Stages (2025)

03/09/2025

STAGES Episode 582: ALEXIS FISHMAN
Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Alexis Fishman is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). She was nominated for a Helpmann Award for her performance as 'Young Dusty' in Dusty, her first show after graduating. Alexis then went on to star in some of Australia’s biggest musicals including Shout! and the award winning Sydney premiere of Kiss of The Spiderwoman. Other Australian credits include Urinetown, Closer, Troupers, as well as plays at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Monkey Baa Theatre Company.
Alexis is the creator of six solo cabaret shows including the award winning Club Gelbe Stern which made it’s US debut at NYMF where Alexis was awarded ‘Outstanding Individual Performance’. Other shows have been performed across Australia at the Adelaide and Melbourne Cabaret Festivals, Shir Madness Jewish Music Festival, The Reginald Theatre, The Sound Lounge, Chapel Off Chapel, Sydney Jewish Museum, Ginger’s at the Oxford Hotel and Claire’s Kitchen. In New York, Alexis’ shows have been seen at 54 Below, City Winery, Pangea, The Triad, JCC Manhattan and Laurie Beechman Theatre as well as in New Jersey, Ohio, Connecticut and Florida.
Most recently, Alexis was seen off-Broadway as Anne Frank in Anne Being Frank by Ron Elisha. The production garnered two Broadway World Awards, for Best Solo Performance and Best off-Broadway production.
Alexis holds a Masters in International Relations from Deakin University and was honoured to sing for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Iraq war. Her personal essays have been published in two books, God, Faith and Identity in the Ashes, and the i'Mpossible Project's Lemonade Stand.
Alexis has coached Cabaret workshops for Broadway Weekends, Actors Equity Australia and the Sydney Cabaret Showcase. She also sees private clients.
In September, Alexis brings her celebrated turn in Anne Being Frank by Ron Elisha, to the stage at the Sydney Opera House.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

30/08/2025

STAGES Episode 581: NONI HAZLEHURST
Noni Hazlehurst recently returned to the stage with MOTHER at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. Her autobiography Dropping the Mask was released in October 2024.
Noni played the role of Miss Cartwright in the feature film Ladies in Black for which she received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 2018 ACCTA Awards.
Noni completed filming on A Place to Call Home, the final series screening in 2018.
She has completed a second sell-out tour of the one woman play, MOTHER and the role of Mag in the Sydney Theatre Company production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane, both to excellent reviews. She reprised MOTHER in Queensland in 2020.
Most recent television and film work includes: Long Story Short, June Again, The End, A Place to Call Home, Truth, and Redfern Now.
In 2016 Noni was inducted into the TV Week Logie ‘Hall of Fame’.
In September she is back on the boards in the world premiere season of Daniel Keen’s LARK at the Melbourne Arts Centre. A season at QPAC in Brisbane follows in October.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

27/08/2025

STAGES Episode 580: FRANCIS GREENSLADE
Francis Greenslade began performing with the Adelaide University Footlights. He has been an actor and a teacher for over 30 years. He is best known for performing a host of characters on ‘Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell’ and Brian Gross on ‘Winners and Losers’. Other screen credits include The Leftovers, Irreverent, Blue Heelers, Dr Blake, SeaChange and Full Frontal.
He has worked with most theatre companies across Australia. His stage credits include The Odd Couple, Shakespeare in Love, Man the Balloon, and Urinetown for the Melbourne Theatre Company, Babes in the Wood, The Odyssey, Optimism, and Tartuffe for Malthouse, and Navigating for the Sydney Theatre Company. In 2019 STC produced his adaptation of Accidental Death of an Anarchist.
His book ‘How I Learnt to Act’ was published by Currency Press in 2019 and his play ‘The Platypus’ has had seasons at Theatreworks in St Kilda in 2024 and at Holden Street Theatres for the Adelaide Fringe in 2025.
‘The Platypus’, plays the Brisbane Festival in September.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

