Australian Musical Theatre Academy

Queenie van de Zandt

Queenie van de Zandt is well known for her incredible versatility as a performer having worked extensively in musical theatre, plays, cabaret, on television and film, and as a recording artist, comedienne and writer. She is considered to be one of the country's best musical theatre performers and Australia's leading teacher of audition technique for musical theatre, song performance and cabaret.

On television Queenie has worked on: Winners & Losers, Very Small Business; City Homicide, Da Kath & Kim Code; Let Loose Live; All Saints; Denton; Mornings with Kerri-Anne; Good Morning Australia; The Midday Show; The 7.30 Report and The Mick Molloy Show and in theatre she has worked for companies throughout Australia including STC, QTC, The Ensemble, La Boite and the Malthouse, in plays such as: Women of Troy; Face to Face; Rabbit Hole; Absent Friends; Abigail’s Party; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Barmaids; Caucasian Chalk Circle; Secret Bridesmaids' Business; The Vagina Monologues; The Road to the She-Devil’s Salon; Furious; and Speaking in Tongues. Queenie has also had roles in the films: Scooby Doo - The Movie, Salem’s Lot, and played the leading role of Margo in the Aussie feature film Girl Clock.

However Queenie is still probably best known for her extensive work in musical theatre and cabaret. Queenie has played leading roles in hit musicals such as: Follies, Into the Woods, King Kong, Smoke & Mirrors, Oliver!, The Full Monty, Anything Goes, Cabaret, The Boy From Oz, Eureka – The Musical, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Hair, and in 2016 she will play the role of Peg in Dusty. In her early career she also performed in such classic musicals as Les Misérables and The Threepenny Opera.

As a writer, Queenie has co-written two albums of original music: Amazon Woman and Other Stories and her subsequent one-woman cabaret show, Amazon Woman and Other Stories, performed at music and cabaret festivals and music venues all over Australia. Her two other critically acclaimed cabaret shows, CABARET - In 12 Easy Steps and The Best (and Worst) of Queenie van de Zandt have toured to every major cabaret festival in Australia and she continues to tour each show regionally. In 2014 Queenie released Queenie van de Zandt - Live in Cabaret - a live recording of one of her cabaret performances.

Queenie's alter-ego, Jan van de Stool, the madcap International Musical Therapist gathered a national cult following, when she appeared on Australia's Got Talent in early 2016. Her one-woman show I GET THE MUSIC IN YOU an evening with Jan van de Stool which she co-wrote with Tony Taylor, performed to packed houses in Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide and in 2006 played to sold-out houses and great critical acclaim for an extended season at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney. She continues to tour the show to venues and comedy festivals around Australia. Jan van de Stool has been seen by over 1 million Australians through her shows, her work in corporate theatre and her online presence on YouTube and social media.

Queenie has been nominated for 13 major theatre awards for her work in musicals and cabaret, winning 3 times. In 2008 Queenie won the Jeffry Joynton-Smith Memorial Glug Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Play and the AussieTheatre.com Award for Best Female Actor and in 1997 she won the MEAA A.C.T. Green Room Award. The many awards she has been nominated for include: 2015, 2014, 2009, 2008 and 2005 Green Room Awards; a 2009 Glug Award for Best Actress; 2 AussieTheatre.com Awards in 2007; a 2006 Sydney Theatre Award; and a 2004 Helpmann Award.

For the past 17 years Queenie has presented her master classes, workshops and courses in cabaret, song performance and audition technique for musical theatre around the country. She is also writing a book about audition technique.

