Aussie, Aussie, Aussie - Boy, Boy, Boy

Stage Whispers Coral Drouyn finds out about a new group with a twist of Musical Theatre currently appearing in Melbourne.

We’ve grown used to Boy Bands of the One Direction ilk at one end of the scale, and the more classical Il Divo or Ten Tenors at the other end. They’re defined by their sound and the kind of songs they sing. Well now we have The Aussie Boys, three young performers with Musical Theatre backgrounds who have been groomed into a terrific and appealing act with a repertoire of Australian hits (hence their name). With one from WAAPA, one from BAAPA and one from New Zealand (but all his work has been in Australia so we claim him as a Melburnian now) who better to sing the songs of Peter Allen, The Bee Gees, The Seekers, John Farnham, Men at Work and even a medley from Priscilla Queen of the Desert, which gives their musical theatre skills a workout.

Andrew Ronay – Jenkings toured Australia in Legally Blonde playing Carlos, and Melbourne audiences have also had the pleasure of seeing him in The Producers and Opera  Australia’s La Boheme among many other credits. He even garnered great critical acclaim for his own cabaret show and lends his gorgeous voice to such TV events as Carols in the Domain, and a host of corporate gigs. Mostly, as lead singer with the Aussie Boys, Andrew has been touring the world for the last ten months on luxury cruise ships. That may seem to some a long way from his BAAPA training in musical theatre and some purists may be unimpressed. But, as Andrew would say, entertainment is entertainment, and entertaining an audience is a number one priority for the group – besides which they’ve had a chance to tour the world on some of the most prestigious ships afloat. Everything he learned in BAAPA and from working in Main Stage productions is put to good use with The Aussie Boys.

Andrew is happy to be working with Ben Gillespie, a WAAPA graduate whom we last saw in 2013’s Singing in the Rain from The Production Company, playing the role of the diction teacher. Ben has been a dancer almost all his life, starting classical ballet at the age of three and experimenting with all dance styles through the years. His training with WAAPA turned him into a genuine triple threat, and when he auditioned for The Aussie Boys he was quickly snapped up. The third member of the group is Sam Armstrong. Sam’s background after graduating from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts in Christchurch, includes tours of Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Spamalot and even as a back up dancer in a Kylie Minogue music clip. He was also a member of the acclaimed “Off Broadway” Group for several years. Add to this his children’s TV experience and even the movie Yogi Bear 3D and it’s clear that, although he is the newest member, he brings a lot of experience to an already polished group.

It’s generally not possible to work full time in Musical Theatre in Australia, and many of our fabulous performers have to find other avenues of work to sustain them. Some opt for casual jobs, others create their own shows for limited runs, and a few lucky ones, like the Aussie Boys, get to perform for diverse audiences all over the world in luxury surroundings. They’re at The Palms at Crown Casino on Nov 1^st – bringing a little bit of Musical Theatre to a whole lot of Aussie songs.