Musical theatre students will have the chance to perform with a Broadway legend this week, when diva Patti LuPone hits the stage at the Queensland Conservatorium Theatre.
A Multiple Tony and Grammy Award-winner will perform her critically acclaimed show, Don’t Monkey with Broadway, to a packed house at the Queensland Conservatorium Theatre on Wednesday night.
The concert, presented by Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in association with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC), will feature a chorus of third-year Bachelor of Musical Theatre students.
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Director Professor Scott Harrison said the collaboration with QPAC had provided remarkable opportunities for students.
“We are delighted to welcome Patti LuPone to the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University,” he said.
“Our close ties with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre have opened up once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for our students.
“A chance to perform alongside one of Broadway’s renowned musical theatre artists is a fantastic learning experience for our young performers.”
Professor Harrison said Queensland Conservatorium graduates formed the backbone of performing arts productions in Australia and on the world stage.
“Since its inception in 2011, our Bachelor of Musical Theatre has turned out the country’s finest triple-threat talent, with graduates cast in high profile productions like My Fair Lady, Aladdin, Mamma Mia and Beautiful,” he said.
“The program was the first of its kind in the country, and offers aspiring musical theatre stars the chance to prepare for a career in the industry under the direction of internationally renowned teachers and performers.
“Our program has a focus on industry engagement and we believe it is vital that young performers build their professional networks and gain exposure to the industry while they study.”
QPAC Chief Executive John Kotzas said the ongoing partnership with the Queensland Conservatorium was part of a commitment to nurture the next generation of performers.
“Collaborating with our precinct partners Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University to provide our next generation of musical theatre stars with the opportunity to learn from and perform alongside Patti reflects QPAC’s commitment to facilitating meaningful creative exchanges and establishing enduring professional relationships for young artists,” he said.
Known as the reigning diva of Broadway, LuPone will perform classic show tunes by the likes of Richard Rodgers, Stephen Schwartz, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin.
The American Theatre Hall of Famer will return to London’s West End later this year in a new production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company – a show that also forms part of the Queensland Conservatorium’s winter season at the Brisbane Powerhouse next month.
LuPone is a two-time Tony Award winner for her role as Madame Rose in the most recent Broadway revival of the musical Gypsy and for her now legendary performance in the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Evita. She reprised her performance for local audiences during Evita’s original Australian run in the early ’80s.
Since then, LuPone has graced stages and screens around the world with credits covering film, TV, recordings and theatre. In 2010, she released her autobiography, Patti LuPone: A Memoir which became a New York Times bestseller.
Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in association with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is proud to present Don’t Monkey with Broadway at the Conservatorium Theatre on Wednesday 27 June 2018. Tickets are available through qtix.