Over the years Queenie has studied speech and drama, singing, dancing, and acting at some of the best institutions in Australia. She has completed workshops in improvisation, film and television performance, voice over technique, singing and dialects. Over the past 28 years of her career, she has been fortunate enough to work with some of Broadway and the West End’s greatest directors, musical directors and choreographers, and also some of Australia’s best performers such as Tim Minchin, Eddie Perfect, David Wenham, Todd McKenney, Cate Blanchett, Kerry Fox, John Waters, Peter Carroll, Paul Mecurio, Judi Connelli, Joel Creasey, Andrew Denton, Dave Hughes, Kate Miller-Heidke, Chrissy Amphlett, Sammy J, Kate Ceberano, David Campbell, Lawrence Mooney, Georgie Parker, Rob Mills, Magda Szubanski, Gina Riley, Michael Veitch, and Nancye Hayes and she is a well-known and highly regarded artist within the musical theatre industry.

She has held teaching positions in numerous performing arts schools, has been invited to conduct master classes and seminars throughout Australia and has written musical theatre courses for several leading institutions. She has taught in the music department at NIDA, and has held teaching positions in the music theatre courses at VCA and BAAPA. She teaches both adults and children, professionals and amateurs, and many of the people who have studied with Queenie, have gained entry to acting schools and been cast in leading roles in musicals. Her workshops have a very high success rate with a large percentage of children and adults who participate in her workshops subsequently being cast in the professional musicals she prepares them for. Her former students have played lead roles in shows such as The Sound of Music, Heathers, Matilda, Ghost, Fiddler on the Roof, Dr Zhivago, King Kong, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dirty Dancing, Les Miserables, Mary Poppins, Strictly Ballroom, Once, Hairspray, Rock of Ages, Follies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Annie, The Addams Family, Love Never Dies, Songs for a New World, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Little Night Music, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, and Grease.

In 2015 Queenie founded The Australian Musical Theatre Academy (AMTA) with her good friend and theatre producer Tiffany Noack. AMTA offers workshops and courses for students of all skill levels, giving people the tools to live creative, passionate and fulfilling lives, working with the best instructors in Australia.

Queenie brings to her work, not only this wealth of experience but also her fine communication skills, her passion for theatre, her warm and positive nature and her wonderful sense of humour.

Queenie has been a proud member of the MEAA since 1989.

David Piper

David Piper is a graduate of the University of Sydney (Bachelor of Music).

David was most recently Associate Musical Director for Fiddler On The Roof (TML Enterprises), and Musical Director for Mary Poppins (GC Arts Centre). He was Musical Director on Jesus Christ Superstar and Miss Saigon (GC Arts Centre), Chess (The Production Company), Associate Musical Director on Once, Legally Blonde The Musical (Ambassador), Mary Poppins (Disney/Cameron Mackintosh), Wicked (GFO) and Annie (GFO).

He was Musical Director for National Theatre of China and Playking’s production of Cho Cho and again for Production Company on The Boyfriend.

As Assistant Musical Director for the original Australian production of The Boy From Oz (Ben Gannon), Musical Director for its national tour and Assistant MD on Hugh Jackman The Boy From Oz Arena. He was Assistant Musical Director on Mamma Mia (Dainty), We Will Rock You (Michael Koppel), Miss Saigon (Louise Withers and Assoc), Crazy For You (GFO) and Into The Woods.

As a repetiteur/vocal coach and pianist he has worked on Strictly Ballroom (Bazmark), Sunset Boulevard, Oklahoma!, Call Me Madam (Prod Co.), Aspects of Love (Really Useful Company), West Side Story (VSO), Scrooge the Musical, The Pirates of Penzance (EssGee), Carmen Jones, Chicago (IMG), Show Boat and for the ABC with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

He has also worked as Musical Director for Magnormos Productions and for Federation University Performing Arts Faculty, Spring Awakening, A Bunch Of Ratbags. In 1991 he was a national finalist in the ABC Young Performers’ Award performing with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Dana Jolly

Dana’s career began at age of 9, in the musical Gypsy at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne.

Dana then studied at the Victorian College of Arts, before performing with Victorian State Opera and the Australian Contemporary Dance Company.

Dana then moved to London, performing and choreographing in the UK, Europe, Scandinavia and Japan, for over a decade.

