| James Millar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 January 1980 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, writer, lyricist |
James Millar (born 21 January 1980 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an award-winning Australian actor, singer and writer. He is the author of the musical drama The Hatpin which premiered in Sydney on 27 February 2008 and the critically acclaimed Song Cycle "LOVEBiTES".
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James Millar studied writing at the University of Technology, Sydney and Performance at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts,[1] graduating in 2004. While studying in Perth, he was directed and tutored by a number of notable Australian performers such as David King, Tony Sheldon, Nick Enright, Roma Conway, Rhys McConnochie, Adam Cook, John Milson and Nancye Hayes. Prior to graduating, he starred in the original recording and premiere performance of Up by Eddie Perfect, Susannah, Spurboard, The Pajama Game, Pacific Overtures (The Reciter), Perfectly Frank, The Crucible, Fiddler on the Roof (as Tevye) and The Wild Party (as Sam).
While in Western Australia, he also appeared in Morning Melodies at His Majesty's Theatre in Perth, Assassins and Piangere.
In 2010, Millar and collaborator Peter Rutherford have been commissioned to workshop and produce their third book musical, "A Little Touch of Chaos" at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
For television, Millar has played roles in Home and Away, Police Rescue, A Country Practice, The Leaving of Liverpool, The Investigators, Water Rats and Neil Armfield's tele-film Naked: Coral Island.
He was featured in the award-winning film The Eternity Man directed by Julien Temple in 2008.
Millar completed a degree in Writing at The University of Technology in Sydney, and has subsequently penned a number of original cabaret shows such as Moments of Breathtaking Stupidity which he performed with Verity Hunt-Ballard in both Sydney and Melbourne in 2004, The Story Goes On, for Australia's Elphaba from Wicked- Amanda Harrison, Poison Soprano, Ten Things I Hate About Cabaret, Impossible Blonde, and Amelia Cormack's Love For Sale which enjoyed four return seasons.[2]
He was also the winner of the 2004 Premiere Cabaret Showcase in Sydney which resulted in the performance of his second cabaret show, Other People's Stories, followed by a tour with celebrated Australian actor Amanda Muggleton in the cabaret "Naughty".
Millar also performed in a vocal trio with fellow actors Ian Stenlake and Scott Irwin.
In cabaret circles, he is known for his appearance in ShowQueen Sessions- which toured Sydney and Melbourne.[3]
In March 2010, Millar featured in "Another Opening Another Show" at Chapel off Chapel in Melbourne and "ShowStoppers" produced by David and Lisa Campbell's company "Luckiest"
He has previously appeared in Oklahoma! for the Production Company at the State Theatre in Melbourne, The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie for Company B, Belvoir, directed by Neil Armfield, starred in both seasons of the comedy-hit "BoyBand" in Sydney, played the principal role of Frederic Vern in the world premiere production of Eureka at Her Majesty's Theatre in Melbourne for The International Arts Festival, recorded and toured with "ShowQueen: Live" in both Sydney and Melbourne, starred in the critically acclaimed Song Cycle "LoveBites", and played the role of Peter in Sondheim's "Company" at Sydney's Theatre Royal. Millar also toured nationally with fellow performers Scott Irwin and Ian Stenlake in the vocal trio "Bravo". Millar was cast in the defunct production of 'Floyd Collins' for the Kookaburra Theatre Company. In 2009, Millar performed in the Australian premiere of the off-Broadway hit "Gutenberg! The Musical!", starred as Chucky in the internationally acclaimed "Jerry Springer: The Opera" at Sydney's Opera House, and appeared at Sydney's Ensemble Theatre in the lead role of Mitchell Green in the premiere of "The Little Dog Laughed" by Douglas Carter Beane.[4]
In 2006 he was invited to Cardiff for BBC Radio 2's "Voice of Musical Theatre", one of only a select few international artists featured to perform each year.[5]
In 2006 and 2007, Millar wrote and developed the new Australian musical The Hatpin alongside composer Peter Rutherford, which opened at the Seymour Centre in Sydney on 27 February 2008 to critical acclaim. The production starred Peter Cousens, Caroline O'Connor, Michelle Doake, Gemma-Ashley Kaplan, Barry Crocker, and Melle Stewart.
In 2008 The Hatpin was accepted into the New York Musical Theatre Festival where it played in reduced-format with a US cast at The American Theatre of Actors.[6]
Following the success of The Hatpin, Millar teamed up again with Rutherford for an inventive and critically acclaimed Song Cycle "LoveBites" which received a stream of rave reviews in 2008. Millar appeared as a performer in the production. The production received a revival in 2009.[7]
Lovebites returned by popular demand in 2009 where it scored a further 2 Glug nominations and a season at Perth's Playhouse in June/July 2010.
An official cast recording was done of the 2009 cast and released in February 2010, before a brand new production was launched of the show in Perth in June 2010.
In late 2009, Millar - along with his Creative Director - generated a video audition for the role of Mary Poppins in "Mary Poppins The Musical", and posted it on YouTube. Following a second video, filmed in New York, Millar was invited to perform as Mary live onstage at Hats Off 2010 at the Seymour Centre.
In 2005, Millar won the inaugural Cabaret Showcase in Sydney.[8]
In 2006, Millar won the Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2006 for his performance of Jud Fry in Oklahoma! at The State Theatre in Melbourne.[9]
In 2008, Millar won best actor in the Sydney "Short and Sweet" Festival for his performance in the short play "Blenderman.
In 2009, LoveBites was nominated for best cabaret at the prestigious Sydney Theatre Awards and The Hatpin was nominated for best new Australian work and two best Actress award nominations- for which Michelle Doake won for her performance of the character "Agatha Makin" in The Hatpin.[10]
In 2010, Millar was nominated for A Sydney Theatre Award, a GLUG and a Green Room Award for his performance of "Doug Simon" in Gutenberg! The Musical.