WELCOME TO BOOGIE WONDERLAND!
"Should anyone claim disco to be the peak of Western civilization, then Velvet Rewired would have to be one of its finest achievements."
Arts Hub
ON TOUR 22/23
THE CAST
THE DIVA - MARCIA HINES
Moving from Boston to Sydney at 16 to join the Australian production of Hair, Marcia has become Australia’s beloved musical treasure during a career spanning five decades and 22 album releases, selling 2.6 million copies.
This iconic national treasure shows no sign of letting up! The Sydney Festival in 2019 featured an original production, set in the streets of Paris titled Pigalle which was a sell-out success. In 2020, Marcia became ‘The Dragon’ in the Australian premiere season of Shrek The Musical, then returned to the Adelaide Fringe for the world premiere of Velvet Rewired. This production again had the public and critics alike referring to it as “The best show at The Fringe”.
More recently, Marcia has returned to her childhood in Boston to create a unique concert experience titled ‘The Gospel According to Marcia’. This brand new musical event has played the Vivid Festival in Sydney, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the Festival of Voices in Hobart and all of this in 2022 prior to her rejoining the cast of Velvet Rewired for a six-month national tour visiting every capital city.
The amazing Marcia Hines and her never ending career inventions are a wonder to behold!
THE DJ - JOE ACCARIA
An award-winning graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with Honours Music and Education degrees in orchestral percussion, Joe has worked extensively worldwide as a performer, session musician, composer, music producer and music director.
Joe is the Music Director for Velvet – Australian National Tour, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Sydney Opera House, Auckland Arts Festival and Norwegian Cruise Line. Other Music Director credits include Gypsy (Hayes Theatre Co), Marcia Hines – Disco Inferno, B-Girl Sydney Opera House, Bobby Fox – Four Seasons in One Night and iOTA – Young Hard and Solo for Sydney Festival and Pigalle, both debuted at the Sydney Festival.
Further credits include Dein Perry’s Tap Dogs – 10th Anniversary World Tour, Novello Theatre London West End, Europe, Asia, Australia, South Africa tours. David Campbell – Swing Sessions I & II, Good Lovin’, On Broadway and Let’s Go tours. He has worked extensively with Human Nature on The Motown Show tours, and Las Vegas residency.
Events include Sydney New Year’s Eve and the Elevate Festival 2022. Joe is the soundtrack producer on the award winning, Velvet. The Original Cast Recording of Velvet was nominated for an ARIA Award.
Recently, Joe has arranged & produced David Campbell’s album release The Saturday Sessions and Marcia Hines’ recent production of The Gospel According to Marcia and is the Music Supervisor on new works L’Hotel (Adelaide Cabaret Festival) & Dubbo Championship Wrestling (Hayes Theatre Co).
Joe’s recent performance credits include Darlinghurst Theatre’s production of Once; the World Premiere of Dream Lover with David Campbell and the Helpmann Award winning Smoke & Mirrors with iOTA, directed by Craig Ilott. Joe was a co-recipient of the Helpmann for Best Original Score with iOTA.
Joe is the co-creator, composer and co-producer of the all-female percussion stage show, DrummerQueens which premiered at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre in 2021.
MARC 'FULLOUT' ROYALE
Marc “FullOut” Royale is a professional dancer and choreographer hailing from the Bronx New York. Marc possesses a natural flair for full-out movement, his high energy, and radiant personality are captivating. A graduate of the Rock the Industry training program under the legendary Luam Keflezgy, Royale has been working professionally for over 10 years in his home base, New York City.
Marc has been featured in many music videos, tv shows, and national commercials he has also been recognised by major artists such as Missy Elliot and Ciara. Marc’s love for dance is very clear when watching him move, his personality, and drive are admirable and inspiring as he definitely brings something different to the table!
COUNTRY MIKE - TOM SHARAH
Tom won the prestigious Australian Cabaret Showcase in 2009 and subsequently toured his one-man shows Que Sera, Sharah and It’s Raining Me to sell-out theatre and festival seasons all around Australia.
He premiered That 90’s Show to critical acclaim at the Hayes Theatre and received a Sydney Theatre Award nomination for Best Cabaret Performance. After coming to wider national attention as a star finalist on Channel Ten’s I Will Survive, he became a regular segment presenter on Channel Nine’s Mornings.
Tom’s musical theatre credits include Muriel’s Wedding, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Shrek, American Psycho and 9 to 5. He most recently returned from New Zealand where he played the role of George in The Wedding Singer.
