An introduction to The Who’s Tommy lead performers
5 Jan 2022
As we welcome 2022, we look to February with excitement as Victorian Opera's new season is off to a supercharged start with the Australian premiere of the rock musical The Who’s Tommy.
Our stellar cast of some of Australia's most loved musical theatre performers are sure to thrill audiences of this one-of-a-kind theatrical experience. Let's get to know them better!
The Narrator and title lead, Tommy is the amazing Mat Verevis. A casting choice approved by Pete Townsend himself
Mat is known for his performance as Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical which won him a 2018 Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. In 2019 Mat toured with Lea Salonga on her Australian tour and has just released his first self-titled EP.
Other credits; Tobias in Sweeney Todd (State Opera of South Australia), Mark Cohen in RENT (SOH/Sugary Rum prod), A Little Night Music (Victorian Opera), Lazarus (The Production Company), The Voice Australia - Season 3 (Channel9), Torch Song Trilogy (Darlinghurst Theatre Co).
As the overbearing father of Tommy, Captain Walker Matt Hetherington
Matt is thrilled to be making his debut with Victorian Opera. Theatre credits; ‘Becoming Nancy’ (Alliance Theatre, Atlanta, USA), ‘North by Northwest’ (MTC), ‘Next to Normal’ (MTC) (Greenroom,), ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ (Greenroom Award, Sydney Theatre Award), ‘The Full Monty’ (Helpmann Award), ‘Gypsy’, ‘Sweet Charity’, ‘Hair’, ‘Damn Yankees’, ‘The Last 5 Years’, ‘South Pacific’, ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change’, TV/Film: ‘The Detour’ (PBS, USA). ‘The Voice’ (finalist), ‘Dr Blake Mysteries’, ‘City Homicide’, ‘Stingers’, ‘Marshall Law’, ‘10 Terrorists’ Proud member of AEA. Thanks to Sue Barnett & Assoc. Love to my sweeties Melissa, Oscar & Madeline.
Amy Lehpamer performs as the warmhearted mother of Tommy, Mrs. Walker
A Helpmann and Sydney Theatre Award winner, Amy has received acclaim as one of Australia’s most versatile leading ladies of musical theatre. Notable roles include Principal Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock, Maria in The Sound of Music, Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: the Carole King Musical, Dusty Springfield in Dusty, Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Sherrie in Rock of Ages and the violinist Reza in Once: the Musical.
So far in 2021, Amy featured as part of a stellar ensemble cast in Our Town for Queensland Theatre, and performed in concert with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. She has just completed filming on a new Australian series airing on the ABC later this year.
Tommy’s evil Cousin Kevin is portrayed by Vincent Hooper
Vincent Hooper is one of Australia's most exciting and versatile music theatre talents. A graduate with a BA in Music Theatre from WAAPA, Vincent is known for his work in musicals like 'Avenue Q', playing Nicky, Trekkie, and Bad Idea Bear, 'Heathers - The Musical', playing Ram Sweeny and Ram's Dad and 'The Rocky Horror Show'. Other professional credits include Kyle in ‘Legally Blonde’, The Lion in ‘The Wizard Of Oz’ and 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ to name a few.
You can listen to Vincent’s music on iTunes and Spotify.
His debut original album is entitled ‘Here Today, Gone Tomorrow’.
Kanen Breen returns to the Victorian Opera stage as the lecherous Uncle Ernie
Kanen’s past engagements for Victorian Opera include the premiere seasons of ‘Tis Pity, Banquet Of Secrets and Through The Looking Glass, The Beadle in Sweeney Todd and The War Correspondent in Remembrance.
Roles for Opera Australia include Camille in The Merry Widow, Nanki Poo in The Mikado, Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore, Marco Palmieri in The Gondoliers, Caius in Falstaff, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, Sellem in The Rakes Progress, Pong in Turandot, Andres/Cochenille/Pittichinaccio/Frantz/Nathanael in The Tales Of Hoffmann, Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Albert Herring, and Johnny in Bliss at the Edinburgh Festival.
Other engagements include Andy Warhol in the Brisbane Festival season of The Perfect American, a Helpmann Award winning performance as The Witch Of Endor in the Glyndebourne production of Handel’s Saul for the Adelaide Festival and Other roles include Rodolfo in Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme on Broadway. He appeared as Willy Wonka in the national season of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory.
Paul Capsis joins us as the sex worker and drug dealer, The Gypsy (Acid Queen)
Paul Capsis is one of Australia’s most extraordinary and versatile performers. His extensive career spans decades where he has appeared in theatres, live concerts, cabaret shows, film, and television. Paul has worked with many leading Australian theatre companies as well as in Vienna, Hong Kong, London, Edinburgh and New York. A snapshot of Paul’s theatre credits include The Bridge Of San Luis Rey (Brink Productions), The Last Season (Force Majeure), The Deep Blue Sea, Threepenny Opera (Sydney Theatre Company); Calpurnia Descending (STC/Malthouse); All About My Mother (Melbourne Theatre Company); The Black Rider, Die Winterreise, Boulevard Delirium (Malthouse Theatre); The Wizard of Oz, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Frogs (Company B Belvoir); Lady Tabouli, Angela’s Kitchen (Griffin Theatre); Resident Alien (45 Downstairs); Cabaret (Hayes Theatre and Athenaeum); Rumpelstiltskin (Windmill Theatre and Southbank Theatre London); The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Newtheatricals).