Click on links below to view biographies.
Renee Armstrong's dream to perform in professional music theatre came true in 2009 when she was cast in the Australian production of Wicked.
Renee trained formally at The Australian Institute of Music and at Sydney's Brent Street Studios. At age twenty, she was signed to record label Sony BMG and Network Ten and became part of the hit teen group 'Girlband', stemming from the 10 part documentary/reality TV series which followed the journey to the launch of the group's album. Through this, Renee quickly gained a profile in the music industry with national tours, personal appearances and a tour as support band for Rogue Traders.
She also toured with TV Rock and performed alongside Cindy Lauper and Olivia Newton John along with the Sims Festival & Dolly Awards to name a few.
Renee's film credits include the Australian feature film Bootmen and the Bollywood film Heyy Babyy.
Trevor is an actor, musical director, writer and producer who is often described as 'the busiest man in Australian showbiz'. He created the role of 'Miss Understanding' in the world premiere production of Priscilla Queen of The Desert – The Musical, playing over 600 performances in Sydney and Melbourne. He followed this with Gale Edwards' production of Jerry Springer - the Opera for the Sydney Opera House, and is now thrilled to be creating the role of Edna Turnblad in this uniquely Australian production of Hairspray.
But it is in the world of cabaret where Trevor has truly made his mark. It has led him to perform in New York, London and across Asia, in shows both as himself and in a dazzling array of characters and impersonations. Over the past two years his controversial show Liza (On an E), has had sell-out seasons in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane Cabaret Festivals, and Melbourne's Midsumma festival garnering rave reviews. With Courtney Act, he also created and starred in Gentlemen Prefer Blokes, playing seasons at Mardi Gras, His Majesty's (Perth), Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Midsumma.
In 2010, Trevor was commissioned to create a piece for the Sydney Opera House, I'm Every Woman, directed by Dean Bryant, which showcased his uncanny knack to channel famous females (twelve in all!) He won the Sydney Theatre Award, and the Sunday Telegraph's Insider award for Best Cabaret.
As a producer, Trevor created the cabaret phenomenon Showqueen, showcasing over a hundred cabaret performers during two years at the Supper Club, Sydney. The series toured Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne, and spawned two CDs. As a recording artist Trevor appears on the soundtrack of the Stephan Elliott film Easy Virtue singing the theme song 'Let's Misbehave' - released worldwide to critical acclaim. He has directed two Hats Off's, and produced and created the World AIDS Day tributes to Peter Allen, Elton John, and Stephen Sondheim featuring all-star casts and raising close to $100,000 for ACON. He received the Honour Award for 2010 for his work, and was also named one of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians by same same. Trevor also writes a fortnightly column in SX News.
Other cabaret and theatre: Pop Princess (OTP), Trevor! The Arena Mega Musical (SBW Stables), Meet You at The Mona Lisa (Woodstock), and Birds (ATYP). TV: Comedy Inc. (9), Adelaide Cabaret Festival Gala (Foxtel), GMA (10), Australia Day Live (10), The Mint, Mornings with Kerri-Anne (9), and he can be seen getting hit on the head with a salami quite regularly for Don Smallgoods.
Trevor would like to thank all his wonderful friends in this fabulous industry for their never-ending support, especially Lisa Campbell and Dean Bryant, who always believed he could do it.
www.trevorashley.com.au twitter.com/Trevor_Ashley
Tevin comes to Hairspray with a wealth of experience having played the role of Seaweed in the Tony Award winning Broadway production of HAIRSPRAY from 2005 to 2009.
Tevin has enjoyed an incredibly successful music career to date. He was discovered by Quincy Jones when he was just 11 years old. He soon after featured on Jones' 1989 studio album Back on the Block as vocalist on "Tomorrow (A Better You, Better Me)," which hit number one on the US R&B charts. He then appeared in Prince's Graffiti Bridge film singing "Round and Round" which became a Gold Single in the US. All of this set the stage for his debut album, 1991's T.E.V.I.N., which went Platinum and spawned two R&B chart-toppers, "Tell Me What You Want Me to Do" and "Alone with You," as well as the R&B Top Five hit "Goodbye." I'm Ready, released two years later, did even better, going double Platinum and featuring the international number one hit "Can We Talk". With a further 2 singles "I'm Ready" and "Always in My Heart," reaching the Top Ten.
Tevin achieved incredible success as a music artist. His astonishing success includes Multi Platinum selling albums and singles, 8 No.1 Billboard R&B singles, winner of a Soul Train Music Award, 5 Grammy Award nominations and 2 American Music Award nominations.
Jack Chambers earned a place in Australian entertainment history when he was crowned the first So You Think You Can Dance winner in 2008, however his career in both song and dance commenced a long time before that. Jack started dance lessons at Brisbane's Julie-Ann Lucas School of Dance at the age of three and continued there until he was 17. He combined this training with acting and singing studies.