23/08/2025

STAGES Episode 579: IAN STENLAKE
From beloved TV dramas to blockbuster musicals, Ian Stenlake has carved out a dynamic career across stage and screen. Most recently, he conjured magic (and menace), mesmerising audiences as the enigmatic Saruman in The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale. Prior to that, Ian toured nationally in Elvis: A Musical Revolution, portraying the legendary Colonel Tom Parker, a performance that earned him the Glugs Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His musical resumé is stacked with acclaimed roles including Sam in Mamma Mia!, Sky in Guys & Dolls, Curly in Oklahoma!, Cliff in Cabaret, Robert in The Bridges of Madison County and John Ashby in Georgy Girl.
Beyond musicals, Ian has also made his mark in a wide range of main stage productions. Highlights include Around the World in 80 Days for Ellis Productions, One Crowded Hour with the Tasmanian Theatre Company, Daylight Saving for Darlinghurst Theatre Company, School of the Arts for Queensland Theatre Company and Sleeping Beauty for Malthouse Theatre.
On screen, Ian is best known for his long-running roles as Commander Mike Flynn in Sea Patrol and Oscar Stone in Stingers. His television work also includes appearances in The Secret Daughter, Dance Academy and more. His film credits range from Diana & Me to Trapped in Space, and even a role in The Godfather Part III.
A two-time Green Room Award winner and Helpmann Award nominee, Ian continues to enchant audiences nationwide, affirming his place as a powerhouse of Australian stage and screen.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

13/08/2025

STAGES Episode 578: ROBERT W. SCHNEIDER
Robert W. Schneider is one of the foremost educators and lecturers in the world of theatre having given countless presentations at Yale, Fordham, The Institute of the American Musicals, and at various engagements throughout the United States and the UK.
He is currently on the faculty of both Penn State University and the Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre at New York Film Academy. Robert is a graduate of Penn State University (MFA) and a member of The Society of Directors and Choreographers.
Rob is one of the iconic New York Cabaret venue Feinstein’s/54 Below, original programming producers. He is the Artistic Director of the J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company, and a freelance director. He has worked with such artists as Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, as well as such institutions as Lincoln Center, Second Stage, The York Theatre, PBS, Walnut Street Theatre, and Center Theatre Group.
As a director, Rob has focused mainly on revivals and regional premieres: which have included Memphis, Rock of Ages, Hairspray, How to Succeed…., Bye Bye Birdie, Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and City of Angels.
For J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre Company he has directed productions of Smile, Zorba, Drat! The Cat!, Do Re Mi, Lucky Stiff, Seesaw and No Strings. The Company presents professional revivals of worthy Broadway musicals; in doing so it provides an opportunity for patrons to re-visit these shows and, in some cases, experience them for the first time.
As a producer at 54 Below Rob has worked on over 80 concerts, many in the MAC-Award winning 54 Sings Series….where he directed concerts of We Will Rock You(NY Premiere), Memphis (OBC Reunion) and Curtains (OBC Reunion) among many more.
He is also the Producer/Host of several podcast series which celebrate and investigate the Broadway musical and their practitioners; all essential listening for fans of the shows and the people.
The podcasts include Behind the Curtain: Broadways Living Legends, Broadway Bound: The Musicals That Never Came To Broadway and Fifty Key Stage Musicals.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

