before huddling on his throne and covering himself with his cape as the pursuing mob closes in on the lair. Meg is the first to arrive and she approaches the throne and tears the cloak away - but the Phantom has vanished. All that is left is the Phantom’s mask.

Synopsis

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ORCHESTRAMusical Director Andy McCalmanViolin 1 Prue Glen (Leader)Violin 2 Sarah NieuwkerkViolin 3 Chantal RoddyViolin 4 Anne BeruldsenViolin 5 Simone RickerbyViolin 6 Anita SmithViolin 7 Evelyn BergmanViola 1 Barbara OakesCello 1 Debra McLeodCello 2 Sage FullerDouble Bass Patrick DevineKeys 1 Martine WengrowKeys 2 Tim VerdonKeys 3 (Harp) Amber SimmWoodwind 1 Gregory PetersonWoodwind 2 Andrew HoustonWoodwind 3 Jenny Lowe (Cor Anglais) Woodwind 4 Glenn TaylorWoodwind 5 Sara RaffertonTrumpet 1 Dan McKimmTrumpet 2 Elsa BrissendenHorn 1 Cate WaughHorn 2 Thomas PepprellHorn 3 Olivia MaccoraTrombone Jonty SmithPercussion Bryn Bowen

ENSEMBLEShane Foster Bidder (Auction)/Carthagian (Hannibal)/Don Atilio (Il Muto)/Nobleman (Don Juan Triumphant) Nicole Free Carthagian (Hannibal)/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Jackson Harnwell Porter (Auction)/Carthagian (Hannibal)/Fop (Il Muto)/Nobleman (Don Juan Triumphant)Gemma Hedger Bidder (Auction)/Carthagian (Hannibal)/Pianist (Rehearsal)/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Genevieve Kingsford Carthagian (Hannibal)/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Phil Lambert Bidder (Auction)/Joseph Buquet/Policeman/Fire Marshall/Nobleman (Don Juan Triumphant)Peter Leithhead Slave Master (Hannibal)/MarksmanRowena McDowell Nurse (Auction)/Carthagian (Hannibal)/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Elise Naismith Carthagian (Hannibal)/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Patrick O’Halloran Auctioneer/Carthagian (Hannibal)/Nobleman (Don Juan Triumphant)Richard Perdriau Monsieur Lefèvre/Nobleman (Don Juan Triumphant)Tim Phillips Porter (Auction)/Fop (Il Muto)/Fire MarshallJon Sebastian Monsieur Reyer/Nobleman (Don Juan Triumphant)Allie Sutherland Carthagian (Hannibal)/Mme André/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Chris van Raay Carthagian (Hannibal)/Pianist (Hannibal)/Passarino (Don Juan Triumphant)Kelly Windle Carthagian (Hannibal)/ Confidante (Il Muto)/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)Geordie Worland Bidder (Auction)/ Carthagian (Hannibal)/Policeman/Chief Fire MarshallLindy Yeates Costumière (Hannibal)/Christine’s Dresser/Noblewoman (Don Juan Triumphant)

Phantom: Cast ListCORPS DE BALLET OF THE OPÉRA POPULAIREPeter Leithhead (Lead male dancer)Chantelle DavinaKaitlin JempsonNatalie MarinopoulosSarah MitchellClaire RobinsonJessie Young

PRINCIPALSToby Truscott The PhantomLaura Slavin Christine DaaéPatrick Hill Raoul, Vicomte de ChagnySamantha Du Rennes Carlotta GiudicelliJulian Dunham Ubaldo PiangiScott Hili Monsieur FirminTim Minturn Monsieur AndréBeryle Frees Madame GiryLucinda Barratt Meg Giry

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Musical Numbers

ACT I – Paris 1881Scene 1 – The Dress Rehearsal of ‘Hannibal’ Think of Me (Carlotta, Christine and Raoul)

Scene 2 – After the Gala Angel of Music (Christine and Meg)

Scene 3 – Christine’s Dressing Room Little Lotte/The Mirror/Angel of Music (Raoul, Christine and Phantom)

Scene 4 – The Labyrinth Underground The Phantom of the Opera (Phantom and Christine)

Scene 5 – Beyond the Lake The Music of the Night (Phantom)

Scene 6 – Beyond the Lake, The Next Morning Remember/Stranger Than You Dream It (Christine and Phantom)

Scene 7 – Box 5 Magical Lasso (Buquet, Meg, Madame Giry and Ballet Girls)

Scene 8 - The Managers’ Office Notes/Prima Donna (Firmin, André, Raoul, Carlotta, Giry, Meg, Piangi and Phantom)

Scene 9 – A Performance of ‘Il Muto’ Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh (Carlotta and Company)