Jack's career took off at the age of 10 when he was cast in his very first Musical, the stage production of The Sound of Music, playing Kurt Von Trapp at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane. He then ventured into video and television and was cast in a role for Japanese Children's Television.
From the age of 15, Jack started performing with the male tap group Raw Metal. In collaboration with a friend within Harvest Rain Theatre Company, he devised an abstract production called Big Black Box, which earned him the "Young Star Award" in the year 2005. In 2007 Jack Choreographed and performed in Raw Dance Company's Production Project X at the Holland Dance Festival in Den Haag and The Singapore Arts Festival.
Since winning So You Think You Can Dance Jack has been living his dream of a dance career he longed for in New York. Recent achievements in the big apple include working as a choreographer and teacher at the famous Joffrey Ballet School and PeriDance Center, winning the "Young Choreographer of the Year" Award at this year's American Dance Awards as well as appearing in a number of theatre productions 'Spring Gala 2010' alongside Liza Minnelli & Ben Vereen, 'Katy Bridgewater' at Alvin Ailey Theatre and was head judge for 'Dancing With The Teachers' a David Scott Production.
Nancy Denis was the tender age of three when she began her dance training at Sydney's Brent Street studios. She further honed her talents in all facets of the entertainment industry by attending the Talent Development High School from years 7 through to 12.
Nancy graced the professional stage at an early age, playing 'Tessi' alongside Anthony Warlow in John Frost's production of Annie. In 2008, Nancy won a place as a member of the pop group 'Panjo 5' through Nickelodeon's talent search show Airtime!. Nancy's other screen appearances include the 2009 MTV Awards, Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards, Australian Idol (with Delta Goodrem) and Mornings with Kerri Anne.
Nancy has toured Australia with US Hip-Hop artists Omarion and Fatman Scoop and considers performing solo at the Australia Day concert to be a career highlight.
22 year old Jaz Flowers grew up in Morwell, a town in the Latrobe Valley Gippsland where she lives with her family when she is not performing.
The role of Tracy in Hairspray is Jaz's first lead role in a major theatrical production.
Her professional debut on the stage came only last year in 2009 when she was cast in Shane Warne the Musical. Most recently Jaz has been seen playing the role of 'Mabel Washington' in the production of Fame the Musical.
By the age of three, Jaz had made her first stage appearance and continued performing in local Music Theatre and numerous Eisteddfods. She recently completed her Bachelor of Arts in Music Theatre at Ballarat University.
Jaz's credits include featured soloist at the opening ceremony for the Pacific School Games, Retrospect (joining the Chorus) and Shine (joining the Chorus). Jaz also played 'Frauline Schneider' in Ballarat University's presentation of Cabaret and 'Blanch Ingram' in Jayne Eyre.
Esther's career highlights include 'Amy' in the Pratt Prize Award-winning Once We Lived Here, for which Esther was honoured with a Green Room Award for Best Female Artist in a Leading Role.
Esther has also played Polly Brown in The Production Company's The Boyfriend, Amy in Metro Street, and 'Pegeen Ryan' in The Production Company's 10th Anniversary production of Mame. Esther also played the roles of 'Essie', 'Alison' and 'Kursten' in Virgins at The Malthouse in Melbourne before going on to perform the same roles when the show was staged at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
Other theatre credits include EuroBeat, The World Goes Round, Hair, Idomineo and Scrooge. She was also the Lead Vocalist for the world tour of Burn the Floor and played the role of 'Lisa' in Mamma Mia! In July, Esther will play Persephone in the Four Larks Theatre Company production of Orpheus.
Scott Irwin has carved a career as one of the great leading men of the Australian stage, his highlights being 'Enjolras' in Les Miserables the 10th Anniversary Tour and 'Gaston' in Disney's Beauty & the Beast. Other credits include The New Rocky Horror Show (Paul Dainty), Secret Bridesmaid's Business (Playbox) and The Sign of the Seahorse (Playbox).
Ten years ago, at the completion of the Secret Bridesmaid's Business tour, Scott suffered a serious spinal injury. He returned to the stage in 2004 in The Full Monty (David Atkins & IMG) and since then his career has been back in full swing, playing roles such as 'George Kitteridge' in High Society and 'Frank Butler' opposite Marina Prior in Annie Get Your Gun. In 2005 The Production Company reunited Scott and Marina in leading roles in Kiss Me, Kate! Scott also led the cast of Camelot in the role of 'King Arthur', played 'Paul' in Company (Kookaburra) and then starred as 'Billy Bigelow' in Carousel (Twelfth Night). More recently he was seen as 'Coach Bolton' in Disney's High School Musical Live on Stage!
Scott's television credits include Good Morning Australia, The Midday Show, IMT, Mornings with Kerri Anne, Today Show, Hey Hey it's Saturday, Blue Heelers and Home & Away to name a few. His film credits include Passion and Razzle Dazzle! in which he played Patrick, the super suntanned gardening show host!
