Elegies: A Song Cycle | Program

Uncovering Elegies
When it came time to eventually create my own company, I was never going to do “My Fair Lady”.
Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘My Fair Lady’ (and my parents would’ve been thrilled), but so many of those shows feel too rigid in form to truly engage with, in a new way. If I was going to get creative and collaborate with our best artists on something I believed in, I knew it would be on a piece that allowed us the space to reinvent it.
ELEGIES was performed for the first time in 2003, at the Lincoln Centre in New York, sung by five Broadway performers around piano in cabaret gowns and Broadway sized hair styles. The genesis of the piece can be traced to a particular song, requested of William Finn by a dying friend to sing at her funeral. It’s hard to say what led Finn to expand this idea into an evening of commemorative songs for so many people who had touched his life, but certainly the immense loss associated with the September 11th terrorist attacks, proved the catalyst to bring them all together.
A song cycle is made up of a series of songs hung together thematically, not narratively. Elegies centres around loss and community, whether it be the Korean restaurant that held a familial space, the loss of a mother, the collective loss of the AIDS epidemic or even the loss of literature! This is a series of stories, captured through an artist unfettered by a rigid form, to represent the people who have shaped him. We likened it to uncovering the artifacts of one’s life in an abandoned warehouse. Various communities are created and captured, be it defined by artistic pursuits, common sexuality, religious boundaries or familial connection and though specifically written, they could be our own communities.
Having loved this show, for many years, it was only when considering a sixth role in the show that I became intrigued in how to stage it.
I was drawn to the question of why someone would create something like this? And that someone is the composer – William Finn, an artist who narrates this piece with one perspective, shared across five actors (often at the same time!). He is referred to by name- and frequently given license to reflect on the writing of the very show we are watching! (Finn literally critiques the form from within it, with lines such as, “Whatever THIS is, he’d hate it!”)
I come from a family of artists. My younger brother, Grant is a successful visual artist, my older brother Trent is a much acclaimed photographer – whose images are used in tonight‘s performance. All three of us became artists when we suffered the childhood loss of our mother. It was in that moment that we went from people who could draw, sing or photograph, to people who had something to say through drawing, songs, and photography.
There is a particular idea of death and dying that is attributed to traditional Mexican culture. In it, a person is described as dying three times; the first, when they take their last breath, the second when laid to rest, and finally, when the last person alive utters their name. At that point, a person is lost to time. This is all too familiar to me. It’s a sobering thought but in some way, we are kept alive by the people who remember us, and I think that is what Bill Finn- consciously or not – is doing here. He is actively holding on to people and keeping them alive through this music. Each person’s essence is embodied in a song, and the pursuit of this, is central to our production.
Song List
Looking Up Quintet – Full Company
Mister Choi & Madame G – Anton Berezin and Company
Mark’s All-Male Thanksgiving – Glenn Hill and Company
Only One – Nadine Garner
Joe Papp – Marty Alix, Anton Berezin and Glenn Hill
Peggy Hewitt & Mysty del Giorno – Marty Alix and Company
Passover – Kerrie Anne Greenland and Company
Infinite Joy – Nadine Garner
The Ballad of Jack Eric Williams (and other 3-named composers) – Anton Berezin with Marty Alix and Glenn Hill
Elevator Transition – Full Company
Dear Reader – Nadine Garner and Kerrie Anne Greenland
Monica & Mark – Marty Alix, Anton Berezin and Glenn Hill
Anytime (I Am There) – Kerrie Anne Greenland
My Dogs – Marty Alix
Venice – Glenn Hill
14 Dwight Ave., Natick, Massachusetts – Nadine Garner and Marty Alix
When the Earth Stopped Turning – Marty Alix
Goodbye/ Boom Boom – Full Company
Looking Up – Anton Berezin
Goodbye (Finale) – Full Company
Cast

Marty Alix
(he/they)
Read MoreMarty Alix
(he/they)

Marty Alix graduated from The VCA in 2017, with additional training from The Atlantic Acting School in New York in 2018. They made their professional stage debut in In The Heights at the Hayes Theatre Company in association with Blue Saint Productions, where they were nominated for both a Sydney Theatre Award and a Helpmann Award for Best Supporting Actor for their role as Sonny. Marty has since gone on to perform in other stage productions: Bring It On (David Venn Enterprises), Rent (James Terry Collective), Spamalot (Richard Carroll/Hayes Theatre Company), and Into The Woods (Belvoir Street Theatre/Hayes Theatre Company). Most recently, Marty collaborated as a cast member on Orlando: A New Musical (Antipodes Theatre Company), which was adapted from Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando: A Biography. Marty performed the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Australian company of Hamilton (Michael Cassel Group), where they won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical in 2021.
Their screen credits include season 2 of Bump (Stan) and The Feed (SBS).

