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What do you get when you cross an internationally experienced actor/teacher (Adrian Barnes) with an internationally renowned voice scientist/singing teacher (Pat Wilson) and a fully trained music theatre artist who trains Pilates instructors Australia-wide (Larissa Kelloway), and has her own successful Pilates studio in North Sydney? You get Springboards, a new performing arts initiative specialising in music theatre. Springboards aims to inform and develop talented performers who wish to work towards full time training in music theatre/theatre worldwide. Auditions will be held on 28th and 29th March 2009 for entry into this new music theatre training centre situated on Pacific Highway, North Sydney.

Adrian Barnes worked for many years in London’s West End in such memorable shows as West Side Story (first major revival) Irene and Hello Dolly! Adrian came to Australia in 1981 and performed in several hit Australian soaps (Young Doctors, Sons & Daughters and Henderson’s Kids 2), plus some very innovative and thrilling stage shows including Pirates of Penzance, the Broadway Production for VSO and Essgee Productions. Adrian has also appeared in many films, but The Slipper and the Rose and Thank God He Met Lizzie are still his favourites. Adrian has taught and directed extensively in Australia, NZ and the UK, and is well known for his acting classes and highly successful music theatre/theatre productions.

Pat Wilson has taught singers in Australia, NZ  and the UK for thirty years and has a string of past students appearing in musicals and cabaret all over the world. She also works regularly as a musical director, and composes and performs some pretty raunchy cabaret songs with Adrian, her partner of over 25 years. To occupy her spare time, Pat is an avid student of the voice and has a Masters in applied science for her research into the effects of visual and aural stimuli on singing training. Ask her when she sleeps sometime.

Larissa Kelloway is a multi-talented singer/actor. Trained at internationally-acclaimed WAAPA, Larissa graduated, fell in love, got married, had babies, started a very successful Pilates studio, and became an internationally-recognised expert in the training of Pilates teachers. She continues to build and develop her interest in this unique, and increasingly popular, exercise methodology that rehabilitates, increases flexibility and stamina and promotes a healthy lifestyle. But, true to form, you can’t hide brilliant talent, and Larissa continues to develop and produce cabaret of an international standard. The voice of a 21st century music theatre star will thrill you the next time you catch Larissa in cabaret.

So if you are over 18 and want to develop and expand your skills as an artist, have a passion that drives you to explore the pathways towards a professional music theatre career, and want to get ready for those all-important auditions for the music theatre course of your choice, it’s time to contact Springboards.

For further information: www.spans.net.au