I have appeared in about 40 productions over the past thirty-three years. Favourite roles include Eugene Fodor and Junior in (separate productions of) Crazy for You, Mr Fox in Mack and Mabel, Max in The Sound of Music, Freddy in My Fair Lady, Julio in Paint Your Wagon, Marcellus in The Music Man and Grantaire in Les Miserables.
I have directed several school productions. I choreographed Urinetown and Little Shop of Horrors for St Michael’s Grammar School, then went on to direct Hot Mikado and the Australian premiere of 13 for St Michael’s. I have since gone on to direct/choreograph The Music Man Jr and Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr for St Michael's.
I review music theatre and opera for Theatre People and the Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne). I served on the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria Committee for five years as Treasurer and I am currently on the Board of The Opera Studio Melbourne.
I am a keen audience member, having seen 58 shows in six weeks in New York this year, as well as 57 shows during 6 weeks in London/Europe earlier this year.
I hope you enjoy reading the news and reviews at Simon Parris: Man in Chair. I would love to hear your thoughts on the shows covered here so please feel free to leave your comments.
Deftly balancing international corporate intrigue with intimate human relations, Melbourne Theatre Company’s world premiere of new Anchuli Felicia King play Golden Shieldis riveting, thought-provoking adult-oriented entertainment.
Lesser than the sum of its parts, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a sugary confection that has been whipped, glazed and sprinkled in the hope of hiding the empty calories at its […]
The stars aligned for an unforgettable evening of magnificent music as Opera Australia showcased superstar tenor Jonas Kaufmann in Andrea Chénier in Concert.
Whoopee baby! Thoroughly Modern Millie returns in a splashy, starry staging that distils the very essence of musical comedy into an evening of unabashed joy.
Offering the pure joy of musical theatre at its unadulterated best, Come from Away is a breathless celebration of the finest qualities of humanity.
A joyful celebration of classical theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company’s lavish, splendidly cast Shakespeare in Love balances tongue-in-cheek humour with tender emotion for a highly satisfying whole.
Whether the term “heroic” was in reference to the singers or to the specific repertoire, Victorian Opera’s Heroic Bel Canto concert lived up to its name, warming the wintry Melbourne audience with a […]
Sold out before it opened in 2018, Bring it On the Musical makes a very welcome return to the Melbourne stage, with an Australian tour to follow.
An off-Broadway show with the nerve to charge Broadway prices, the “Bard Summerscape Production of” Oklahoma! plays out like a cynical practical joke on theatregoers. The egregious experiment is a blight on […]
A truly spectacular spectacular, Moulin Rouge burns through the budget of a hundred musicals, all in the quest for extravagant entertainment. The result is a feast for the eyes and ears, even […]