Anton Berezin
(he/him
Read MoreAnton Berezin
(he/him

Anton Berezin is an actor, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Berezin is best known for roles in major commercial musical theatre productions including Phantom of the Opera, The Bridges of Madison County, Evita, Once, Doctor Zhivago, Wicked, The Producers, Cabaret, Cats, Fiddler on the Roof and The Secret Garden. His film and Television work has included roles in Newton’s Law, The Divorce, Jack Irish: Black Tide, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Neighbours, Marshall Law, MDA and The Secret Life of Us. He is a prolific producer of Musical Theatre and Family Theatre with his wife, actress and writer, Theresa Borg. Berezin was born in Leningrad in the former Soviet Union, arriving in Melbourne as a refugee at the age of three.

Nadine Garner
(she/her)
Read MoreNadine Garner
(she/her)

One of Australia’s most respected actors, Nadine first appeared on Australian television in the series THE HENDERSON KIDS for which she won a Logie for best new comer and a Penguin award. Her career has since spanned across film, television and theatre for more than 35 years. She has appeared in the ABC drama SAVAGE RIVER, THE DOCTOR BLAKE MYSTERIES, THE BLAKE MYSTERIES tele movie, CITY HOMICIDE for the 7 Network, MR BLACK for the 10 Network and numerous other television productions . She was nominated for an AFI award for her performance in RAW FM for the ABC.
Her film credits include DARKLANDS, which was recently nominated for an AACTA award for best independent film, RAZZLE DAZZLE, THE WEDDING PARTY, CELESTE, and METAL SKIN for which she won a Critics Circle Award and was nominated for an AFI for best supporting actor. She was awarded an AFI award for best leading actress in the feature film MULL.
Her stage work includes modern and classical pieces for all the major companies: Romeo and Juliet, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard, Miss Julie, School For Wives, Private Lives, to name a few. She most recently performed for MTC in The Almighty Sometimes. She won a Helpman and a Green Room award for her role in Sam Mendes production of CABARET.
Nadine was nominated for an AACTA award for best screenplay for her short film AFTERGLOW.

Kerrie Anne Greenland
(she/her)
Read MoreKerrie Anne Greenland
(she/her)

Helpmann Award winner, Kerrie Anne Greenland holds a Bachelor of Arts Music Theatre from WAAPA and a Masters of Music Opera Performance from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. A versatile performer across Music Theatre, Cabaret and Opera, Kerrie Anne is one of Australia’s leading ladies of the stage.
Kerrie Anne’s opera roles include: Elle in La Voix Humaine, Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Euridice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring.
Music Theatre roles include: Ellen in Miss Saigon, Eponine in Les Miserables (Helpmann Award), Violet in Side Show, Cassandra in Paris: A Rock Odyssey, Dom in The Things Between Us, Esther Smith in Meet Me in St Louis, Patsy Cline in Always Patsy Cline.
Concert and Cabaret credits include: The Australian Music Theatre Festival 2024, Everything’s Coming Up Sondheim Spears Entertainment, Rain or Shine, Pictures: Songs from Movie Musicals, Carols at the House Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra.
As well as her career in theatre, Kerrie Anne is a proud mum and wife and Early Childhood Teacher.

Glenn Hill
(he / him)
Read MoreGlenn Hill
(he / him)

Glenn’s professional performing career spans over 24 years.
In 2012, Glenn was announced as the recipient of the Rob Guest Endowment Award.
His roles include: Stine in City Of Angels; Bob Crewe in Jersey Boys; Aaron Schultz in Legally Blonde; Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast; Frank Schultz in Show Boat; Calvin Berger in Calvin Berger A Musical; Padre Perez in Man of La Mancha; and Escapologist in MATILDA. Other credits include: Jolson; We Will Rock You; Dr Zhivago; Pippin; Sweet Charity; Little Me; Eurobeat; Spamalot; MAMMA MIA!; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Glenn was nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Musical’ at the 2018 Green Room Awards for his performance as Cornelius Hackl in Hello Dolly!
Creative Team

