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AussieTheatre.com 2008
Rising Star
Supported by Kookaburra - The National Musical Theatre Company
AussieTheatre.com is proud to present the second annual AussieTheatre.com Rising
Star initiative. This competition will give one extraordinary young Australian talent the
opportunity to kickstart their career with a range of prizes and opportunities that will
see them explode into the music theatre industry with a bang. This year, there have been
several changes made to ensure a wider range of young performers can enter, with less
restrictions than 2007.
WINNER NAMED
 Melbourne's Erin Cornell has won the 2008 AussieTheatre.com Rising
Star competition, taking home a raft of prizes including a performance at Light The Night
and a fully produced cabaret show, to be staged in Sydney later this year.
She won the competition after being named as a finalist earlier this month
alongside Alana Tranter, Lauren Paul, Chris Scalzo and Celeste Notley-Smith.
Erin was chosen as the winner by a host of industry professionals including Jersey
Boys producer Rodney Rigby, theatrical agent Les Solomon, performer Margi De
Ferranti, Kookaburra's Peter Ross, performer and writer James Millar and a host of AussieTheatre.com
representatives.
22-year-old Erin will soon appear on Channel Nine as part of her prize package,
while she also wins a headshots package, publicity package, agency consultation, a place
in the Scene Into Song workshop and much more, including backstage access to Kookaburra's
forthcoming production of Tell Me On A Sunday. Her new cabaret show, produced by
the Aussie Theatre Network, will premiere later this year.
"We were very impressed with not only the finalists, but the majority of the
entries overall this year," said AussieTheatre.com Managing Editor, Troy
Dodds.
"Erin is an extraordinary performer and everyone should keep an eye out for
her in the future. Her vocal strength and her acting ability shone through in her video
entry."
Erin has already undergone impressive training in Melbourne, and she's scored a
role in Damn Yankees with The Production Company later this year.
"This competition wasn't necessarily about unearthing a completely unknown
talent. It was quite possible, as proven with Erin, that we would give someone already on
their way a further push, and we're thrilled to do it," Dodds said.
"All of the judges were very impressed with Erin, as proven by this result,
and we're looking forward to hearing more from her in the months and years to come."
Erin Cornell said: "This is my chosen career. This is my chosen life. I have
dreamed of being a music theatre star since I saw Pirates Of Penzance with my mum
and nan when I was seven but dreamt of being an entertainer since being in mother
dearest's womb!"
Erin is the second winner of the Rising Star competition after Emily Cascarino won
the inaugural competition last year. Emily wowed audiences at Light The Night and
went on to appear in Dead Man Walking at the State Theatre.
THE 2008 FINALISTS
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CELESTE
NOTLEY-SMITH
20 Years Old from Baulkham Hills, NSW
In her entry into this year's competition, Celeste said, in part: "I was
raised on musical theatre, falling in love with the complexity and beauty of Sondheim, and
the excitement and wit of Porter. When I started singing, the thrill of belting a big
number was what I looked forward to all week. That style seemed to come naturally to me.
Now into my sixth year of lessons it is more the subtleties of music theatre that excite
me; the poignant characterisations that are there within the music."
Audio Sample |
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ERIN CORNELL
22 Years Old from Blackburn South, VIC
In her entry into this year's competition, Erin said, in part: "This is my
chosen career. This is my chosen life. I have dreamed of being a music theatre star since
I saw Pirates Of Panzance with my mum and nan when I was seven but dreamt of being an
entertainer since being in mother dearest's womb! I live with pictures of the future to
come. I create possibilities every day of what's next for me career wise and how can I
continue to live the dream. That dream becomes my reality."
Audio Sample |
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CHRIS SCALZO
21 Years Old from Malvern East, VIC
In his entry into this year's competition, Chris said, in part: "If the
truth be told, I fell into the world of musical theatre by accident many years ago when I
first started taking acting lessons around the age of six. Now, I cannot imagine my life
not being ruled by music theatre. I was born with an innate obsession to entertain, move
and empathise and for me, music theatre is the perfect vehicle to combine those
traits."
Audio Sample |
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LAUREN PAUL
14 Years Old from Newport, NSW
In her entry into this year's competition, Lauren said, in part:
"Recently, as a member of Kookaburra Kids, I participated in a workshop with the
amazing Caroline O'Connor who has inspired me to strive further to achieve my goal of
working in the musical theatre industry. I hope to one day work with Ms O'Connor and to
enable me to do this I am constantly looking for opportunities to meet passionate,
experienced people who are in the industry so I can learn from their experiences."
Audio Sample |
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ALANA TRANTER
19 Years Old from Largs, NSW
In her entry into this year's competition, Alana said, in part: "It takes
a special kind of person to perform in musical theatre. The person must be driven, focused
and passionate about theatre and needs to devote countless hours to training and
rehearsals in order to move forward in the industry and grow as a performer. They need to
accept disappointment after disappointment and still believe that with persistence the
success will come. A person only does this week after week when they have complete love
and passion for this wonderful thing we call musical theatre. I believe that it is my
overwhelming love for musical theatre and the determination I have to achieve my goals
that separates me from the rest."