Scene 10 – The Roof of the Opera House Why Have You Brought Us Here/Raoul, I’ve Been There (Raoul and Christine) All I Ask of You (Raoul and Christine) All I Ask of You (Reprise - Phantom)

Scene 11 – The Curtain Call of ‘Il Muto’

Act II – Six months laterScene 1 – The Staircase of the Opera House – New Year’s Eve Masquerade/Why So Silent (Full Company)

Scene 2 – Backstage – Raoul and Madame Giry

Scene 3 – The Managers’ Office Notes/Twisted Every Way (André, Firmin, Carlotta, Piangi, Raoul, Christine, Giry and Phantom)

Scene 4 – A Rehearsal for ‘Don Juan Triumphant’ Rehearsal (Carlotta, Piangi, Christine and Chorus) The Phantom of the Opera/Little Lotte (Reprise - Christine)

Scene 5 – A Graveyard in Peros Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again (Christine) Wandering Child/Bravo Bravo (Phantom, Christine and Raoul)

Scene 6 – The Opera House Stage Before the Première

Scene 7 – ‘Don Juan Triumphant’ The Point of No Return (Phantom and Christine) All I Ask of You (Reprise - Phantom)

Scene 8 – The Labyrinth Underground Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer (Full Company) Be My Guest, Sir/The Point of No Return (Phantom,Christine and Raoul) All I Ask of You (Reprise - Christine and Raoul) Masquerade/The Music of the Night (Reprise - Phantom)

Scene 9 – Beyond the Lake - FINALE (Christine, Raoul and Company)

PROLOGUE The Stage of the Paris Opera House, 1905 Overture (Auctioneer, Raoul and Company)

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DIRECTOR : Chris BradtkeMUSICAL DIRECTOR : Andy McCalmanCHOREOGRAPHER : Wendy BelliPRODUCTION MANAGER : Debbie OsborneTECHNICAL DIRECTOR : Grant AlleySTAGE MANAGER : Sandra DaviesASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR : Debbie Osborne

SET DESIGNER : Brenton StaplesSET PAINTING : Brenton Staples, John Burrett, John Shelbourn, Graham McGuffieBACK DROP: Chris WhiteTECHNICAL DESIGNER : Grant AlleySET CONSTRUCTION : Grant AlleyASSISTED BY: Patsi Boddison, John Davies, Noel Hall, Tony Hall, Bernard Hedger, David Hobbs, Malcolm Lutchner, Brenton Staples, Peter Turley, Michael Vayro, Barry Venning

SOUND DESIGNER : Marcello Lo Ricco (LSS Productions)SOUND OPERATION : Nick LileySOUND EFFECTS OPERATOR : Josh MattielliSTAGE SOUND TECHNICIAN : Johnny Lo RiccoASSISTED BY : Natalie ColemanSOUND CREW FOR BUMP-IN & BUMP-OUT : Steve Cooke, Marcello Lo Ricco, Nick Liley, Phillip Pietruschka, Jake Santinon, Kieran SantosoSOUND EQUIPMENT: LSS Productions Pty Ltd

LIGHTING DESIGNER : Stelios KaragiannisASSISTED BY : Linda HumLIGHTING BOARD OPERATOR : Rohan FotheringhamFOLLOW SPOT OPERATORS : Patsi Boddison, David Boddison-Gray, Naomi Boddison-Gray, Tina Boddison-GrayLIGHTING CREW FOR BUMP-IN & BUMP-OUT : Patsi Boddison, David Boddison-Gray and Linda Hum of The National Theatre

COSTUME DESIGNER : Nerissa SavilleCOSTUME CONSULTANT : Nancy MatthewsCOSTUME CO-ORDINATOR : Melinda PeeblesASSISTED BY : Carol Humphrey, Allan PaulMILLINERY : Emily SmithiesASSISTED BY : Tina Scott, Denia EmersonCOSTUME ASSISTANTS : Jenny Barratt, Ruth Benney, Ella Bradshaw, Marinella Celeste, Lara Conway, Amy Dawson, Jacqueline Day, Lorna English, Eva Fabian, Vicky Horne, Chloe Neyland, Sandy Nicholson, Frances Penington, Nancy Pizzi, Delwyn Poyser, Cheree Sextron, Kara Short, Erika Sudarevic, Emi Tibballs, Blanche White, Susan Windle

WIG DESIGNER & MAINTENANCE : David WiskenASSISTED BY : Jenny Barratt, Fran RasseoHAIR TEAM : Bianca Becker, Jody Drago, Madeline NotleyWIGS SUPPLIED BY : Joseph Pannucio atclutchingatcurls.com.au