Some of Dana’s credits include, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance London West End and European Tour, The Royal Variety Performance, British Music Awards, National MusicExpress Awards, Winter Olympics Norway, ‘Shall We Dance’ UK and European tours, ‘Souls In Motion’ European tour and West End, Hollywood and Broadway UK Tour, The Michael Ball television series, the Miss World Competition, Stonewall Concert Royal Albert Hall London, Strauss Waltzes Royal Festival Hall, and a wide variety of corporate, trade, fashion, film and television shows.

She has worked with such artists as Ray Charles, Madonna, Prince, East 17, Cliff Richards, The Kinks, Ewan McGregor, Michael Ball, Gloria Estefan, Robert Palmer, Oasis, Ray Charles, and Michael Crawford to name a few.

International choreographers and directors that Dana has assisted include Hal Prince, Mel Brooks and Susan Stroman in New York, and Ben Elton, David Gilmore, Arlene Phillips, and Anthony Van Laast in London.

Dana returned to Australia as Resident Choreographer for the Australian productions of Showboat, receiving a Green Room Nomination, We Will Rock You, and The Producers, before choreographing 2,000 dancers and puppeteers in Citrawarna Colours of Malaysia Festival in Kuala Lumpur. Dana then choreographed 2 productions for The Victorian Opera, and Everybody Loves Rhonda for the opening of The Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

Other projects in Australia include choreography for Australian pop artists, Crown Casino, Australia Post, several television commercials, and Melbourne’s Moomba Parade and Water Festival for 3 years.

Dana’s Musical Theatre credits include Respect, staring Rhonda Burchmore, and various productions for The Production Company, including Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Little Me, Follies, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Grey Gardens, Showboat, and Nice Work If You Can Get It. In 2012 Dana choreographed the Australian premiere of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for TML Enterprises, which toured Australia (2012 & 2013), followed by the Sydney premiere of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Sydney’s Theatre Royal (2013), which received glowing reviews. In 2015 Dana was invited to choreograph the new Australian musical Sexercise, which opened the Alex Theatre in St Kilda, as well as 2 productions for the Melbourne Theatre Company; Jumpy starring Marina Prior and Jane Turner, and the new Australian work Last Man Standing, written by Steve Vizard, and staring Peter Carroll. Dana was then asked in 2015/2016 to recreate Jerome Robbins original choreography for the musical Fiddler on the Roof starring Anthony Warlow. She then went on to choreograph the Australian debut of You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown for the Alex Theatres in St Kilda, and the Australian debut of Curtains for The State Theatre and The Production Company.

Dana also runs her own entertainment company Voltage International Productions and is in demand as a dance teacher throughout Melbourne and Australia.

Michael Tyack

Michael began working as a professional musician in 1974 for J.C. Williamsons in Melbourne. He moved to Sydney to conduct the STC’s production of CHICAGO then was MD for their productions of THE STRIPPER, FOUR LADY BOWLERS IN A GOLDEN HOLDEN, JONAH, COMPANY, MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, FALSETTOS, MIRACLE CITY and SUMMER RAIN as well as providing music for several of their plays. He has been Musical Director of THE 20’S AND ALL THAT JAZZ, GERSHWIN, SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM, SEVEN LITTLE AUSTRALIANS, NUNSENSE, CHESS, THE WIZARD OF OZ, JERRY’S GIRLS, JOSEPH AND HIS AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, THE BOY FROM OZ, TIVOLI, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK (for which he was awarded a Green Room Award), EUREKA, SPAMALOT and was the musical director for the Hugh Jackman tour of THE BOY FROM OZ,. He was also awarded a Green Room Award and a Helpmann Award for the musical direction of the Disney/Cameron Mackintosh production of MARY POPPINS. He has been Music Supervisor for two of THE PREMIER’S CONCERTS at the Sydney Entertainment Centre and for several of the BABIES PROM concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Recently Michael was musical director for BLOOD BROTHERS and the new Australian musical THE DETECTIVE’S HANDBOOK and YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at the Hayes theatre.

