STAR ON THE RISE
Izellah’s Matilda reviews lead to US recording trip
At just 11 years of age, Izellah Connelly is hoping to transfer her talent on the stage into the recording studio
SHE’S already conquered the stage – now Gold Coast talent Izellah Connelly has her sights set on success as a recording artist.
The 11-year-old Southport student is preparing to pack her bags and travel to the US to record five original songs including a debut single.
Izellah will head into the studio in Los Angeles to work with Michael Jay, who has worked with everyone from Eminem to Kylie Minogue and Celine Dion and Ichi, aka Ichiro Suezawa, the driving force behind Burno Mars.
A seasoned performer with roles in four professional stage musicals to her credit, Izellah earned rave reviews for her starring role in the recent Australasian tour of Matilda.
Izellah performed 82 shows and 120 stand-bys in the lead role during her 14month run with the smashhit Royal Shakespeare Company production.
“Matilda is about a little girl who stands up for herself, even to adult bullies. She also stands up for others,” Izellah said of the role.
One of six Gold Coasters in the touring cast of 27, Izellah performed in the show’s Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland seasons.
“All the kids in Matilda are great friends and fun to be with,” she said.
Izellah established herself as a standout talent playing Princess Aroon in Opera Australia’s 2014 season of
The King and I, starring Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes; Gracie in Queensland Musical Theatre’s 2016 production of The Music Man; and Gretl in the 2016 London Palladium Production of The Sound of Music before her breakthrough lead role in Matilda.
Izellah recorded a version of Quiet, from Matilda the Musical, on her debut album
From the Heart, a collection of covers released in 2014 long before she was cast in the award-winning show.