Tom has performed at the Hayes Theatre in Half Time, Only Heaven Knows and The Drowsy Chaperone for which he received a Glugs Award for his performance as Aldolpho.
SVEN & JAN - ROLLERSKATING ACROBATS
Sven and Jan are an international rollerskating act hailing from Germany. Their act is a highly accomplished combination of breath-taking speed and death-defying acrobatic feats.
They have worked all over the world with Cirque du Soleil, they have been on many ‘Got Talents’ including ‘World’s Got Talent’ in China and the recent 2022 ‘Australia’s Got Talent’.
They have performed on Broadway in ‘Empire’, in ‘Absinthe’ in Las Vegas and in ‘The Hole’ in Barcelona. Other performance venues include The Royal Albert Hall in London and Formula One race tracks.
AERIALIST - DANNY GOLDING
Danny began his dance training at Newtown High School of Performing Arts. He then completed his bachelor in dance at ACArts. He has worked for the Australian Dance Theatre, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Norwegian Cruise Lines and Cirque Dreams. In 2009 Danny earned a place in Australia’s So You Think You Can Dance, and successfully competed making Top 12.
In 2013 he graduated from The National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA). During his studies he worked with The Production Company in Chess the musical. He also appeared on Australia’s Dancing With The Stars, Everybody Dance Now and Australia’s Got Talent.
He was awarded ‘Best Male Performer’ by the Australian Aerial Awards in 2016, and competed on Germany’s Das Super-talent in 2018. In 2022 he toured with Oracle, Matador and Draculas Resurrection. Most recently he was awarded Mr Burlesque Sydney 2022.
AERIALIST - HARLEY TIMMERMANS
Growing up immersed in a surfing culture on Phillip Island, Harley’s notoriety for being told to “get off the roof” and climbing trees soon found a creative outlet through acrobatics.
Harley thrived at the National Institute of Circus Arts graduating with a Bachelor of Circus Arts in 2017. Since graduating, Harley has worked consistently featuring in circus shows with Strut & Fret, P&O Cruises and Head First Acrobats.
He has travelled the world with these productions starring in raunchy productions and cast as a pirate, scientist, cowboy, and even a gallivanting flying unicorn!
Harley loves to embrace characters of all types and brings a unique and charismatic performance style with first-rate technical skill.
SIREN - JACINTA GULISANO
Jacinta Gulisano is one of Australia’s most exciting vocalists who has also trained extensively in all styles of dance as well as acting for stage and screen – a true triple threat!
Jacinta completed her training at Sydney’s prestigious Brent Street Studios graduating with a Certificate IV in Performing Arts in 2012. The following year Jacinta appeared on Australian television screens on The X Factor Australia as a part of the judge-formed group, THIRD D3GREE, finishing as semi-finalists. She then appeared as a solo artist on The Voice Australia (2018) where she made it to the TOP 12 Live Finals.
Jacinta’s incredible vocal talents have seen her become one of the most highly sought after entertainers for high end corporate functions and special live events in Australia.
Also in demand as a model and actress, Jacinta has appeared in campaigns for brands including Supre’ and Nissan.
SIREN - SASHA LEE SAUNDERS
Sasha’s theatrical career began after studying at the Australian Institute of Music. Graduating with a degree in music theatre, Sasha set out to audition with hopes of landing her place in the Australian scene.
In 2014 Sasha joined the cast of Disney’s Aladdin and toured Australia, New Zealand and Singapore for the next three years. After living the theatre dream, she then merged into the fashion modelling industry and made her mark as an Australian curve model.
She has modelled for various campaigns, getting a feel for being around the camera and learning how to express herself through a different art lens. Other credits include RMS Production: Deena in Dreamgirls, Veronica in Heather’s, Dynamite in Hairspray as well as multiple children’s shows around NSW and Australia.
Being a ballroom and Latin champion as a junior in NZ, Sasha is ready to get back to her dancing roots and win over the hearts of audience members across Australia.
THE CREATIVES
DIRECTOR - CRAIG ILOTT
Craig is an award-winning Australian theatre director. He has worked worldwide with a diverse range of theatrical companies and arts festivals across multiple forms and genres.
