Matt Lee (dancer)

Matt Lee is an Australian dancer and actor. He has starred in Bootmen, We Will Rock You, Rent, Grease,[1] and Mary Poppins for which he won a Helpmann Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[2] He was a motion capture principal for the Oscar winning film Happy Feet where he brought to life the loveable tap dancing penguin Mumble. He has choreographed for, and worked alongside Paula Abdul, Ricky Martin, Human Nature, Samantha Jade, Hilary Duff and Christine Anu.[3] He was also a judge and choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance.

Matt Lee
Matt Lee in July 2013
Born
Australia
OccupationDancer
Actor
TV personality
Choreographer
Years active1994 - present
Former groupsTap Dogs

Lee appeared at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in June 2014, performing a new show Swing on This together with Ben Mingay, Luke Kennedy, and Michael Falzon. Swing on This is a collection of classic swing songs reworked with a more contemporary style, as well as more recent popular music arranged for an 18 piece big band.[4]

Biography

Lee started dancing at the age of six, and began his professional career at thirteen.

"I think I was just very lucky to have found what I really wanted to do for the rest of my life at a young age,"[1]

During his acceptance speech at the 2011 Helpmann Awards, Lee claimed to have always wanted to sing like fellow nominee, Anthony Warlow.[5]

Career

The first international production of The Witches of Eastwick opened in Australia at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, with Lee as Michael Spofford, and starring comedian Paul McDermott as Darryl van Horne, Marina Prior as Jane, Angela Toohey as Alexandra and Pippa Grandison as Sukie, with Sabrina Batshon as The Little Girl. The show began previews on 19 August 2002. Revisions were made, including new lyrics and the excision of one number, 'Loose Ends'. However, the show never found an audience and closed on 17 November 2002.[6][7]

Lee was cast in the role of Bert in the first Australian production of Mary Poppins which began previews at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne on 14 July 2010. The show officially opened on 29 July. The cast also included Australian theatre icons Marina Prior as Mrs Banks, Debra Byrne as The Bird Woman, Philip Quast as Mr Banks, Judi Connelli as Miss Andrew, Sally Anne Upton as Mrs Brill, and Christopher Rickerby as Robertson Ay. Verity Hunt-Ballard played Mary Poppins.[8] The Melbourne production closed on 1 April 2011.[9] It was also confirmed that the musical would play in Sydney at the Capitol Theatre starting in April 2011[10] concluding its run mid December 2011.[11] The musical then went on an Australian tour, playing at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane until March 2012 and the Burswood Theatre, Perth until June 2012. After a four-month break, the production opened at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand, from 18 October[12] until 30 December.[13] An Australian Cast Recording was released on 18 February 2011.[14] Lee reprised the role of Bert for the Mary Poppins 2015-2017 UK and International tour[15] which began on 12 October 2015 at the Leicester Curve and concluded at the Dubai Royal Opera on 26 May 2017.[16][17]

The Production Company 2013 performance of Singin' in the Rain saw Lee cast as Cosmo Brown[18] opposite Rohan Browne's Don Lockwood, with Alinta Chidzey as Kathy and Christie Whelan-Browne as Lina Lamont. Traditionally for The Production Company, Singin' in the Rain had a short season, running from 21 to 25 August.

Lee performed in the new cabaret act Swing on This at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival on 7 June 2014 with a cast that included Luke Kennedy, Michael Falzon, and Ben Mingay. Festival Artistic Director, and singer in her own right, Kate Ceberano appeared as a special guest.[19] Following Adelaide Cabaret Festival, they performed as the headline act at both the official black tie launch of the refurbished Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on 25 July and at the community concert[20] the next evening, again playing to a full house. Notably, Lee performed the classic swing number Mr Bojangles, including a tap routine choreographed by Chris Horsey.

Lee was a judge on the television talent show So You Think You Can Dance along with Jason Coleman and Bonnie Lythgoe.[1]

Lee was a dance adjudicator at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod in August 2019.

Awards and nominations
Award Category Production Role Year Result
Helpmann Awards[5]Best Male Actor in a MusicalMary PoppinsBert2011Won
Australian Dance Awards[21]Outstanding Performance in a Stage MusicalMary PoppinsBert2011Nominated
Logie Awards[22]Most Popular Male TalentSo You Think You Can Dance Australia2009Nominated
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References
  1. Sally Bennett (22 April 2009). "Matt Lee says So You Think You Can Dance will judge right". Herald Sun. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  2. "Mary Poppins musical dominates Helpmann Awards show". BBC News. 2 August 2011.
  3. http://www.markbyrne.com.au/MattLeeBio.pdf
  4. "Swing On This". Adelaide Festival Centre. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  5. "Mary's a perfect Poppins - musical scoops annual Helpmann Awards". Perth Now. 1 August 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  6. Thomson, Helen."McDermott leads a devilish dance", theage.com, 26 August 2002
  7. Jones, Kenneth."Is a U.S. Run of Witches of Eastwick Brewing?" Archived 28 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine, playbill.com, 13 March 2003
  8. A giant step for our new Mary Poppins
  9. About Australia Mary Poppins
  10. Mary Poppins Sydney Archived 28 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Melbourne Love Never Dies Will Be Filmed 12-15 Sept.; Production is Sydney-Bound Archived 28 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Brooks Barnes (9 June 2012). "'Mary Poppins' to Flit to New Zealand". The New York Times Company. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  13. http://www.disney.com.au/marypoppins/#/home/
  14. Mary Poppins (Australian Cast Recording) Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  15. http://www.whatsonstage.com/leicester-theatre/news/zizi-strallen-mary-poppins_38087.html
  16. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. http://marypoppins.co.uk
  18. Danu Poyner (24 August 2013). "Singin' in the Rain | The Production Company". Australian Stage. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  19. Catherine Blanch (8 June 2014). "Swing On This – Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review". The Clothesline. The Clothesline. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  20. Leigh Ritchie (22 July 2014). "Entertainment Centre Opening Celebrations". Planet Bunbury. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  21. "2011 Australian Dance Awards nominees". Australian Stage. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  22. "51st TV Week Logie Awards, 2009". Tvweeklogies.com.au. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014.
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