Australian Musical Theatre Festival Announces New Executive Producer
Finally some good news from the Australian Musical Theatre Festival, after having to cancel their 2020 event, as they have announced the appointment of Australian musical theatre heavyweight Tyran Parke as its Executive Producer.
The Head of Music Theatre at Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Parke is an accomplished educator, performer and director. He has amassed an enviable list of credits and is highly regarded within the industry. (See below.)
A love of musical theatre first led Tyran Parke to Launceston in 2019, for the inaugural Festival. In his words, “it exceeded his every expectation.”
Parke says though he arrived in Launceston with a love of the genre, he left with much more ⏤ a love of the people, the place and the culture. He has remained a champion of the Festival ever since and feels truly honoured to be joining the team for what promises to be a magnificent celebration of musical theatre, in the most beautiful setting, in 2021.
Parke worked as a professional actor before firmly establishing himself as an acclaimed director on the Australian theatre scene. With credits that span Shakespeare, plays, musicals, cabaret, concerts and opera, Tyran has twenty years of performing credits to his name. He has played in shows as diverse as Tick, Tick… Boom!, The Last Five Years, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, The Tempest, The Sound of Music, Jekyll and Hyde, Mack and Mabel, Anything Goes, Funny Girl, South Pacific, Oliver!, Sunset Blvd, Rosie, Evita, Listen to My Heart, Eurobeat, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Hatpin, Angels in America, Cabaret and She Loves Me.
For the past decade, Tyran has turned his attention behind the scenes and is now a much sought-after director, producer and teacher. He directed the all-star production of Follies at the Melbourne Recital Centre, followed by last year’s acclaimed production of Barnum.
Professional directing credits include the plays Thom Pain, Pool (no water), The Laramie Project, Great Expectations and Proof; the musicals Jekyll and Hyde, Lovebites, Metro St, Cheek to Cheek, Rent, The Goodbye Girl, A Chorus Line, Hello Again, and the operas The Coronation of Poppea and The Fairy Queen.
Parke is a huge devotee to the work of Stephen Sondheim. Having played the title role in Sunday in the Park with George, he was thrilled to direct the highly acclaimed 2018 production in Perth. Aside from Follies, Assassins – which toured throughout Victoria after its sell-out Melbourne season, was a highlight – Into the Woods and Everything’s Coming Up Sondheim repeated this artistic success.
Concert work includes the acclaimed Rob Mills is Surprisingly Good, Debra Byrne and Vika Bull in Tapestry, Caroline O’Connor’s From Broadway with Love and three separate national tours of From Broadway to La Scala over a six-year period. Other productions include the acclaimed, Ordinary Days (Green Room Award – Best Director), Big Fish (Broadway World and Glugg Nominations – Best Director), Falsettos (Green Room nomination – Best Director) and The Coronation of Poppea (Opera Chaser Award – Best Director of an Opera).
As a teacher, Parke has worked for all the major training institutions and is currently the Head of Music Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). He is also Artistic Director of Clovelly Fox Productions.
Having worked at the Australian Musical Theatre Festival in the inaugural year and championed it ever since, Tyran is truly thrilled and honoured to join the team as Executive Producer.
“Here, in this most beautiful of cities, we can collectively celebrate the musical theatre that we have loved for generations, while fostering a new musical theatre for the future. Launceston will be a place to meet, sing, learn, celebrate, network, contribute to and – most of all – ENJOY an art form in the middle of a transformation,” he said.
Festival organisers are ecstatic to have Tyran join them and look forward to him bringing the exciting program for the 2021 Australian Musical Theatre Festival to life.
