2017 Rob Guest Endowment Semi-Finalists
Earlier this month, the Rob Guest Endowment held auditions in Melbourne and Sydney to search for this year’s winner of the Rob Guest Endowment Award. After careful consideration, the 30 Semi-Finalists for the 2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award were chosen and announced today (September 20, 2017).
The Rob Guest Endowment committee is very pleased to announce the following Semi-Finalists who will perform in front of a panel of judges in Melbourne on 16 October to determine the six finalists for the 2017 Rob Guest Endowment Award:
Annie Aitken, Prue Bell, Nicola Bowman, Stefanie Caccamo, Ali Calder, Baylie Carson, Rebecca Cullinan, Jessica Di Costa, Joshua Firman, Bronte Florian, Jayme-Lee Hanekom, Bobbie-Jean Henning, Georgina Hopson, Nigel Huckle, Todd Jacobsson, Julian Kuo, Matthew Manahan, Kieran McGrath, Thomas McGuane, Alessandra Merlo, Imogen Moore, Matilda Moran, Joshua Mulheran, Morgan Palmer, Brittanie Shipway, Alana Tranter, Jack Van Staveren, Sam Ward, Rachael Ward and Lyndon Watts.
The Rob Guest Endowment Award, now in its 9th year, is awarded annually to an emerging musical theatre performer selected by a panel of industry experts. The Rob Guest Endowment 2017 panel will seek out Australia’s brightest and most talented young rising stars through a multistage audition process. Six finalists will be shortlisted and will have the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of an audience of Australia’s leading and most established producers and casting agents at the final event. The winner will take home the highly coveted Rob Guest Endowment Award of $20,000.
Previous finalists and winners of the Rob Guest Endowment Award have since been launched into the industry, starring in lead roles in musical theatre around Australia. Past winners include Linden Furnell (Kinky Boots, Rent), Daniel Assetta (The Book of Mormon, Wicked), Joshua Robson (Dream Lover, Les Miserables), Samantha Dodemaide (The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain), Glenn Hill (Matilda the Musical, Legally Blonde), Blake Bowden (The Book of Mormon, Fiddler on the Roof) and Francine Cain (Grease, Rock of Ages).
Image: 2016 Finalists at Rob Guest Endowment Concert (c) Robert Catto.