MAKE-UP CONSULTANT & PHANTOM MAKE-UP : Louise JenkinsASSISTED BY : Natalie Della GraziaMAKE-UP TEAM : Sarah Bielefeld, Carolyn Buckley, Tessa Kilner, Holly McDowell, Shea O’Laughlin

STAGE DIRECTOR : Bernard HedgerASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER : Rosie CorrellFLOOR MANAGERS : Paul Belli, Robert GriffinFLY MANAGER : Tony HallDRESSERS’ CO-ORDINATOR : Melinda PeeblesASSISTED BY : Janet Cameron, Hannah Campbell, Bianca Milewski, Chloe Neyland, Allan Paul, Erika Sudarevic, Karen Warrington

SET DRESSING : Crisanne Fox assisted by Anne BravosPROPS CO-ORDINATOR : Beth Stryk ASSISTED BY : Jodie Lawson, Karen Greenwood, Sarah Nichols, Tegan Vincent

SPECIAL PROPS : Justin Green, Gunter Blum, Trevor Blum, Robert CelesteENGINEERING : Peter TurleyPHANTOM MASK : Peter Turley, Louise Jenkins, Patsi BoddisonARMOURER : Len Steel assisted by Craig DixonFIGHT DIRECTOR : Robert ShookPYROTECHNICS : Airwise Pyrotechnics

STAGE CREW : Michael Bates, Gordon Bull, Michael Curtis, Heidi Crook, Laura Day, Craig Dixon, David Hobbs, Mark Houghton, Nikki Imberger, Howard Irvine, Ellen Lurie, Matt McLaughlin, Jackie Mates, Nici Moller, Chay Moran, Ian Simmonds, Michael Vayro, Natalie Vincent, Neville West, Erin Williamson

THANKS ALSO TO : Damien Calvert, Peter Leed, Mark McDowell, Fyfe Meggs, Peter Thompson

MARKETING CO-ORDINATORS : Sandra Davies, Cameron OsborneMARKETING TEAM : Grant Alley, Jocelyn Clarke, Craig Dixon, Karen Greenwood, Bianca Milewski, Jan Sheppard, Peter Stanbrook, Craig WiltshirePROGRAM : Cameron OsborneGRAPHIC ART/DESIGN : David Clark at The WizartsPHOTOGRAPHY : Richard Crompton , Carlos Ramirez, Stephen RansomPRINTING : Fineline Printing, Miss PrintADMIN SUPPORT : Janet Cameron, Karen Greenwood, Debbie Osborne

TICKET SALES : Carol Humphrey, Cheryle Osborne, Fay Lutchner, Malcolm Lutchner, Peter Miller, Jan SheppardFRONT OF HOUSE CO-ORDINATORS : Meryl Withers, Peter WitneyBOX OFFICE MANAGERS : Grant Alley, Barry VenningASSISTED BY : Carol Humphrey, Cheryle OsborneDUTY MANAGERS : Ian Carlsson, Nick Jones, Jan Sheppard, Barry Venning, Meryl Withers, Peter WitneyCATERING : Paul Belli, Tony Hall, Kelly Hall, Lincoln Judd, Maggie JuddFIRST AID : Ian SimmondsREHEARSAL PIANISTS : Danny Forward, Jack Earle, Tim Verdon, Jerome Walles, Martine WengrowSTAND-IN FOR ERIK MULHEIM : Richard PerdriauSTAND-IN FOR CHRISTINE DAAÉ : Kelly Windle

CLOC PATRONJohn-Michael Howson OAM

CLOC COMMITTEE PRESIDENT : Grant AlleyADMINISTRATOR : Sandra DaviesSECRETARY : Barry VenningTREASURER : John DaviesCOMMITTEE : Janet Cameron, Carol Humphrey, Cameron Osborne, Debbie Osborne, Allan Paul, Melinda Peebles

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Assistant to the Treasurer-Mike StrahanZiva and Mike RaymanThanks to all friends of CLOC who work Front of HouseThanks to the staff of The National TheatreFrank Simcox for Audio Visual ServicesRay Rooney at Reveal Studios

CLOC acknowledges the support of Wendy Black from Swinburne University of Technology

CLOC acknowledges the support of the City of Kingston

Production Team

CLOC Musical TheatrePO Box 3250 Mentone East Vic 3194

Ticket Enquiries: 1300 362 547Web: www.cloc.org.auEmail: info@cloc.org.au

CLOC Committee Members

President Grant Alley

Administrator Sandra Davies

Treasurer John Davies

Secretary Barry Venning

Committee Janet Cameron

Committee Carol Humphrey

Committee Debbie Osborne

Committee Melinda Peebles

Committee Cameron Osborne

Committee Allan Paul

CLOC Patron

John-Michael Howson OAM

CLOC Musical Theatre is a member of the Music Theatre

Guild of Victoriaw

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From 18th May 2013Comedy Theatre • Exhibition St, Melbourne BOOKINGS ticketmaster.com.au flowerchildren.com.au

STARRING GREEN ROOM AWARD WINNING CASTMATT HETHERINGTON, LAURA FITZPATRICK, DAN HUMPHRIS AND CASEY DONOVAN AS MAMA CASS

STRICTLY LIM

ITED

SEASON!

