Hayden Tee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hayden Tee is an actor and singer based in Australia.
Hayden grew up in Maungaturoto, a town of just 800 people on the North Island of New Zealand. [1] Singing lessons were a two hour drive away, but at least his mother got to do some shopping whilst Hayden practised and learned. He moved to Auckland at the age of 16, and at 18 he was invited to Sydney by Avigail Herman to study at NIDA.[2]
After completing the Singer Dancer Actor course, Hayden went on to win the New York Award at the 2002 Sydney Cabaret Convention. [3] His New York debut season was at “Don’t Tell Mamma”.
He has appeared in cabaret, musicals and theatre in Australia, New Zealand, The U.K and United States. His roles include “Jack” in Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” and “The Wizard of Oz”. In 2001, Hayden was resident artist at The Court Theatre, Christchurch, appearing as “Grumio” in “Kiss me Kate” and as “Wayne” in “Kiwifruits II”.
His debut solo cabaret show, “Me to a Tee” was performed to great acclaim in Sydney, Auckland and New York. His next cabaret show, “Quarterlife Crisis” was performed in Sydney (“pizzazz and potential” SMH 28/2/03) [4] -Melbourne and in Canberra (“Cabaret at its best” – Canberra Times 18/3/03)
In February 2003, Hayden wowed Sydney audiences (“a definite star”, Sydney Morning Herald 14/2/03 [5]) in the lead role of Frances in Campion Decent’s “Three Winters Green” at the Stables Theatre. [6]
“Muftee”, Hayden’s chat/cabaret/tonight show, opened at the Stables Theatre in May 2003, [7] and was hailed as “Australia’s cult cabaret hit” by the Sydney Morning Herald (22/8/03). [8] This ground breaking late night show featured the cream of Australia’s musical theatre as guests. Originally planned as three week run, “Muftee” went on to play to packed houses for a record breaking 7 months. [9]
Next up was a short season at Kabarett Voltaire of Hayden’s new cabaret, “Hayden Tee”. A short season because in December 2003, he was in New York again, taking with him “Hayden Tee” and “Muftee”. Both shows were a hit at “Mamma Rose’s”, and described by New York Post columnist Liz Smith as “wild and zany”. During “Muftee’s run in New York Hayden had the opportunity of performing opposite such Broadway luminaries as Stephen Schwartz, John Bucchino, Avenue Q’s John Tartaglia , Julie Wilson and Brent Barrett.
Whilst in New York, Hayden released his first CD, which has been voted by Cabaret Hotline as one of the best 5 male vocal releases of the year. [10]
Back in Sydney, “Muftee” returned in February for a 6 week season at The Stables. Hayden was then on to Kabarett Voltaire and Melbourne’s Butterfly Club in with his cabaret, “Hayden Tee” and toured this show for a return season at Villa Caprese and Parramatta Riverside theatres
His show “The Gin is Cold….but the Piano’s Hot” –the music of Kander and Ebb has played around Australia to unanimous acclaim .
In May 2005 Hayden played the role of Lt Cable in “South Pacific” under the direction of John Diedrich and Jo Anne Robinson at the Festival Centre in Adelaide. Also in 2005, Hayden was one of the twelve finalists in the international BBC Voice of Musical Theatre competition, featuring the best music theatre performers from all round the world.
Following this, Hayden went on to play the role of Marius in “Les Misérables” at the Queens Theatre in London.[11] Hayden also performed the role at its 20th Anniversary performance on Oct 8th 2005.
Hayden returned to Australia in late 2006 and assumed the leading role of Thomas Andrews in the Australian premiere in Sydney of the Broadway musical “Titanic-the Musical” [12] garnering outstanding critical acclaim. [13] Prior to commencing his role in Titanic, he also played in the workshop of the new Australian musical “Snugglepot and Cuddlepie” as Cuddlepie under the direction of Neil Armfield.
In 2007 Hayden starred alongside Teddy Tahu Rhodes in Dead Man Walking the Opera,[14] based on the movie of the same name, in which he played the role of Father Grenville.
In 2008 he appeared at the Metropolitan Room in New York, where he made a triumphant return to the cabaret stage in the United States. The return of his self titled one man show to New York again earned him critical acclaim [15]. Hayden is currently playing the role of Gus the Theatre Cat in CATS the Musical at the Charlotte Theatre in Seoul, Korea for the Really Useful Group. He is shortly to return to Australia where he will begin rehearsals of two main-stage productions for Kookaburra - The National Musical Theatre Company, as part of their 2008/2009 subscription season. [16]
