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Michael C. Smith Profile |
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Michael Smith studied acting with Hayes Gordon at the Ensemble Studios in Sydney and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at Sydney University. He began his career at the Ensemble Theatre in the plays Comedians, Boy Meets Girl, Mrs. Grabowski's Academy, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and the world premier of the Australian play Lamb of God. His performances at the Ensemble led to work with the Nimrod Theatre in Romeo and Juliet directed by John Bell and to the TV series Glenview High and Punishment but he was most visible as Shane Archer in The Restless Years for the Ten Network. In the early 1980's he began to focus on musical theatre, commencing with a schools tour for the Australian Opera of the Offenbach operetta, Jet Lagged and Jilted. This was followed by the musicals Candide for the Nimrod Theatre; Trafford Tanzi, (Dean Rebel); Snoopy (Linus) and the Australian Operas' production of Fiddler on the Roof (Motel), which opened the State Theatre in the Victorian Arts Centre. In 1984 he won the Bond Family Scholarship for Tenors. His acclaimed operatic debut in 1985 as Nanki Poo in The Mikado for the Australian Opera led to an invitation to perform the role in the US with the Los Angeles Opera. The LA production was directed by Jonathan Miller and starred Dudley Moore as Ko Ko. In Los Angeles he was immediately invited to appear with Placido Domingo in the following seasons opening production, The Tales of Hoffman and went on to make regular guest appearances with the LA Opera. Roles include: Mercury in Orpheus in the Underworld with Dom DeLuise; The Dancing Master in Ariadne Auf Naxos and Nick in La Fanciulla Del West with Placido Domingo and Dame Gwenneth Jones. In Australia he moved between Contemporary Music Theatre, Musicals, Opera and the development of new works. Roles include: Roderick in The Fall of the House of Usher by Philip Glass for Chamber Made Opera; Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music for the Sydney Theatre Company; Don Ramiro in Rossini's La Cenerentola for Opera ACT and Almaviva in the Barber of Seville for Lyric Opera of Queensland. On the concert platform he sang as Tenor soloist with the West Australian, Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. In 1993 he created the role of Jason in Gordon Kerry's Medea for Chamber Made Opera and performed the opera in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and at the Kennedy Centre, Washington DC as part of Festival Australia. For the Australian Opera he appeared as Piquillo in Pericole and Marco in The Gondoliers. For the Sydney Theatre Company he appeared as Dr Mendel in Falsettos. In 1994 his concert engagements included concerts with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in Jakarta as part of the Australia Indonesia Today Expo. He also performed for the Australia Malaysia Foundation, Kuala Lumpur, in the presence of the Prime Minister of Malaysia. In 1995 he withdrew from full time performing to explore matters of the heart, teaching and song writing. He returned to the theatre in 1998 to create the role of Lidgus in Elena Kats Chernin's debut opera Iphis. In 1999 he played the Defendant in the sold out season of Trial by Jury for the Sydney Festival. His most recent appearance was as Frankie in Jolson. He currently teaches singing in Sydney to professional singers, dancers and actors involved in the music theatre and recording industries. |
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