Pete Murphy Comes Full Circle in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
A 3-year-old Pete Murphy begged his mum to enrol him in ballet because he thought it looked like fun. Growing up, he was swept up in the magic of old movie musicals and set his sights on becoming “one of the guys” who mesmerised him on screen.
While his style may have veered slightly from the Gene Kelly mould his younger self once dreamed of, he’s forged an extraordinary career as one of Australia’s leading rock performers. From tour managing for The Veronicas to sharing the stage with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, he’s been involved in nearly every facet of the performing arts industry. Still, he admits, “I always keep coming back to musical theatre, weirdly.”
After more than a decade away from performing a musical on Australian soil, he’s returned to the stage as Pilate, the secondary antagonist in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. In the final leg of the Australian tour, he’s wrapping up with a run of shows in his home state of Queensland.
It definitely hits different. You get to perform for the people who mean the most to you – the ones who don’t usually get to see you because you’re off traveling around the country or the world.
Murphy’s remarkable vocals have, quite literally, taken him around the world. He began his theatre career as a swing in the Australian production of Les Misérables, but quickly found his niche in rock musicals, joining the Australian cast of Rent soon after. Among other credits, his talent eventually took him to the West End, and then to Japan, where he starred in We Will Rock You.
“I think we all grew up thinking John Farnham was the greatest singer in the world,” Murphy says, crediting the Australian icon as a major influence on his vocal style. While rock-pop style musicals are generally the norm in musical theatre today, Murphy was one of the first performers to bring that sound to the stage in Australia.
“There was definitely a time in Australian musical theatre when, if you wanted a pop-rock singer, there weren’t many options,” he recalls. “Yeah, it was me or Michael Falzon. I think there’s a lot more – and a lot better – training now, particularly for young males.”
This isn’t his first time performing in Jesus Christ Superstar either – he previously tackled the titular role of Jesus in the show’s Scandinavian tour, a part he was offered the day before rehearsals began. He spent the plane ride devouring every version of the soundtrack he could get his hands on.
“I flew over and had a week and a half’s rehearsal. He [the music director] just said to me, ‘Look, we don’t have a lot of time. I like how you sing, and I like the choices you make. So you do what you think, and if I don’t like it, I’ll tell you not to do it again,’” he recalls. “I just got to have fun with the role and really make it mine. It was one of the best experiences of my life.”
With such a long-standing career and an impressive list of credits to his name, I asked Pete if there’s a secret to building – and keeping – such an established reputation in the theatre scene. He humbly credits his success to a mix of luck, skill, and hard work – along with the fact that there was relatively little competition among male rock performers when he was starting out. Still, he reveals what he believes is the real trick to success.
“Most of my work, I feel like I’ve gotten partly because I’m not a dick all the time,” he admits with a laugh.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in it all and start thinking too much of yourself. I think just not being a pain makes a big difference – especially in an industry as small as Australia’s. It gets you hired a lot.
Despite the industry being smaller in Australia compared to the likes of the West End or Broadway, Murphy firmly considers the Australian theatre community one of the best in the world to work in – a sentiment he stands behind even with his history alongside some of the world’s leading artists. “I would pick an Australian cast and Australian creative team over any others, any day,” he says.
When asked what makes our own industry so special, he puts it down to an undercurrent of gratitude that exists among the people who call this work their own. “It’s just how much it means to Australians. I think it means more to us. We’re not so blasé about the whole process – we really value the job, our place in the show, and our place in the industry.”
While Murphy doesn’t spend as much time on stage in this production compared to his previous, more demanding roles, he says much of his love for this contract comes from the offstage moments. He describes his experience with the cast as some of the most fun he’s ever had, offering me a sneak peek into the antics happening behind the scenes.
You’ve got Tana Laga’aia, who’s got such a kooky sense of humor – he’ll just come up and say something silly. And then there’s Reuben, who’s an absolute menace… Reuben Kaye is only on for one song, but the amount of backstage work he does entertaining the cast is unbelievable. It’s like two separate shows. He doesn’t stop the whole night. He’s got props – this guy has even ordered costumes just to make people laugh backstage. He’s quite an exceptional human.
It’s clear Murphy holds his castmates in the highest regard, and the joy in his voice as he describes them is utterly infectious. For such an intense onstage performance, you might expect the cast to have serious pre-show rituals. But according to Pete, “serious” is the last word to describe their backstage atmosphere.
“Mahalia Barnes has these lollies called Gin Gins, and now people are toasting them before the show,” he says. “It’s become this weird little backstage ritual – but that’s the beauty of working with different casts. You always get these unique, unexpected traditions.”
Jesus Christ Superstar is now entering its final performances at QPAC, set to finish August 10th. While you might not get to see the cast toast with a Gin Gin or witness Reuben Kaye’s exclusive backstage antics, you’ll definitely witness a mammoth production brought to life by an unbelievable cast and an equally phenomenal community of performers.
For tickets and more information, visit jesuschristsuperstarmusical.com.au
