Enjoy good company and a night of musical theatre

A long way from his days in Echuca Musical Theatre Company and Suzanne’s School of Ballet, Lewis knows first-hand the budding and well-accomplished artists who call our region home.

Lewis hopes his March 23 original variety production In Good Company - A Night of Musical Theatre, will be an opportunity to show off this talent.

‘‘It’s a chance for the performers to take to the stage and perform for themselves, which is something we don’t often get to do when it’s our career,’’ he said.

‘‘A night to celebrate young people in the town pursuing arts.

‘‘Performers are aged between 19-33 and will come together with students from Suzanne’s School of Ballet and a live band to stage their own piece.’’

Taking to the Paramount theatre are the who’s who of our local performance scene. Alongside Lewis, Britney Evans, Darcy Elliott, Sophie Miller, Georgina Bish, Andrew McKenner, Drew Walker and Fiona Gibbs will all perform.

‘‘The show circulates around my experience performing in Echuca and where it’s taken me professionally and personally,’’ Lewis said.

‘‘I live performing arts.

‘‘I don’t think I gave myself a choice in pursuing another career.

‘‘I think once I found out what made me happy, I had to continue with it.’’

For Lewis, musical theatre has taken him to stages across Australia.

From our region’s theatres and Georgy Award nominations to studying at FedUni Arts Academy, the Musical Theatre Educators Alliance at New York University and being cast in the Australian run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s London Palladium production of The Wizard of Oz, Lewis has certainly had a dazzling career already.

This is the first time the 25-year-old will take the reins in orchestrating a showcase.

‘‘The idea had been growing for a couple of years and it’s been a two month process putting it all together,’’ he said.

‘‘Originally I wasn’t going to put the show on in Echuca, but there’s such a strong demographic here that should be involved.

‘‘There’s so many expectations put on young people to do more and I think we’re all very ambitious in what we want to achieve.

‘‘But this event is a chance to stop and reflect on what we have already achieved.’’

In Good Company will be an evening of music and dance, celebrating what our local performers have to offer.

The variety show will feature much loved numbers from The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Wicked, Into the Woods and Oliver! just to name a few.

Tickets are selling out fast and cost $28.70 or $23.70 for concession. Phone the Echuca Paramount on 54823399.

In Good Company - A Night of Musical Theatre will take to the Paramount stage from 7.30pm.