“AS ORIGINAL AND IMPRESSIVE A PIECE OF MUSIC THEATRE AS YOU ARE LIKELY TO FIND”

THE AUSTRALIAN

“FOUR AND A HALF STARS”

THE AGE

Your one stop online wig shop. Clutching at Curls specializes in synthetic and heat resistant hand knotted, french lace-front wigs as well as matching synthetic and heat resistant extensions.

Clutching at Curls is a proud sponsor of CLOC Musical Theatre’s production of The Phantom of the Opera

Web: www.clutchingatcurls.com.au

creative�olution�print creative�olution�print

Quality printing, on time and within budgetFineline Printing is a commercial sheet fed print company which has been in operation for 25 years, establishing a reputation for the supply of high quality printed products at competitive rates.

Short turnaround times and timely delivery have been instrumental in the creation, retention and further development of our business partnerships. Fineline Printing’s success is directly attributable to the skill and experience of our highly qualified personnel, state-of-art machinery and our ability to provide the total package from design to execution and beyond.

– Contact: Customer Service Ph: 03 8791 4200 Email: sales@finelineprinting.com.au

– Coverage: Australia wide – Full Contact Information: Fineline Printing Australia Pty Ltd

130 Browns Road Noble Park North, Vic 3174 Ph: (03) 8791 4200 Fax: (03) 8791 4277 Email: sales@finelineprinting.com.au www.finelineprinting.com.au

The Astor Theatre is a proud sponsor of CLOC Musical Theatre.For What’s On at the Astor Theatre, download the movie calendar at:

www.astortheatre.net.au Phone: 9510 1414

Cnr Chapel St and Dandenong Rd, St Kilda

ASTOR THEATRE LOGO DESIGN Charlie Kinross GRAPHIC DESIGN / ILLUSTRATION / PHOTOGRAPHYwww.charliekinross.com.au / charlie@charliekinross.com.au / 0414 689 681

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Thousands of costumes, stage props andfurniture. From Sullivan to Sondheim You

know the standard of our costuming!

COSTUMEHIRE

COSTUMEHIRE

9859 5357Ring Allan now on

CREATIVE FRAMERSEst. 1983

Proudly sponsors CLOC115 Highbury Rd., Burwood Ph: 9888 8225

OPEN MONDAY ~ SATURDAY9am ~ 5pm

PICTURE FRAMERS-RESTORERS-LIMITED AND OPEN EDITION PRINTS

CREATIVE FRAMERS

ASTOR THEATRE LOGO DESIGN Charlie Kinross GRAPHIC DESIGN / ILLUSTRATION / PHOTOGRAPHYwww.charliekinross.com.au / charlie@charliekinross.com.au / 0414 689 681

Thousands of costumes, stage props andfurniture. From Sullivan to Sondheim You

know the standard of our costuming!

COSTUMEHIRE

COSTUMEHIRE

1300 826 788Ring Allan now on

Co-Directors Chris & Lynette WhiteChoreographer Lynette White

Musical Director Phillip Osborne

@3AW693

3AW. Social media since 1967.Social media. It’s the almost unrestricted fl ow of information and ideas. It’s interactive, empowering and entertaining. It puts media power in the hands of the people.

Sound familiar? That’s because a different kind of social media has been with us since 1967 – talkback radio. And 3AW was right there at its genesis.

3AW. It’s social media at its best – 24/7 and now with over 650,000 dedicated followers every week.

Now that’s something to tweet about!

3A0733 3AW Social Media A4.indd 1 9/9/11 3:34 PM

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Co-Directors Chris & Lynette WhiteChoreographer Lynette White

Musical Director Phillip Osborne

@3AW693

3AW. Social media since 1967.Social media. It’s the almost unrestricted fl ow of information and ideas. It’s interactive, empowering and entertaining. It puts media power in the hands of the people.

Sound familiar? That’s because a different kind of social media has been with us since 1967 – talkback radio. And 3AW was right there at its genesis.

3AW. It’s social media at its best – 24/7 and now with over 650,000 dedicated followers every week.

Now that’s something to tweet about!

3A0733 3AW Social Media A4.indd 1 9/9/11 3:34 PM

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