Michael’s cabaret and concert credits are extensive, having worked with Australian and overseas artists including Sutton Foster, Betty Buckley, Aaron Tveit, Conchita Wurst, Toni Lamond, Philip Quast, David Campbell, Caroline O’Connor, Tim Draxl and Judi Connelli both here and abroad. Michael has played on many Australian cast albums, musically directed an album of Sondheim songs with Geraldine Turner, Judi Connelli’s last two CDs and the debut CDs of David Campbell, Chelsea Plumley, Rhonda Burchmore, Margi de Ferranti and Delia Hannah. He has also musically directed productions at NIDA and WAAPA.

Stephen Colyer

Stephen is a graduate of VCA, The Australian Ballet School and NIDA. He has a BA/BEd from UNSW and currently teaches Drama and English at Wenona. Stephen worked as dance supervisor and choreographer for Dance Academy on ABC TV. He has worked as resident director on Dirty Dancing, The Full Monty The Musical, The Rocky Horror Show, The Gruffalo and Cabaret. He directed Cabaret in Madrid, Seoul and Paris on behalf of Sam Mendes, the original director. For Darlinghurst Theatre Company Stephen has either directed or directed and choreographed Fit To Be Tied, Boston Marriage, Dying City, Hello Again, Kiss of the Spider Woman the Musical, No Way To Treat A Lady, The Paris Letter, Torch Song Trilogy and Falsettos. In 2014 He directed Boys Like Me starring Courtney Act at Sydney Theatre. For The New Theater Stephen directed and choreographed Little Shop of Horrors and What A Shock ‘N’ Shame. He has been assistant director to Richard Roxburg, Richard Wherrett, Adam Cook, and Helmut Bakaitis. Stephen appears in the films Moulin Rouge and Scooby Doo and performed in Beauty and the Beast, My Fair Lady, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Wizard of Oz. He has danced with the Australian Ballet Company, The Royal Ballet of Flanders, Feld Ballet NY and numerous seasons with Opera Australia, including Neil Armfeld’s The Eighth Wonder and Barry Kosky’s Nabucco.

Carol Kelly

Dance: performer, choreographer, educator, mentor, manager.

Made in Australia. Trained VCA Dance. Extensive performing, teaching and choreographic experience both Internationally and Australia wide. London based freelancing (1992-1999), Assistant director for Garry Stewart and ADT (2000-2008), Subsequently freelance Artist: Performer for many varied choreographers including, Katrina Lazaroff and Lina Limosani, Rehearsal director for Tasdance, Larissa McGowan- “Skeleton”, Trisha Dunn- ”Finding Centre”. Choreographer for State Theatre Company SA and Windmill Theatre Company Musical Theatre productions: “Pinocchio” and currently in development for "Rumplestiltskin" (Opens Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Theatre Centre 14th October 2016)

Artistic advisor and Project manager Restless Dance Theatre, Movement Lecturer in Flinders University Drama dept, member Board of Director - Dance, Australia Council for the Arts, Ausdance Nat. and SA and trained Audio Describer for Visually impaired persons attending Theatre and Dance.

Heidi Loveland

Heidi holds degrees in Music, Performance and Education and completed her music studies under the inspired tutelage of Max Olding AM. Her blend of musical abilities has lead to success as a performer, composer, educator and music director. She is an accomplished pianist who has has toured nationally and throughout Asia and the Pacific as a chamber musician and choralaccompanist. Heidi has worked extensively with choirs and musical theatre troupes and is renowned for her ability to cross musical genre with ease.

