The six finalists - Georgina Hopson, Blake Appelqvist, Hilary Cole, recipient Daniel Assetta, Ashleigh Rubenach and Robert McDougall - on stage at the Rob Guest Endowment Gala 2015, taken at the Lyric Theatre in Sydney, on Monday, 9 November 2015.
2016 Rob Guest Endowment Awards | $20,000 major prize!
Applications Close August 1st
The Rob Guest Endowment Awards are underway for 2016. This exciting scholarship program – in memory of the late Rob Guest – recognises and supports the next generation of Australian musical theatre stars, creators and musicians.
Applications for all awards are now open and the winners will be announced at the Rob Guest Endowment Concert to be held in Sydney in November 2016. The 2016 prize package is valued at over $50,000, including the $20,000 major prize, the Rob Guest Endowment Award.
Performance-based awards seek out Australia’s brightest and most talented young rising stars by putting them through a gruelling audition process. Six finalists will showcase their talent at the Rob Guest Endowment Concert and the winner will take home the highly coveted Rob Guest Endowment Award of $20,000. Applicants also compete for Melbourne’s East End Theatre District Artist Development Award, a $5,000 prize and the Playbill Future Prospect Award, a cash prize of $1,500. The four remaining finalists will each take home $1,500.
Past finalists of the Rob Guest Endowment Award can be seen in lead roles in musical theatre around Australia. Past winners and runners up include Daniel Assetta (WICKED, Cats), Blake Bowden (South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof), Francine Cain (Grease), Andrew Cook (Matilda the Musical), Samantha Leigh Dodemaide (Violet, Singing in the Rain),Euan Doidge (Les Miserables, Kinky Boots),Edward Grey (WICKED), Glenn Hill (Matilda the Musical), Robert McDougall (Les Miserables), Joshua Robson (Les Miserables) and Gretel Scarlett (Grease, Singin’ in the Rain). The Rob Guest Endowment Technical Award in Honour of Sue Nattrass and The Rob Guest Endowment Musician Award will again be presented in 2016. These awards, introduced in 2014, are fully funded by the Capitol Theatre and Sydney Lyric and include a $10,000 cash prize intended to help the recipients become leaders in their field. These awards are open to all practitioners working or seeking to work backstage and in orchestra pits of musical theatre shows around the country. The winners will be announced at the 2016 concert.
Rob Guest Endowment Patron, John Frost, says that the Rob Guest Endowment Awards are an incredible legacy and continue to give back to the industry as it grows. “This is a unique set of awards honouring a much-loved musical theatre star. Rob Guest was an inspiration to all, and a great teacher and mentor to those he worked with,” said John Frost. “The Rob Guest Endowment Awards continue to inspire and foster the growth of the musical theatre industry, and it’s gratifying to see how it has assisted so many young musical theatre performers over the past seven years.”
Applications online via the website close 1st August (for perfomer awards) & 1st October (fore technical and musician awards)
Sydney Live auditions on 22nd August
Melbourne Live auditions on 29th August
Semi Finals will be held in Sydney on 19th September
Six finalists will be chosen to compete in the Gala Concert to be held in Sydney later in November.
Sydney audiences just can’t get enough of The Lovers! Due to overwhelming demand, three extra and final performances have been added, with the season now running until 23 November at the Theatre Royal Sydney. Opening 31 October for a strictly...
