KURT WINS ROLE ON BIG STAGE

A CHANCE encounter with a highpowered musical director has landed Townsville actor Kurt Phelan one of the biggest opportunities of his career.

Phelan has scored a lead role in the musical Rent to be performed in New York, where the former Kirwan State High student and NIDA graduate has been based since June.

He will play the part of Roger in the hit musical, which is running at New York’s The Secret Theatre from September 19 to early October.

“My partner runs a party around a piano in the Lower East Side called ‘Monday in the club with Lance’ … I have met a great group of friends here and we’ve been singing and making music together every Monday,” Mr Phelan said from his new home. “I met the director of Rent, Lauren Elder, and she approached me and asked me to audition after watching me sing at the club.

“In my first week I had more auditions than I had last month back home. I’ve been auditioning for Broadway shows and I am constantly finding myself in situations that make me pinch myself to see if it is all real.”

Phelan has performed in productions of Rent before – including playing the part of the musical’s other male lead Mark – and has plenty of experience performing in musicals, leading to comparisons with Australian A-lister Hugh Jackman.

Make a great impression here and Phelan could land more big roles, but the Ayr-born talent is taking the latest challenge in his stride.

“There are challenges to the role. But I have known Rent inside out since high school and I am so comfortable with the material that I am more excited rather than challenged,” Mr Phelan said.

“The challenge will come with performing the show.

“Having the vocal stamina for the role is something I’ve been hard at work to achieve. It’s a hard score to sing. But I love a challenge.

“In a city like this there are so many people and it’s hard to get noticed sometimes.

“A role like this gives me an opportunity to have people come and see what I do live onstage.”

Phelan may be a North Queensland boy at heart, but he feels right at home in the bright lights of New York surrounded by a close network of fellow actors and Australian expatriates.

“The nice thing about New York is that we are all away from our families, you hardly meet someone who grew up here,” Mr Phelan said

“So I am building a new family of friends over here. We all have each other’s backs and I’m loving my new family as much as my actual one.”