Australian Musical Theatre Festival
17-21 May 2023
Preparations are in full swing as the Australian Musical Theatre Festival (AMTF) gets ready to raise the curtain on their 2023 event, to be held in Launceston in May 2023
The headlining artists for the 2023 festival have been announced today and appearing in Launceston will be Todd McKenney, Rachael Beck and Elenoa Rokobaro.
Todd McKenney is one of Australia’s most versatile performing artists and an award winning and critically acclaimed performer on stage and screen. As an actor, and the leading man of song and dance in musical theatre productions, he has entertained Australians for over 30 years from the main stage to intimate venues.
Career Highlights include his most notable role of Peter Allen in the Australian hit production The Boy From Oz but most recently he stepped into the stilettos and successfully took on the role of Frank N’ Furter in The Rocky Horror, also stepping out on stage as Australia’s Greatest Showman in the title role of Barnum, and playing Lord Farquaad in the hit musical Shrek.
In 2022 Todd appeared in Cinderella The Musical and is currently starring in Hairspray The Musical.
Rachael Beck is a multi-faceted, award winning powerhouse whose talents span both stage and screen as an acclaimed vocal artist and actress.
Rachael’s theatrical highlights include Truly Scrumptious in the national tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Sally Bowles in IMG’s Cabaret, directed by Sam Mendes; Kathy Selden in Singin’ in the Rain directed by David Atkins, (which earned her a Mo Award nomination) and Maria in The Gordon/Frost Organization/SEL production of The Sound of Music.
She is widely remembered for her award-winning role as Belle opposite Hugh Jackman in Beauty and the Beast.
Further highlights include her Green Room Award nominated performance as Fantine in Les Miserables and Rumpleteaser in Cats, both produced by Cameron Mackintosh.
Elenoa Rokobaro has had a very busy few years. In 2021 she kicked off in the successful tour of RENT The Musical, by Jonathan Larson, made a return to the Hayes Theatre in a song cycle by an Australian Composer, Carmel Dean in Well Behaved Women and in the Tony award winning musical Moulin Rouge, playing the role of Arabia and covered Satine in Melbourne.
In 2022 she performed in Anyone Can Whistle by Stephen Sondheim, directed by Festival Director, Tyran Parke. Elenoa is thrilled to be working again with Tyran in Tick, Tick…Boom by Jonathan Larson, in the lead role of Susan, which will tour Melbourne and Brisbane in 2023 as well as the AMTF.
The headlining artists will all be hosting workshops in their areas of expertise.
Panel events, masterclasses, workshops and more artists will all be announced in February 2023 and will be joined by other highly experienced industry professionals from right across the country and also some amazing Tasmanian talent to be announced closer to the festival.
Australian Musical Theatre Festival Artistic Director Tyran Parke adds:
“ I’m excited that our thrilling fourth program has garnered the collective talents of one of Australia’s Leading Ladies, Rachael Beck, rising star, Elenoa Rokobaro and our very own Boy from Oz, Todd McKenney! Between them, they have performed in the greatest Broadway shows such as ‘Cabaret’, ‘Les Miserables’, ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘Singing in the Rain’, ‘Hairspray’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Cinderella’ and many, many more. They bring their experiences (and many of their songs) to Launceston across a range of thrilling performances that will illuminate the theatres, the alleys, the bars and the pubs of this beautiful city in May, where there’s something for everyone! “
The Festival Program will feature performances, workshops, and other events including a specific schools program designed to inspire and enthuse students, while building their creative and social skills. Students can participate in workshops with professional musical theatre teachers and performers, watch shows, perform in public and meet new musical theatre-loving friends.