Marney will be well known to music theatre audiences through her role as 'Marion' in the Australian production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical. She went on from this success to be nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival for her show Rosa Waxes Lyrical, which she also toured to Edinburgh and London playing to sold out houses and rave reviews. The title character, Rosa the Russian Beautician, has since toured nationally in her new show Sunburnt Country and has appeared on Sunrise, The Cricket and The Circle. Rosa Can also regularly be heard giving beauty advice on Melbourne's JOY 94.9 radio station.
Since graduating from NIDA in 2003, her theatre credits have included the role of 'Patti' in STC's production of The Give and Take and in its return season for MTC and 'Shelley' in Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot also for MTC. Marney co-created and performed in the hit production Connie Chang's Cabaret Roadshow and took her one-woman show Bustin Out! Bondi to Broadway! to Don't Tell Mama in New York in 2005, with a sell out return season in 2006. That same year she was an invited guest performer at a Gala Benefit Dinner for American Friends of NIDA in New York and she appeared in STC's All Star Cabaret.
For television, Marney has starred in Network Ten's comedy series The Wedge and played a lead guest role in the Seven Network's Last Man Standing. Her film credits include the Nadia Tass directed Matching Jack, Son of the Mask and the short film Turn, for which she received a Best Actress Award at the Newcastle Film Festival. Marney is also a voice over artist for animated film and commercials.
Cle Morgan is best known for her gritty and passionate performances as one of the Top 12 finalists in the 2003 debut season of Australian Idol.
Cle first hit the entertainment industry in 1993 at the age of 12, starring in the children's adventure/drama series Ship to Shore and continuing for the show's second season. She went on to gain her Scholarship Degree in Dance from the John Curtin College of The Arts and by 1996 she was back in front of the camera playing a guest role in the Barron Films production of The Gift.
As a part of the 2003 Australian Idol Live Tour of all capital cities, Cle played to a total audience of over 200,000. She continued in her love of live theatre, performing the role of 'Hud' in the sold out 2007 season of Hair in Perth.
Grant Piro is a highly versatile and successful member of the Australian entertainment industry, who earlier this year was seen in MTC's production of the musical The Drowsy Chaperone.
He began his career in 1983 with a twelve month stint on the television soap Sons and Daughters. Grant went on to work on numerous theatre and television projects in London, returning to Australia in 1990 to write and host his own show, Coach Potato.
Grant is well recognized on Australian television screens, with appearances including City Homicide, Sea Patrol, CrashBurn, Rainshadow, Wildside, SeaChange and Correlli to name a few. In 1995, his role in ABC TV's Janus earned him an AFI Award nomination.
Some of Grant's film credits include The Condemned, The Outsider, Crocodile Dundee in LA, Miracle Down Under, Bad Boy Bubby and Mr Accident.
Last year Grant appeared in The Production Company's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Prior to that he performed in the MTC productions of Realism and The 39 Steps, earning him nominations for a Helpmann Award and a Green Room Award respectively. In 2005 Grant won a Green Room Award for his role in The Producers and also in 1999 for The Merry Widow.
A BA graduate, Jacqui first appeared in Sugar Babies and My Fair Lady. Playing Erma in Anything Goes saw Jacqui awarded a Green Room Award and nominations for both a Mo and Sydney Theatre Critics Award.
Other credits include Amy in Charley's Aunt, Joan in Dames at Sea, Simply Weill, A Grand Night for Singing, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (tour), Mack and Mabel (concert), Maggie in Lend me a Tenor, Sybil in Private Lives, Babette in Beauty and the Beast, Ellie in Show Boat (Green Room nomination), Lina in Singing in the Rain (UK), Vi in Footloose (UK), Josie in Taboo (UK), Mama Morton in Chicago (UK), and Adelaide in Guys and Dolls.
Jacqui devised and performed two cabaret pieces based on the music and lyrics of Kander and Ebb- My Own Space and Don't Tell Mama. Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris gained a Green Room Award and marked Jacqui's debut as director/choreographer.
Since graduating from NIDA in 1980 Garry has worked extensively in theatre, film and television.
He was seen in the role of Mordcha in Fiddler on the Roof for TLM Productions, in Bell Shakespeare's Measure for Measure and as Eduardo Rodriguez in the premiere production of Las Vegas the Musical. Other theatre credits include Women of Lockerby, Love's Triumph and Buddy. He played every other role in the original production of The Boy from Oz.
For the Sydney Theatre Company he has appeared in the Wharf Review – "Revue Sans Frontiers", The Wharf Review- Concert for Tax Relief, Comedy of Errors, Once In a Lifetime and Merrily We Roll Along.
Garry has had a long association performing cabaret at Sydney's famous Tilbury Hotel and recently revived his show for the Showqueen Legends series at Sydney's Kit and Kaboodle Super Club.
He has appeared in the film Prada Handbag. Other film and television credits include All Saints, Heartbreak High, Police Rescue, The Sullivans and the Feature Film, Billy's Holiday.