A brief snapshot of the range of Heidi’s experiences include musically directing the Open Stage program for Opera Queensland, providing musical direction for Australian Musical Theatre greats Rachael Beck and Queenie van der Zandt, musical director of numerous productions for the Queensland Conservatorium Bachelor of Musical Theatre including: the 2015 third year touring production “Working”, “Con2the Cabaret” for the Qld Cabaret Festival and “Our Turn Exposed” the graduating student performance tour, Core Tutor for the musical theatre component of Theatre Residency Week for the Queensland Theatre Company, “Hardly the Potrait of A Lady” for the Tasmanian Cabaret Festival, working with internationally renowned composer/ conductor Sandra Milliken, regularly providing direction for leading Brisbane choreographer Trevor Green, being in demand at numerous Brisbane schools/institutions as accompanist for in-house competitions and recitals, recording/ releasing "Jelly" -an album of contemporary children's music, and having this music recognised at a state and national level as finalist in the Qld Music Awards (both 2012 and 2013) and Australian Songwriting Awards (2013).

Heidi is currently enjoying her most fulfilling gig, singing lullabies to her two beautiful children.

Rosanne Hosking

Rosanne’s performance career spans over 20 years and has taken her all around Australia and overseas. Her versatility sees her in demand regularly for performances on the music theatre, opera and contemporary stage.

Her professional theatrical debut was in the Australian cast of The Phantom of the Opera with which she toured Australia and New Zealand. Most recently she played the role of the Second Lady with the State Opera of South Australia’s production of “The Magic Flute” and Miriam in the World Premier production of new Australian musical, “The Front” at the 2015 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. In 2013 she toured Australia with Amity Dry’s musical, Mother Wife and the Complicated Life in the role of Lily. In 2012, she was awarded the Adelaide Theatre Guide Curtain Call Award - Best Professional Female Performance, for her portrayal of Diana Goodman in Adelaide’s premiere of the musical, Next to Normal (Six Foot Something Productions & The Factory). Her other professional theatre credits include The Venetian Twins (Beatrice) for the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival, South Pacific (Dinah) for Seabiscuit Productions and Sunday in the Park with George (Frieda).

She has also performed cabaret shows for the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Country Arts SA and the Out of the Square concert series. Concert highlights include performing Mozart’s “Exsulate Jubilate” with the Austral Sinfonietta in London and “Off the Air” with ABC Music radio host, Guy Noble.

Rosanne is also a passionate and well-respected educator specialising in Music Theatre. She currently lectures in singing at the Adelaide College of Arts, is a Vocal Tutor and Musical Director for Pelican Production and their Music Theatre Camps and also runs her own private studio assisting professional and emerging music theatre artists. She has successfully mentored students into Music Theatre programs such as WAPPA, VCA, Griffiths and BAPA and regularly participates in live online vocal training programs run by reputable voice coaches on Broadway and West End.

Melina Charles

Melina holds an Associate Diploma in Dance from Queensland’s University of Technology. Melina’s credits include: Harvest Rain’s Oklahoma, The Really Useful Company’s Asian Tour of CATS, The Production Company’s Follies, Damn Yankees and Crazy For You. She has also worked at Dracula’s Theatre Restaurant in Resurrection, onboard the Tahitian Princess and danced in Opera Queensland’s Turandot, Samson et Dalila and Andrea Chenier. Melina has toured with Dare to Dance Arts Council Show, Joe Labero’s Illusions, Toadshow’s Glamalot and in the Australian production of Monty Python’s Spamalot The Musical.

Paul Hanlon

Paul is a graduate of The Ensemble Acting Studios in Sydney. He toured NSW for two years with Shakespeare Where You Like It, performing in Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Henry IV and Julius Caesar. He has performed in Elvis The Musical, Australian tours of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, The Wizard Of Oz and Annie, the International and 10th Anniversary tours of Les Miserables, The Full Monty and the original Australian production of The Boy From Oz. Play's include Ensemble Theatre's productions of The History Of Theatre and Death Of A Salesman at The Sydney Opera House and All In The Timing at Sydney Theatre Company Wharf Theatre and Belvoir St Theatre. Paul was assistant director for The Deal at the Ensemble Theatre, and was Resident Director for the 2010/11 production of The Boy From Oz. He has appeared in numerous television guest roles, performed on Good Morning Australia, The Midday Show, and in 2009 played the role of Bill Stevens in Home And Away.