Bendigo’s Boy From Oz on Thursday got a chance to meet the man who originated the role in 1998.
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Jason McMurray and Todd McKenney will both take to the stage in October.
McMurray will finish off the Bendigo Theatre Company’s season The Boy From Oz and the week after McKenney perform a piano session show of Peter Allen’s songs at Ulumbarra Theatre.
The two showmen will also share the stage at Ulumbarra.
“The first words out of his mouth were ‘So are you going to get up and sing with me?’ and I was just said ‘that would be awesome!’ McMurray said.
“Mainly he told me to enjoy it. He told a lot of stories about the initial concept of the and his contact with Peter Allen and his family.
“Stuff like this doesn’t happen. When you do Les Miserable, you can’t contact Colm Wilkinson and ask him how he does Jean Valjean. This was a whole other experience.”
McMurray said he was champing to get back on The Capital stage after meeting McKenney and receiving two standing ovations in The Boy From Oz’s opening weekend.
“I’m reinvigorated having heard Todd’s stories. Peter is so real to me now, not just a character I’m playing,” he said.
“If an audience is giving to me, I’ll always give it back. To get two standing ovations really gets the momentum going.”
BTC’s The Boy From Oz is on at The Capital on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Todd McKenney performs at Ulumbarra on Saturday, October 8