‘It’s Not Where You Start But Where You Finish’ - Highlights from 500 Episodes of The STAGES Podcast

STAGES with Peter Eyers

To celebrate the 500 milestone we give you a highlights package - just a few of the stand-out moments from 7 years of the STAGES podcast.
It is by no means ALL of the wonderful moments, but just a few that stand out for me - joyous moments along the way.
The podcast has featured on-stage and off-stage roles from a variety of genres - Musical theatre, Theatre, Dance, Opera, Vaudeville, Drag, Television, Film, Variety and Arts Education have all been explored.
We’ve celebrated shows - such as the 40th Anniversary of the Australian production of CHICAGO (w Nancye Hayes & Geraldine Turner) and 50 years on THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW in Oz. And we chronicled the evolution of new shows, in documentations of Noelle Janaczewska’s THE END OF WINTER - and Robyn Kennedy’s commission for World Pride - CAMP - both produced by Siren Theatre Company and directed by Kate Gaul.
We’ve featured a TONY Awards episode each year - and looked at the highlights from Broadway and The West End with regular theatre pilgrims Iain Phipps and Simon Parris.
We’ve talked to creatives and performers commencing their careers (our youngest guests have been George Holahan-Cantwell and Ryan Yeates, who were sharing the role of Charlie Bucket in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) and we’ve applauded our industry elders - our oldest guest being Lee Young at 93.
We’ve recorded conversations with 16 Drag performers, featuring them in a series during World Pride.
We’ve profiled the roles of Stage Door, Photography, Agent, Opera chorister and Scenic Design with Stage Door Johnny, David Hooley, Sonya Marturano, Jenifer Eddy, Mark Morrisey, Katherine Wiles, Stella Ginsberg and Rod Clarke.
We’ve recalled the careers and contributions of the great Gloria Dawn with her daughter Donna Lee ….. the legacy of Architect Vivian Fraser with his daughter Sharon … and the enormous contribution to Musical theatre in Australia from Betty Pounder with Kevin Coxhead.
We’ve profiled artists during the Covid lockdowns and how they navigated their way through it.
We’ve recorded with the practitioners - Dr Richard Walley, Wesley Enoch, Eva Grace Mullaley and Lisa Maza detailing the evolution of indigenous theatre in Australia.
We’ve documented the History of seminal theatre companies including JC Williamson's, Garnett Carroll, The Ensemble Theatre, the Darlinghurst Theatre Company, Nimrod, Kookaburra Musical Theatre, The Old Tote, Jane Street and the Pram Factory.We’ve examined the craft with screen writers and playwrights Joanna Murray-Smith, Danny Ball, Dr Grace Barnes, David Williamson, Melanie Tait, Jeffrey Jay Fowler, Barry Dickins, Jordan Shea, Tommy Murphy, Laneikka Denne, David Sale, Tony Sattler, David Mitchell, John-Michael Howson, and Barry Creyton
We’ve saluted Australians making big waves on global theatre stages - Carmel Dean, Fabian Aloise, Kaye Tuckerman, Michaeljon Slinger, Neil Gooding, Yve Blake, David Harris, and Daniel Assetta, to name but a few.
We’ve looked at actor training with staff from key institutions such as NIDA, WAAPA, VCA and The Actor’s Centre. And championed the work of Drama teachers in secondary schools and at State Theatre companies.
We’ve hooked 'big fish' …. like Lyricist Sir Tim Rice, Composer Stephen Flaherty, Director Francesca Zambello, Maestro Richard Bonynge, and Broadway performers Ruthie Henshall, Robbie Fairchild, Michael Misita, Andy Karl, and Stephanie Beecham.
And each year we’ve concluded the season with a Christmas episode featuring regulars Kate Fitzpatrick, Rhonda Burchmore, Geraldine Turner and Ron Creager.
And sadly we’ve also preserved precious story from artists who have passed since recording - and to them I’d like to dedicate this episode - Rod Dunbar, Michael Falzon, Kevin Jackson, Maureen Howard, Tony Geappen, Keith Robinson, Lee Young, Frank van Straten, Jacqueline Dark, Lisle Jones, and Martin McCallum.

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