09/08/2025

STAGES Episode 577: RACHELLE DURKIN
Australian/American soprano Rachelle Durkin began her career in Australia, winning three of that country’s major vocal competitions: The Herald Sun Aria, The Marianne Mathy Scholarship and The Metropolitan Opera Award. Immediately following her successes, she flew to New York City where she was a recipient of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was accepted into the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.
Rachelle subsequently became an established solo artist at The Met, singing leading roles for many years – most notably Norina in Don Pasquale (recorded live for Sirius Radio), Lisa in La sonnambula (recorded live Sirius Radio), Clorinda in La Cenerentola (recorded live Sirius Radio and DVD release), Mrs Schlesen in Phillip Glass’ Satyagraha (recorded live Sirius Radio and DVD release), Frasquita in Carmen, Masha in Pique Dame, First Flower Maiden in Parsifal (also at Salzburg Festival under the baton of Maestro Levine), and Young Girl in Moses und Aron.
2021/2022 engagements included Tytania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Governess (The Turn of the Screw) in Adelaide, Morgana (Alcina) in Canberra and Musetta (La bohème) in Perth; in 2023, she returned to Opera Australia as Mrs Schlesen, to Perth as Musetta and was soloist with the Sydney, Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. In 2024, she sang Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) in Hawai’i and was soloist for West Australian Opera, Opera Queensland, Australian Baroque and the Australian Youth Orchestra. In 2025, she returns to Opera Australia as Musetta in their Sydney Winter Season of La bohème.
A highly adept interpreter in a wide range of repertoire spanning from the baroque to modern masterpieces, Rachelle’s other noteworthy performances include: Kumudha in John Adams’ A Flowering Tree for The Perth International Arts Festival; the title role in Alcina (c: Richard Hickox), Armida in Rinaldo (c: Trevor Pinnock) and Angelica in Orlando for Opera Australia. Rachelle received Helpmann Award nominations for all four of the aforementioned appearances. She received her fifth nomination for Haydn’s Armida with Pinchgut Opera (c: Antony Walker).
Other highlights have included Romance at the Met – Opera’s Most Romantic Moments (an iTunes exclusive with tenor Matthew Polenzani); soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (c: Leonard Slatkin) and West Australian Symphony Orchestra (c: Asher Fisch), performances with Bryn Terfel and Lisa McCune at Leeuwin Estate Winery and Gala Concerts with Placido Domingo and José Carreras.
Rachelle returns to Opera Australia in August and September as Musetta in gale Edward’s celebrated production of Puccini’s La Boheme.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

06/08/2025

STAGES Episode 576: MARG HORWELL
Photo: Bruce Glikas
Marg Horwell is a multi-award-winning Theatre, Opera and Film Designer, Installation Artist and Photographer.
Marg’s recent select credits include; The Confessions (Alexander Zeldin Company/The National Theatre), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Sydney Theatre Company/ Michael Cassell Group), The Strange Case of Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde (Sydney Theatre Company), The Dead City (Deutche Oper Am Rhein), The Happy End (Victorian Opera), The Marriage of Figaro, The Human Voice and The Call (Opera Queensland), Lorelei (Opera Queensland/Victorian Opera), Because the Night (Malthouse Theatre), Our Town (Theater Basel).
Marg designed costumes for Kip Williams’ The Resistible Rise of Arthur Ui and Lord of the Flies and designed set and costumes on How to Rule the World and The Lifespan of a Fact, at Sydney Theatre Company, Salome (English National Opera), Avalanche (Barbican Theatre), Leviathan (Circa), Common Ground (Chunky Move), Anthem (Performing Lines), Animal (InFlux), Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Po*******hy (Griffin/Perth Theatre Company), Nora (Belvoir)
For Melbourne Theatre Company Marg has designed Bernhardt/Hamlet, Escaped Alone and What If If Only, My Sister Jill, Girls and Boys, The Truth, Lilith the Jungle Girl (MTC/Sisters Grimm), Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (MTC/Belvoir), Marlin (MTC/Arena Theatre), C**k (MTC/La Boite), The House of Bernarda Alba, Birdland, Peddling, Constellations, Music, The Dream Life of Butterflies, The Water Carriers, Circle Mirror Transformation.
In 2017, Marg was the Designer in Residence at Malthouse Theatre, and has designed The Homesexuals, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again, The Testament of Mary, and The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man, Edward II, The Good Person of Szechuan (Malthouse / The National Theatre of China), Bliss (Malthouse/Belvoir St), Melancholia, Blasted, The Histrionic and Caravan for the company.
For independent company Dee & Cornelius Marg has designed productions of Big Heart, Savages, S**t and Love that toured as part of the Theatre program at the Venice Biennale.
As Artistic Associate with Angus Cerini Doubletap Marg designed productions of Wretch, Save For Crying, Chapter from the Pandemic, and Resplendence.
Marg has been recognised for her outstanding work with three Sydney Theatre Awards and Thirteen Greenroom Awards, including Best Scenic and Costume Designs for The Picture of Dorian Gray touring to the West End and Broadway in 2023. She adds to this collection with an Olivier Award and Tony Award for her striking Costume Designs which populate the celebrated production
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