Credits include HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (Showtune), LOVE SONG (MTC), PIG IRON PEOPLE (STC), THE PILLOWMAN (Company B Belvoir), SMOKE & MIRRORS (Sydney Festival), Creative Director for PACHA SYDNEY @ THE IVY, B-GIRL (SOH), AMERICAN IDIOT (Shake & Stir), VELVET (Organised Pandemonium), LA BOHEME (Opera Queensland), VIRGIN BRIDE (Frontier Touring), BAND OF MAGICIANS (Sydney Festival & Tropicana Vegas). Most recently, Craig directed BETTY BLOKKBUSTER (Redline Productions and Sydney Festival), LA CLIQUE (Leicester Square, London), VELVET REWIRED (Organised Pandemonium), and L’HOTEL (Adelaide Cabaret Festival & SOH).
MUSIC DIRECTOR - JOE ACCARIA
Refer to the cast member, The DJ, for full bio.
CHOREOGRAPHER - AMY CAMPBELL
Amy Campbell (She/her) is one of Australia’s most accomplished creative talents with a career spanning all areas of the entertainment industry.
She most recently created, choreographed and directed the original show LEAP, which premiered in Sydney earlier this year. Amy’s extensive list of choreographic credits include the Sydney Theatre Award Nominated Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Co), In The Heights – Nominated for a 2019 Helpmann Award and winner of the Sydney Theatre Critics Award (Blue Saint Productions in association with The Hayes Theatre), the Australian premiere of Violet (Broadway World Australia Award), the national tour of HAIR (Sydney Opera House and Peace Productions), An Act Of God (Darlinghurst Theatre Co), Spring Awakening (ATYP), The Hayes Theatre Co’s Side Show, the original Australian work Guilty Pleasures (Blue Saint Productions), Oklahoma for The Production Company, Velvet Rewired for both the Australian Tour and the upcoming Hamburg Production and Carmen (Opera Australia) where she was the revival choreographer.
She was also the Choreographer/Movement Director for The Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s productions of Funny Girl, Porgy and Bess and Candide and was the Australian Resident Director of HAMILTON (Michael Cassel Group). Amy’s film and television credits include Dance Academy, The X Factor, ABC’s Giggle and Hoot as well as numerous advertising campaigns.
In 2020 she made her directorial debut with A Chorus Line (Darlinghurst Theatre Co) that opened as part of the 2022 Sydney Festival followed by a successful season at The Sydney Opera House.
LIGHTING DESIGNER - MATT MARSHALL
Born and raised in Perth Western Australia, Matthew Marshall is a graduate of the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2000. Matthew has been nominated for his work twice by The Helpmann Awards for Best Lighting Design (2012, 2017) and has received nominations for Best Lighting Design from the Australian Production Design Guild.
Recent designs include Mary Stuart (Perth Festival), Dark Mofo Festival, Nimrod for Sharjah Performing Arts Academy in UAE, The Barber of Seville (NZ Opera), Tchaikovsky (Tulsa Ballet), Pigalle (Sydney Festival), Man With The Iron Neck (Legs on the Wall), Carmen (Oper Leipzig), The Misanthrope (Bell Shakespeare), La Boheme The Outdoor Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour (Opera Australia), American Idiot 2018 Australian National Tour (Shake & Stir/QPAC), Askungen (Royal Swedish Opera), The Barber of Seville (Seattle Opera), Club Swizzle (Roundhouse London), Athalia (Pinchgut Opera), La Cenerentola (Oper Leipzig, San Diego Opera, Seattle Opera). Matthew is also a mentor to Lighting Design students at both of Australia’s premier arts training institutions – NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts) and WAAPA (West Australian Academy of Performing Arts) as well as a judge for the Australian Production & Design Guild Awards in 2017 – 2022.
SET AND COSTUME DESIGNER - JAMES BROWNE
James is a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS) in Art Direction. He has received nominations in the Australian Production Design Awards, Green Room Awards and Sydney Theatre Awards and won Best Costume Design – Musical for HAIR in the 2020 BroadwayWorld Sydney Awards.
Selected credits include GHOST (Theatre Creation Japan), THE SELFISH GIANT (Victorian Opera) CIRQUE STRATOSPHERE (Arts Centre Melbourne), LADIES DAY (Griffin Theatre), BLANC DE BLANC and LIMBO UNHINGED (The Sydney Opera House) THINGS I COULD NEVER TELL STEVEN, GUARDS AT THE TAJ(National Theatre of Parramatta) and the national tour of CRUEL INTENTIONS THE 90S MUSICAL. James is also Sexpo’s inaugural creative director for their 2022 main stage show BABYLON.