Tyran Parke (he/him)
Director
Tyran Parke (he/him)
Director

Tyran Parke worked as an actor for two decades before firmly established himself as an acclaimed director on the Australian theatre scene.
He is now a much sought-after director, producer and teacher. For StoreyBoard, he directed the all-star production of Follies at the Melbourne Recital Centre, followed by the acclaimed production of Barnum starring Todd McKenny and Rachael Beck, and CHESS starring Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Rob Mills and Paulini.
Professional directing credits include the plays Thom Pain, Pool (no water), The Laramie Project, Great Expectations, and Proof; the musicals Jekyll and Hyde, Rent, The Goodbye Girl, A Chorus Line, Songs for a New World, Hello Again, Elegies, Our House, and the operas The Coronation of Poppea, Hope you are ok QvdZ? and The Fairy Queen.
Parke is a huge devotee to the work of Stephen Sondheim. Having played the title role in Sunday in the Park with George, he was thrilled to direct the highly acclaimed 2018 production in Perth. Aside from Follies, Assassins – which toured throughout Victoria after its sell-out Melbourne season, was a highlight – Into the Woods, Anyone Can Whistle and Everything’s Coming Up Sondheim repeated this artistic success.
Other productions include the acclaimed, Ordinary Days (Green Room Award- Best Director), Big Fish (Broadway World and Glugg Nominations- Best Director), Falsetto’s (Green Room nomination- Best Director) and The Coronation of Poppea (Opera Chaser Award- Best Director of an Opera).
As a teacher, Parke has worked for all the major training institutions and is currently the Head of Music Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). He would like to thank the VCA for their constant support and flexibility and acknowledge the many members of the company in this show, who are drawn from this community. He is Artistic Director of Clovelly Fox Productions and The Australian Musical Theatre Festival, held annually in Launceston, Tasmania.

Vicky Jacobs (she/her)
Musical Director
Vicky Jacobs (she/her)
Musical Director

Vicky has been Associate Musical Director on some of this country’s biggest musicals including ‘Jersey Boys’, ‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘Come From Away’, ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’, ‘Grease’, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘Hairspray’.
She has received Green Room Award nominations for her musical direction of ’The Heartbreak Choir’, ’Thrill Me’ and ‘John and Jen’.
As well as music theatre, Vicky loves working with choirs. She is the founder and director of Glee Club, Melbourne’s original singalong choir. Glee Club hosts regular singing events around Victoria and Tasmania and also runs weekly choirs, online singing sessions and workshops.
Vicky is proud to be part of the team that developed the Number 1 Vocal Warm Up app for smartphone, Warm Me Up which you can download on iPhone or Android.

Freya List (she/her)
Movement / Musical Staging
Freya List (she/her)
Movement / Musical Staging

Freya List is a creative artist working across theatre, film, tv, company works and music. As well as being a versatile choreographer, movement director and educator, she is passionate about fostering community.
Freya recently won the Green Room Award (Betty Pounder Award for Original Choreography) for her work on Cruel Intentions: The 90’s Musical (David Venn Enterprises) and Next To Normal (James Terry Collective). Other stage credits include: Candide (Victorian Opera), National tours of Tick, Tick, Boom (StoreyBoard Entertainment) and Chess in Concert (StoreyBoard Entertainment), The Children (MTC/ STC), Next To Normal (James Terry Collective), A View From the Bridge (MTC), RENT (James Terry Collective), Parade (Soundworks), The Grinning Man (Salty Theatre). As well as choreographing multiple musicals at The Victorian College of the Arts, Freya has directed her own full length dance work Half Full (Collaboration The Project) and been involved in workshops for WAGs (Development) and I Can Jump Puddles (Antipodes). Freya was also nominated for the Betty Pounder Award (Greenroom Award) for her work on Bright Star (Pursued by Bear).
Freya is the director of the International outreach program ‘Dancing Through India’ and the popular live music and dance event series ‘Playing Field Series’. Freya collaborates with many music artists through the creation of music videos, live shows and tours.
Freya is thrilled to be working on Elegies with this company.