31/07/2025

STAGES Episode 575: CHARLES BUSCH - PART 2
Charles Busch has forged a unique place in the world of entertainment as playwright, actor, director, novelist, cabaret performer and drag icon. He is the author and star of over twenty-five plays including The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, The Tribute Artist, The Confession of Lily Dare and Vampire Le****ns of S***m; one of the longest running plays in the history of Off-Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife ran for 777 performances on Broadway, won the Outer Circle Critics’ John L. Gassner Award for playwriting, received a Tony nomination for Best Play and is the longest running Broadway comedy of the past twenty-five years.
He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
For two seasons, he appeared as Nat Ginzburg on the HBO series OZ and is the author of the auto-biographical novel Wh**es of Lost Atlantis. He has directed two films; the Showtime short subject, Personal Assistant, and a feature, A Very Serious Person, which won an honourable mention at the Tribeca Film Festival. His most recent film is the comedy caper The Sixth Reel starring Charles along with Julie Halston, Margaret Cho and Tim Daley. In 2003, Mr. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright, and was given a star on the Playwright’s Walk outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre. He is also the subject of the documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch.
He is a two-time MAC award winner, a Bistro Award Honouree and has performed his cabaret act in many cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Barcelona and New York. In winter of 2016, his show The Lady at the Mic premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Centre’s American Songbook series.
His autobiography Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy was published by BenBella Books in 2023. Charles Busch was among the 2024 inductees in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame.
Photo: Eric Stephen Jacobs
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

30/07/2025

STAGES Episode 574: CHARLES BUSCH - PART 1
Charles Busch has forged a unique place in the world of entertainment as playwright, actor, director, novelist, cabaret performer and drag icon. He is the author and star of over twenty-five plays including The Divine Sister, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, The Tribute Artist, The Confession of Lily Dare and Vampire Le****ns of S***m; one of the longest running plays in the history of Off-Broadway. His play The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife ran for 777 performances on Broadway, won the Outer Circle Critics’ John L. Gassner Award for playwriting, received a Tony nomination for Best Play and is the longest running Broadway comedy of the past twenty-five years.
He wrote and starred in the film versions of his plays, Psycho Beach Party and Die Mommie Die, the latter of which won him the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival.
For two seasons, he appeared as Nat Ginzburg on the HBO series OZ and is the author of the auto-biographical novel Wh**es of Lost Atlantis. He has directed two films; the Showtime short subject, Personal Assistant, and a feature, A Very Serious Person, which won an honourable mention at the Tribeca Film Festival. His most recent film is the comedy caper The Sixth Reel starring Charles along with Julie Halston, Margaret Cho and Tim Daley. In 2003, Mr. Busch received a special Drama Desk Award for career achievement as both performer and playwright, and was given a star on the Playwright’s Walk outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre. He is also the subject of the documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch.
He is a two-time MAC award winner, a Bistro Award Honouree and has performed his cabaret act in many cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Barcelona and New York. In winter of 2016, his show The Lady at the Mic premiered at Jazz at Lincoln Centre’s American Songbook series.
His autobiography Leading Lady: A Memoir of a Most Unusual Boy was published by BenBella Books in 2023. Charles Busch was among the 2024 inductees in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame.
Photo: Eric Stephen Jacobs
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

14/07/2025

Great to see our Amelia Cormack starring in a new musical called BEAU - now playing Off-Broadway at Theatre 154, produced by OUT OF THE BOX THEATRICS. Now 12 yearsin the US Amelia has a huge list of credits here, most recently as one of the Fates in HADESTOWN on Broadway. (See link to her STAGES podcast chat in comments below). BEAU is running into August at least, so if you’re in NYC - DO NOT MISS this beautiful new musical.

