Star-studded guest artist lineup for 2015 Rob Guest Endowment Concert

The 2015 Rob Guest Endowment Grand Final Concert is a celebration of the best of the talents on our musical theatre stages. From our emerging stars, the finalists who sing for the grand prize on the night, to the hosts (this year, Lucy Durack and Campbell), to the bona fide stars who perform as guests artists, it’s a night that showcases the depth and breadth of our country’s skills and talents treading the boards. 

This year’s guests artists come from some of our biggest shows and boast some of the biggest names. Wicked powerhouse Jemma Rix is slated to perform, and so is affable musical theatre boy-next-door Rob Mills. Mark Vincent, who has been starring in Dirty Dancing, will also appear, and so will last year’s Rob Guest Endowment winner Joshua Robson (Les Mis). There will also be performances from cast members of Cats and Matilda  – the concert takes place on the Matilda stage at the Lyric.

The 2015 Rob Guest Endowment finalists are Blake Appelqvist (West Side Story, new VCA Graduate), Daniel Assetta (Cats, Wicked), Hilary Cole (Carrie, Dogfight), Georgina Hopson (Into The Woods, The Pirates of Penzance), Rob McDougall (Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera) and Ashleigh Rubenach (Anything Goes, The Sound of Music).

The winner receives $20,000 and a headshot package provided by Blueprint Studios.  The competition will be judged be three of Australian musical theatre’s finest creatives: Kelly Abbey, Peter Casey and Gale Edwards.

Also awarded on the night are Melbourne’s East End Theatre District Artist Development Award, a $5,000 prize, and the Playbill Future Prospect Award, a cash prize of $1,500. The four remaining finalists will each take home $1,500. The Rob Guest Endowment Technical Award in Honour of Sue Nattrass and The Rob Guest Endowment Musician Award will also be presented at the Gala Concert. Each of these awards, fully funded by the Capitol Theatre and Sydney Lyric, include a $10,000 cash prize intended to help the recipients become leaders in their field.

The Rob Guest Endowment Gala Concert takes place at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on Monday 9 November 2015. For tickets and more information visit www.robguestendowment.com.au.