40 & FABULOUS!!!

Strike up the Band, when local international theatre organist Chris McPhee will be joined by vocalist Rosanne Hosking who is an award-winning performer in musical theatre and has featured for over 25 years in opera and cabaret around Australia and New Zealand. Chris will provide us with music from the big band era on the WurliTzer, which was developed to replace full orchestras back in the 1920s for silent movie accompaniment. Pieces will include “Moonlight Serenade” and “Swingin’ Shepherd Blues”. These big, lush sounds will be complimented by the equally lush sounds of the highly acclaimed City of Unley Concert Band when they play “Dance Movements” and “Be Thou My Vision” plus more of their favourite hits which have resulted in them winning several State and National Band Championships. The combined sound of WurliTtzer and concert Band, in two special pieces, will produce majestic sounds to enthral all. 

This event is part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the mighty WurliTzer theatre organ’s inaugural concert at the Capri Theatre.There is a whole weekend of events planned and you can buy a discount package to all three events and save up to $20 by downloading the booking form below and emailing it to secretary@capri.org.au or call 8272 1177.

Booking-Form-40-and-Fabulous

Introducing CHRIS McPHEE…

Chris McPhee A.A.G.M. is a celebrated theatre organist who lives and works in Adelaide. He has a distinctive musical style emanating fun and individuality while expressing his vibrant spirit and passion for nostalgia. As a teenager, Chris was particularly inspired when he heard the legendary UK organist and entertainer, Douglas Reeve. Since then, Chris went on to build and establish an international reputation for himself. He has performed at leading venues across Australia, New Zealand, United States of America and the United Kingdom. In recognition of his outstanding talents, he was awarded an Associate Diploma in Organ, with Honors. In his home city, Chris has starred as the featured artist on the J.W. Walker & Sons Adelaide Town Hall Organ and the Silver Jubilee Organ at the Festival Theatre. He was chosen to receive the great honor of being the final organist to perform at the historic Adelaide Regent Theatre before it closed in 2004. Chris has thrilled audiences with his stylish organ playing at many venues and celebrates over 35 years of performing on the famous Wurlitzer at the Capri Theatre. He has released 7 commercial recordings and his music is broadcast extensively, not only on local radio, but all around the globe. He is a solo artist of great renown but he has also performed alongside some of the all-time greats of Australian entertainment. Outside of Chris McPhee’s musical endeavours, he also holds qualifications in embalming and post mortem reconstructive surgery, with membership in both the Australian Institute of Embalming and British Institute of Embalmers.

ROSANNE HOSKING

Rosie’s career spans over 25 years and has taken her across Australia and overseas. She studied classical voice at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide and has since developed into a highly versatile artist, performing regularly on a variety of stages including music theatre, opera, cabaret, corporate entertainment and contemporary commercial music.

Her professional theatrical debut was in the Australian/New Zealand cast of Cameron Mackintosh’s The Phantom of the Opera. More recent theatre credits include Sweeney Todd (Mrs Lovett understudy) and Carousel, (2021), Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus (2017) and the Second Lady in The Magic Flute (2016) with the State of Opera of South Australia, Requiem – Adelaide Festival (2020), appearing as a guest artist in Matthew Robinson’s In Good Company and performing the role of Miriam in the World Premiere production of new Australian musical, The Front at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, 2015. In 2013 she toured Australia with Amity Dry’s musical, Mother Wife and the Complicated Life in the role of Lily.

In 2012, she was awarded the Adelaide Theatre Guide Curtain Call Award – Best Professional Female Performance, for her portrayal of Diana Goodman in Adelaide’s premiere of the musical, Next to Normal (Six Foot Something Productions & The Factory).

Other professional credits include The Venetian Twins (Beatrice) for the Sydney Olympic Festival, South Pacific (Dinah) with Seabiscuit Productions.

Rosie makes regular appearances with corporate entertainment company, Ding Productions. She has performed to audiences of 25,000+ at the Adelaide Oval for the Big Bash League’s New Year’s Eve celebrations for the past four years and appears regularly at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Adelaide Convention Centre in Ding’s floorshows.

Concert highlights include performing Mozart’s “Exsulate Jubilate” with the Austral Sinfonietta in London, “Off the Air” with ABC Music radio host, Guy Noble and also her appearances with theatre organist, Chris McPhee nationally and around New Zealand.

Rosie is a well-respected educator and voice trainer. She is regularly invited to conduct workshops in vocal technique, song interpretation, shifting styles and more. She currently lectures in Vocal Anatomy and offers one-to-one singing tuition at the University of Adelaide as part of the Bachelor of Music Theatre.

She has also lectured in singing and music at the Adelaide College of Arts, Tabor College and also consults privately from her home vocal studio. This year also marks Rosie’s 15th year [check this with Rosanne] with the Pelican Productions MTC team. Throughout this time she has also worked as a Vocal Director on their productions of Sing!OZ, The Little Mermaid, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Bring It On – The Musical.

CITY OF UNLEY CONCERT BAND

Unley Concert Band was founded in 1997 and has enjoyed a successful and rich history. The Band is a diverse group of approximately sixty members, and aims to offer players and audiences the highest quality of community musicianship in Adelaide. They strive to perform music at a high level from advanced wind band repertoire to lighter entertainment music.

The Band has had several talented musical directors over the past twenty-five years. From 2021, the current Musical Director is Colin Prichard, the Principal Trombonist of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.

The Band is also an active marching band that performs at many different engagements such as ANZAC commemorative parades, Christmas pageants, and council engagements. In 2011 they were named the Australian Concert Band Marching Champion.

Over the course of its history, the Band has won various other accolades, placing first in the South Australian Band State Band Championships in five consecutive competitions (2016-2022), placing first in the 2016 A Grade National Band Championships, and equal first in the 2017 National Championships.

The Band also released a CD, ‘Uniquely Unley’, in 2010, and was involved in the South Australian feature film ‘Swerve’, released in 2011.