DAVID HAWKINS - PRODUCER

David Hawkins is the Artistic Director of Showtune Productions a company developed to advance the form of music theatre through cabaret, concert and theatrical presentations.  Hawkins has performed professionally himself with Opera Australia for over eight years, with his cabaret act Nom de Plume nationally and he played the coveted role of Lee Gordon in “Shout! The musical of the Wild One” for the national tour (Kevin Jacobsen Productions).  Hawkins has worked with leading creatives such as Baz Luhrmann, Jim Sharman, and Ross Coleman.
 
Showtune Productions has opened several venues for Sydney including The Kirk in Surry Hills (1995-2001) Kabarett Junction in Bondi Junction (2001-2003) Kabarett Voltaire first at Bar Me then Seymour Centre (2003-2005).  At the venues he promoted such artists as Christine Anu, iOTA, Rufus Wainwright (CANADA), Paul Capsis, Toni Lamond, John Bucchino (USA), Faith Winthrope (USA), Margi de Ferranti, Leonie Page, David Campbell, Kane Alexander, Anne Wood, Alison Jiear, Micheline Van Hautem (Belgium/USA), Jeannie Lewis, Margaret Roadknight, Deliah Hannah, Combo Fiasco, Monsieur Camembert,  and many more.
 
Last year after presenting Tony Award songstress Lillias White to a sell out season and rave reviews @NEWTOWN he has begun to bring more Broadway stars to our shores. This year he presented Faith Prince  @NEWTOWN and at his new venue in Melbourne which has been created with Nancy Cato and Sofitel Melbourne the Sofitel Supper Club, and in August Chita Rivera will make her Australian debut with Showtune Productions playing The Studio at Sydney Opera House and Sofitel Supper Club.
 
Hawkins has directed two shows first was the New York revue  ‘Kooky Tunes’ with Eddie Perfect, Sharon Millerchip, Kaye Tuckerman and Andrew Benson with Steps by Ross Coleman which toured Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.  His second directing job was a huge success ‘Intimate and Deadly’ a show written and conceived with Christine Anu it played to sell out houses in The Studio at Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Festival Centre, Darwin Festival, Queensland Music Festival, The Clarendon Katoomba, Byron Bay Arts Centre, The Famous Spiegeltent at Victorian Arts Centre and a regional tour is planned for early 2007.
 
Showtune has presented many rehearsed readings of new musicals including ‘The Happy Prince’, ‘Time Traveler’, ‘Lionel and the Dragon’ and in 2000 Hawkins presented a concert version of the Broadway show ‘Damn Yankee’s’ with Tony Harvey, Leonie Page and Margi de Ferranti.  Hawkins purchased the rights for Hedwig three years ago and it has been on simmer for over three years, now finally the best cast & creative team has been established and a tour has been set so now it is time to take that wig down off the shelf in Oz.  

CRAIG ILOTT - DIRECTOR

Craig graduated from NIDA in 1991.

Directing credits include: Sunday in The Park With George (NIDA), Three’s Company (Glen St), The Present (La Mama) Fiddler On The Roof  (Darwin Theatre Company), The Suitors, (Easily Distracted, Old Fitz).

For his own company, Albedo Theatre, Craig has directed, The Decameron (Old Fitz) which was nominated for Sun Herald Best Independent Production 2002, Dealer’s Choice (Old Fitz ) which went on to win Sun Herald Best Independent Production 2004, and Edmond in a co-production with B Sharp Belvoir, nominated for Best Independent Production at the 2005 Sydney Theatre Awards.   

Craig was resident director on Makropoulos Secret for Opera Australia, and was in 2005, assistant to director Neil Armfield on the feature film Candy starring Geoffrey Rush and Heath Ledger.

Most recently he directed the national tour of the concert Let It Be.  Later this year he will direct I Get The Music In You for The Ensemble Theatre.

Acting credits include productions for Company B Belvoir, Sydney Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Griffin Theatre Company, Glen St Theatre, NIDA Company, Spirit Entertainment as well as lead roles in musicals for Dainty Consolidated, David Atkins Enterprises, Hills Centre, and the Melbourne International Festival. 

ROSS COLEMAN - CHOREOGRAPHER

The first musical that Ross choreographed was the original Australian production of Grease in 1972.

Since thena selection of his works includefor The Sydney Theatre Company: I‘m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road, Chicago, The Stripper, The Conquest Of Carmen Miranda, Summer Rain (1996, 2005), Jonah Jones, Company, The Threepenny Opera, Merrily We Roll Along, Miracle City, The Doll’s House and The Republic Of Myopia.

For the Melbourne Theatre Company Ross has choreographed: High Society (including an Australian tour), Company (Green Room Awards nomination), The Seagull, Great Expectations, Urinetown (Helpmann Awards nomination 2005) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Musicals for other producers include: Side By Side By Sondheim, The Rocky Horror Show, Jerry’s Girls, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying ,Cabaret, Grease The Arena Spectacular (Green Room Award nomination), Follies In Concert, Lobe Burns, Trouble In Tahiti, Funny Girl, Call Me Madame, Naked Boys Singing, The Merry Widow (AO 2005) and Shout (2001 Green Room Award for best choreography).