Mikailah Looker (she/her)
Set / Costume Designer
Mikailah Looker (she/her)
Set / Costume Designer

Mikailah is a Naarm based Set and Costume Designer, recently graduated from a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). She believes her strong knowledge of Costume Construction assists in the complexity and sincerity of her Costume Design process and therefore uses these skills to heighten her realized work. Mikailah is motivated to implement sustainable practices in her work and to maintain an Eco-Scenographical mindset so that her work can leave the smallest footprint possible. She is also focused on empowering the performers with whom she works with to feel grounded and supported during the Costuming process. Her previous experiences at The VCA include Costume Manager for ‘Theatrum Botanicum’, and Set and Costume Designer for ‘Sometimes, Always, Rarely, Never’. In 2023, she has been the Costume Designer for VCA Music Theatre’s production of ‘Little Women’ and the Senior Costumier and Costume Manager of ‘Dance Nation’, Directed by Emily Tomlins. Visit the ‘Credits’ page on her website for further details.
She is also the proud recipient of the Orloff Family Trust Foundation award, The Portland House Theatre Outreach Program Scholarship and most recently The Australian Production and Design Guilds “Outstanding Emerging Designer” Award for Set and Costume Design in 2023.

Tom Vulcan (he/him)
Lighting Designer
Tom Vulcan (he/him)
Lighting Designer

Tom is a Naarm / Melbourne-based set and lighting designer. He has a keen interest in the manipulation of space and creation of bold aesthetics, working across music theatre, opera, dance and theatre. He graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in 2023 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) where his work was recognised with the 2022 Lionel Gell Foundation scholarship for excellence. Recent credits include Associate Set Designer for ‘The Odd Couple’ (dir. Mark Kilmurry), and Lighting Designer for ‘7 Captiva Road’ (dir. Cathy Grant), ‘Home Economics’ (dir. Stephanie Lee), and ‘MinusOneSister’ (dir. Marni Mount). VCA credits include Set and Costume Designer for ‘Gesturing Weaving Unfolding’ (chor. James Batchelor) and Lighting Designer for ‘Heathers the Musical’ (dir. Alister Smith).

Jack Scandrett
Sound Designer
Jack Scandrett
Sound Designer

Jack’s interest in designing sound began at a young age watching his father’s involvement in many of the major musical theatre and sound performances in Australia during the 90’s and 2000’s.
Although working for primarily at System Sound, Jack has worked internationally and on major commercial productions until in 2019, when he founded Jax Audio Systems to further his experience and bring his professional experience to small productions.
Jax Audio is now based in Queensland and has a diverse range of clients and services a wide of productions Australia wide. Through Jax Audio, Jack has designed and engineered many productions furthering his professional experience whilst providing training, high quality service, and continuing to work for System Sound in a growing professional capacity.
Professional credits include over 25 productions with The Production Company, Kinky Boots, Book of Mormon, Phantom of The Opera World Tour, Warhorse, Ghost, and Chicago as well as having engineered for well known Australian performers such as Meow Meow, Paul Grabowski, John Waters and Mirusia. Jack is currently touring with MZA MZA.

John Scandrett
Sound Consultant
John Scandrett
Sound Consultant

John Scandrett – System Sound Pty Ltd
In 1979 John founded System Sound, which since has engineered many original productions such as Cats, Phantom, Les Miserables, Starlight Express.
More recently, they have sounded the tours of Moulin Rouge, Come From Away, Groundhog Day and currently Sunset Boulevard and Wicked.
John loves collaborating when possible with son Jack, who has brought much to the family business over 10 years or more.

Martyn Coutts (he/him)
Projection design
Martyn Coutts (he/him)
Projection design

Martyn Coutts is a multidisciplinary artist, researcher and educator.
He works as a theatre maker, video designer and dramaturg. His performance projects have been shown extensively throughout Australia and internationally in Taiwan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Netherlands, UK, US and Canada. Martyn is an award-winning video designer for theatre and dance. His work has appeared in productions that have been presented at Melbourne Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Ten Days on the Island, Mona Foma and Dance Massive.
Martyn teaches into the Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) at the VCA where he is the founding lecturer of the Digital Media and Projection discipline. Martyn holds a postgraduate diploma in Animateuring (Theatre Making) from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and won the Dean’s Award for Excellence for his Masters in Arts Management from RMIT in 2021. He is a PhD candidate with a Melbourne Scholarship in Media and Communications at the University of Melbourne.