Audio Sample |
Last Year's winner...
 Last year 18-year-old Emily
Cascarino took out the first ever AussieTheatre.com Rising Star competition, earning major
praise from the industry when appearing - as part of her prize package - on stage at the
annual Light The Night event in Sydney.
In her entry to the competition, Emily said: "Musical theatre
is not just about the best singers, or the most amazing dancer, but the actor who can
bring the story, ideas and characters to life, with song, dance and movement. In the nine
years I have been studying, practicing, performing, being knocked back, yet achieving
success, I have never wavered in my belief in my ability to breathe life into each role or
time with an audience, no matter how large or small the opportunity."
Emily won a headshots package from RapidEye studio, a publicity package from
Watchdog Communications, a consultation session with Lambert House Enterprises, three
singing lessons from dstudio, an AussieTheatre.com package and of course her Light The
Night performance, in which she led the 2007 WAAPA graduates. See Emily perform here.
The Rules
Performers entering the
AussieTheatre.com Rising Star must be no older than 23 years and 0 days as of July 1,
2008. They may have agency representation, and there is no limit as to their past
theatrical credits. Applicants must be Sydney based or willing to take up Sydney based
prizes at their own travel and accommodation expense.
The Prizes
Performance at Light The Night 2008:
The AussieTheatre.com Rising Star will perform live at the Light The Night 2008
fundraising concert, alongside some of musical theatre's biggest names.
Performance on the Nine Network: The AussieTheatre.com Rising Star will
perform on the Nine Network's Mornings With Kerri-Anne program, giving the winner
a fantastic opportunity to be seen on television.
A secure place in dStudio's Scene Into Song Workshop: dStudio will be
presenting a Scene Into Song workshop in July, with entry costing $440.00. The
AussieTheatre.com Rising Star will receive a free place in this excellent workshop.
Headshots package from Rapideye Studio: Every young performer
needs good headshots and the winner of the AussieTheatre.com Rising Star will receive a
standard headshots package from our friends at Rapideye Studio.
The Kookaburra Experience: The winner will spend a day at Kookaburra,
watching rehearsals for Tell Me On A Sunday starring Jolene Anderson. The winner
will also be a guest of Kookaburra at the opening night performance.
Publicity package from Watchdog Communications: The AussieTheatre.com
Rising Star will receive a tailored publicity package from Geoff Sirmai and his team at
Watchdog Communications, helping to announce your arrival in musical theatre!
Consultation session with International Collective: The AussieTheatre.com
Rising Star will receive a 30 minute consultation session with one of Sydney's hot new
theatrical agencies, International Collective Artist Management, headed by Cimone Grayson.
AussieTheatre.com Theatre Jobs Subscription: The AussieTheatre.com Rising
Star will receive a subscription to AussieTheatre.com Theatre Jobs, which lists arts-based
job opportunities across the nation. This is a lifetime subscription, with no renewal
fees.
Fully produced and staged cabaret show: The Aussie Theatre Network
will produce and fund a full cabaret show for the winner, to be performed in Sydney in
late 2008 or early 2009.
The Judging Panel
Initial judging panel: The
initial judging panel, which will judge all entrants and decide the five finalists, is
AussieTheatre.com Managing Editor Troy Dodds, award-winning musical theatre and cabaret
performer Belinda Wollaston and community theatre mainstay Grant Jones.
Finalists judging panel: The judging panel that will decide the
winner from our five finalists is AussieTheatre.com Managing Editor Troy Dodds, Kookaburra
Artistic Producer Peter Ross, theatrical producer Rodney Rigby, AussieTheatre.com London
correspondent Skye Crawford, vocal coach Margi De Ferranti, performer and writer James
Millar, AussieTheatre.com Deputy Editor and actor Erin James, Light The Night producer
Shaun Rennie and respected theatrical agent Les Solomon.
How To Enter
To enter the AussieTheatre.com
Rising Star 2008, send a package to AussieTheatre.com, PO BOX 4058 Penrith NSW 2750
including the following items: A DVD or VHS featuring two performances (can be a recorded
live performance or a specific audition for this competition); an information sheet
featuring your name, birthdate, contact details and a 200 word blurb on why you should win
the competition; a CV; and a headshot. Entries close May 26, 2008. The five finalists will
be announced on June 9, 2008. The winner will be announced on July 1, 2008.
Terms And Conditions
- Entrants must be no older than
23 years and 0 days as of July 1, 2008.
- The judges' decision is final. AussieTheatre.com reserves the right to change the
rules withour prior notice.
- In regards to the Light The Night prize, exact details of the particular type of
performance will be decided upon by Light The Night producers.
- Headshots do not have to be professional but the entrant must be the sole person
in the photograph.
- Entrants give AussieTheatre.com permission to reproduce any content sent as part
of their entry in the competition.
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