International work includes the English national tour of High Society, The Demon at Bregenzerfestspiel Austria, The Demon at Zurich Operhaus, The Merry Widow and Friedrichstaadtplast in Berlin, St Petersburg Music Hall and Pomp, Duck and Circumstance in Berlin and New York. Added to this were countless productions in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

As a performer Ross is best remembered for his portrayal of Paul in the original Australian production of A Chorus Line.

As a director,Ross’ recent work includes the Opera’s Turandot and Norma for The Canterbury Opera in New Zealand, The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie for The Production Company both receiving Green Room Award nominations and Shout the 2003 regional tour. In 2004 he directed Merrily We Roll Along for WAAPA and in 2005 Shout for the MS Society in Adelaide. 

Canadian born Tina Harris is a mutli instrumentalist with a diversity of talents as performer, composer and musical director. Her background has roots in community theatre and music; tutoring workshops, and writing and arranging for many styles of band, including big band, cabaret, latin, funk and a cappella. She has a range of experience in theatre/music theatre being musical director or associate musical director for a number of main stage productions including RENT,The New Rocky Horror Show, Return to the Forbidden Planet, and has also performed in Miracle City, (bass) and Oh What a Night (guitar/keyboard or percussion).

Tina has also been seen around the cabaret scene over the years playing with Paul Capsis, Genevieve Lemon and Christine Anu as well as performing in the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

In the past year Tina has worked playing bass with the 10 piece big band for Todd McKenny - Live; went to London in November to perform in and musical direct a short season of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and was Musical Director for Simon Palomares and George Kapiniaris - Live at the Palms at Melbourne's Crown Casino, and continues to play around Sydney in afro- latin funk outfit, Matanza

Tina has just finished composing music and lyrics for a cabaret commisioned by Parallelo Theatre Company, Adelaide which was performed at both Adelaide and Melbourne Cabaret Festivals.

NICHOLAS DARE - DESIGN

Nicholas is a graduate of the NIDA Design Course. In the past few years he has created a number of designs for a variety of productions, ranging from theatre to film and events. He has just designed the Australian Premiere of 17 by Michael Gow (ATYP), after returning from Saudi Arabia where he was the senior designer for the Jeddah Economic Forum . Other work this year has included Slamming (Sydney Festival) and the Short & Sweet Festival.

In 2004 Nicholas designed The Woman with Dog's Eyes (Griffin Theatre Co) Dealer's Choice (Albedo Theatre) and Eclipse & Musicians (Royal National Theatre/ATYP) . Other productions include Hansel & Gretel (Pacific Opera) Vicious Streaks (ROAR Theatre Co), the opening performances at Luna Park, Stone Sleeper, Birth of the Cool (Sydney Festival) Fiddler On The Roof (Darwin Theatre Company) Brokenville, Hamlet, Sparkleshark (ATYP) West Side Story (Moriah College) The Decameron (Albedo/Poor Nick) The Fruits of Enlightenment, Three Sisters (NIDA). Short films include Irons and Trapped.

STEPHEN HAWKER - LIGHTING DESIGNER

As a Lighting Designer Stephen has worked with companies such as Company B Open House, The Small Poppies and Svetlana in Slingbacks, Platform 27 Marinheiro and The Waiting Room, Siren Theatre Connie and Kevin and the Secret Life of Groceries, Ensemble Lobby Hero, Hair of the Dog Misanthrope and Sweet Phoebe, Griffin Wicked Sisters and Rabbit, Kicking and Screaming/B Sharp Pussy Boy, A.T.Y.P Brokenville and Scorch Theatre/B Sharp Love That Dog to name but a few.

His most recent work being Myth, Propaganda and Disaster in Nazi Germany and Contemporary America for Tangent Productions Inc. The Secret Death of Salvador Dali for Griffin.

NICK JONES - RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER AND ILLUSTRATOR

Nick began dancing at the age of three under the tuition of Michelle Rae School of Dance and later at the Victorian College of the Arts graduating in 1998.
 
His professional career in singing, dancing and acting began at the age of 10.  As a child he performed roles in The Wizard of Oz (Munchkin), The King and I (Louis), Scrooge - The Musical (Peter Cratchitt), Fiddler on the Roof (Ensemble), The Masked Ball (Ensemble) and La Boheme (Ensemble).   His television credits include roles in Late for School (series regular), The Man From Snowy River, Fast Forward, Neighbours and Blue Heelers.  

Nick spent a year in China song writing and performing as part of a pop group which culminated in the release of a top selling CD.
 
Prior to his time overseas he performed in The Merry Widow and The Boy From Oz and since returning to Australia he has performed in The Music Man and toured with Shout! The Legend of the Wild One, he was an original cast member of the highly acclaimed We Will Rock You and the recent Melbourne season of Fiddler on the Roof.
 
Nick toured with Chita Rivera Down Under as tour co-ordinator and was one of Ms Rivera’s dancers in her Melbourne Masterclass. He was also assistant choreographer on the original season of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and is so pleased to be recreating the choreography for the return Sydney season.  Nick starts rehearsals in February for Miss Saigon which opens March in Melbourne.