Lara Gabor (she/her)
Projection Design
Lara Gabor (she/her)
Projection Design

Lara Gabor is a lighting and projection designer and technician based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her upbringing in Singapore fostered a passion for multidisciplinary work and musical theatre which has flourished upon relocating back to Australia. In 2023, Lara completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Production at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). She is currently employed as a lighting technician at Arts Centre Melbourne. Lara is continuing her practice in Australia and sharing her enthusiasm for theatrical storytelling.
Production Team

Lexie Jaensch (she/her)
Stage Manager
Lexie Jaensch (she/her)
Stage Manager

Lexie is an emerging Melbourne/Naarm-based stage manager. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production) at the Victorian College of the Arts in 2023.
Her background as a performer has informed her love of musical theatre and large-scale productions. She is passionate about effective teamwork and fostering positive work environments.
Most recently, Lexie was ASM/Props Swing on ‘Groundhog Day’ (GWB Entertainment). Other professional credits include secondments on ‘&Juliet’ (Michael Cassel Group) and ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ (Global Creatures) and Deputy Orchestra Manager on ‘La Cenerentola’ (Victorian Opera).
Lexie’s university credits include Assistant Stage Manager on ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ (dir. Jason Langley), Deputy Stage Manager on ‘Alter Kinetic’ (chor. Ngioka Bunda-Heath, Julie Minaai and Lucy Guerin), Deputy Stage Manager on ‘Little Women’ (dir. Theresa Borg) and Production Stage Manager on ‘Heathers the Musical’ (dir. Alister Smith).
Lexie is thrilled to be a part of the Clovelly Fox team bringing Elegies to life.

Jasmine Doak aka ‘Cool Plane Lady’ (she/her)
Production Manager
Jasmine Doak aka ‘Cool Plane Lady’ (she/her)
Production Manager

Once upon a time Cool Plane Lady (occasionally also known as Jasmine Doak) sat next to a stranger, the Clovelly Fox Founder and Artistic Director,on a three and a half hour flight. An ‘anything is possible‘ spark was ignited and when the opportunity came to join the Elegies production team, she didn’t take a backward step. CPL is proud to bring her love of musical theatre, deep curiosity, ability to see around corners, razor sharp organisational and problem solving skills, and her passion for living life to its full, to the Clovelly Fox production of Elegies.

Zan Reynolds
Sound Assistant
Zan Reynolds
Sound Assistant


Pella Gregory
Producer
Pella Gregory
Producer

Production Images
Photography Credit to Ben Fon
Thank Yous
Pella Gregory, Professor Emma Redding, all at the Victorian College of the Arts, particularly the Music Theatre Department, Simon Mumme, Cool Plane Lady, Queenie van de Zandt, Rowan Witt, Kim Ransley, Cameron Lukey and all at 45 Downstairs, Cool Plane Offspring, Zan Reynolds, Sam Leaman, Finn Woodlock, Lyndall Dawson, Bridget a’Beckett, Company 23 VCA
Why Clovelly Fox?
Storytelling is pretty much a religious pastime to me. As long as I can remember, I have wrapped my world inside of certain narratives – those conscious and unconscious – and then spent my life excavating the stories of others.
A good deal of my time developing as a director was spent in the beach-side suburb of Clovelly. Late at night, after a long day’s rehearsal, I would often record notes – my fingers can’t keep up with the speed of my thinking when I try and transcribe the thoughts! The problem was that I had various flatmates during this time, and I would unintentionally wake them with midnight mumblings, snippets of singing and snippets and highlighted bold, dramatic enquiry. So, being the respectful young person that I was, I would travel to the nearby beach regularly, and it was there that I would record my notes.
In several of these early morning note sessions, a certain Fox would make an appearance. I would find myself grappling with a problem and articulating it to an actor through a voice memo, and this Fox – the Clovelly Fox – would come by, have a moment of sizing me up, and then travel on its way.
And often the thrill of the visit would inspire a new way into creative problem solving!
I’ve always found my resting place in nature, and there was something about this Fox, the inquisitive look, the driven energy and the alertness to the world around him, that meant he became a symbol of creativity for me.
And as legend goes, to others as well.
Actors woke to voicemails full of notes and these occasional, intriguing interruptions. It’s not unusual to this day to receive images from people, all over the world, claiming they have just had an encounter with the Clovelly Fox, a symbol of great creativity.
This company was created so that I could tell collective stories in a particular way, through something that feels bigger than myself and share them in the kind of community that theatre encourages.
Long may we follow the Fox…