09/07/2025

STAGES Episode 573: SEANN MILEY MOORE
Seann Miley Moore graduated from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2013. They quickly established themself in the world of musical theatre in productions of Rent, Sweet Charity and the King & I.
"Seann Miley Moore stole the show," Cameron Mackintosh said of their pioneering performance as The EnginQueer in Opera Australia’s Miss Saigon. Recently awarded Best Actor at both the Sydney Theatre Awards and Naarm’s Green Room Awards - “They are a complete revelation."
A true embodiment of q***r Asian excellence, SMM now brings unmatched charisma and fearless q***r spirit to the role of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, playing stages across Australia and beyond.
Loved worldwide, Seann first captured our hearts on X Factor UK in 2015 and The Voice AU in 2021, where their powerful performances of Freddie Mercury’s "The Show Must Go On" and Andrea Bocelli's "The Prayer" led Simon Cowell to declare, "This kid's a star!" Since then, Seann has headlined major Pride events globally—from the UK to Amsterdam, New York, and most recently at Sydney World Pride 2023.
Their bold & unique style has caught the eye of brands like Lululemon, Camilla With Love, Fenty Beauty, and Jean Paul Gaultier, with Vogue Australia featuring them in the Get Used To It pride campaign supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
An advocate for love and equality, Seann’s disco-pop anthem My Lovers, a collaboration with St Croix, soared to #5 on the ARIA Charts. Support this Slayzian showgirl and stream it now on Spotify!
Hedwig and the Angry Inch plays Carriageworks in Sydney from July 17th.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

25/06/2025

STAGES Episode 572: WENDY HARMER
Wendy Harmer is one of Australia’s most versatile entertainers – broadcaster, author, journalist and stage performer.
As a stand-up comedian she performed her one-woman shows at the Melbourne, Edinburgh, Montreal and Glasgow Mayfest Comedy Festivals, in London’s West End and the Sydney Theatre Company. Wendy enjoyed huge popularity leading Sydney radio station 2Day FM’s top-rating Breakfast Show for 11 years. She was the co-host of ABC’s 702 Sydney morning show from 2016 -2021. She has hosted, written and appeared in a variety of TV shows including ABC’s The Big Gig.
A former political journalist, Wendy is the author of eight books for adults including her bestselling novel Farewell My Ovaries, Love and Punishment and Nagging For Beginners, a how-to guide for women. She has also written two teen novels, I Lost My Mobile at the Mall and I Made lattes For a Love God.
Wendy’s children’s book series about Pearlie the park fairy have sold more than 700,000 copies in Australia and internationally since the first title Pearlie in the Park was published in 2003. A stage show of the books adapted by Wendy played at the Seymour Centre in Sydney and toured regional NSW in 2005 and then nationally in 2007. The animated television series based on Wendy’s Pearlie books, co-produced by Sticky Pictures and Canadian broadcaster Nelvana, premiered on Network Ten in October 2009 and aired on Nickelodean Australia and in 11 other countries around the world. Wendy developed the series as Creative Producer and wrote multiple episodes.
Stuff, a four-part television documentary series which Wendy produced, wrote and presented, premiered on ABC TV in March 2008. In late 2008 Wendy and Angela Catterns recorded a 16 part podcasting series for ABC Radio Local called Is It Just Me? which returned for a second season in 2009.
Wendy teamed up again with Angela Catterns on ABC News Radio with a new show called It’s News to Me!, which recapped the week’s events.
Wendy has been a columnist on many publications including the Good Weekend and The Sunday Telegraph.
The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).
www.stagespodcast.com.au

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