Lotterywest Christmas Spectacular
Free Family Event
Saturday 9 December 2023, 2pm & 7pm
RAC Arena
West Australian Symphony Orchestra respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and Elders of Country throughout Western Australia, and the Whadjuk Noongar people on whose lands we work and share music.
How to use your Digital Program
Lotterywest Christmas Spectacular
Jen Winley conductor
Genevieve McCarthy host
Ben Mingay vocals
Sophie Foster vocals
Prudence Sanders vocals
Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse vocals & guitar
WASO Chorus
Perth Broadway Chorus
A Christmas Scherzo
Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The First Noel
Underneath the Tree
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Carol of the Bells
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
We're Walking in the Air
In Summer
Silent Night
What a Wonderful World
Sleigh Ride
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Aussie Jingle Bells
O Holy Night
Driving Home for Christmas
Let it Go
Oh Come, all ye Faithful
God Bless Us Everyone
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
All I Want for Christmas Is You
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
A message from the Premier of Western Australia
A message from the Lord Mayor of the City of Perth
WASO On Stage
Chorus On Stage
About the Artists
Jen Winley
Conductor
Jen Winley is WASO’s 2022-2023 Assistant Conductor.
Jen began her career in percussion/timpani working principally with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and regularly with Orchestra Victoria and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). She then spent several years as a classroom music educator and loves being able to combine her passions for music and education when working with young people.
Jen made her professional conducting debut in 2020 with several orchestras in Perth including WASO and Perth Symphony Orchestra. 2021 saw repeat engagements including her film conducting debut of Home Alone with WASO. Jen is a highly versatile conductor and 2022 saw her conduct WASO in mainstage concerts, Family, Education and Outreach projects, regional tours, and contemporary and recording projects. Jen is also proud to have conducted the WA Youth Orchestra since 2019.
In 2023, Jen will make her debut as conductor with West Australian Opera, Queensland Symphony Orchestra and MSO, in addition to continued conducting engagements with WASO.
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About the Artists
Genevieve McCarthy
Host
Genevieve McCarthy is OffWestEnd Award nominated actor who started her career in Australia appearing in national productions of Les Misérables, The Sound of Music and on screen in children's television series Parallax.
In 2018, Genevieve made her London stage debut as Aphrodite in the world premiere of new musical Mythic and appears on the Original London Cast Recording. That same year, Genevieve made her feature film debut in The Spy Who Dumped Me (Lionsgate) with scenes opposite Mila Kunis.
Whilst in London, Genevieve voiced the character of Aubrey in Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! for three seasons, appeared as Johanna in Sweeney Todd and Suz in workshop performances of Steven Sater’s new musical Murder at the Gates.
Genevieve has performed as a soloist with leading symphony orchestras across Australia, including Disney in Concert: A Dream is a Wish and the Lotterywest Christmas Spectacular for WASO.
In 2023 Genevieve starred in Disney 100: The Concert at the Sydney Opera House with Sydney Symphony and returned to Australian screens in The Claremont Murders.
Other career highlights include performing for President Bill Clinton and singing the Australian National Anthem at the Rugby World Cup and Test Match Cricket.
Genevieve holds a Master of
Arts (Music Theatre) from the Royal Academy of Music, London and a Bachelor of
Laws from the University of Notre Dame. Genevieve is admitted as a solicitor to
the Supreme Court of Western Australia and is proud to be the Executive
Producer and Co-Founder of MM Creative Productions alongside her good friend
Amy Manford.
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About the Artists
Ben Mingay
Vocals
An actor, musician and international musical theatre performer, Ben was originally a construction worker from Newcastle who fell into classical music when he was dared to audition for the Conservatorium of Music by his mates. He subsequently won a scholarship and went on to train in Opera Voice for several years – a twist of fate that changed the trajectory of his life forever.
Recently delighting screen viewers around the world in the acclaimed ABC/Sky UK/HBO Max series Frayed with Sarah Kendall, Ben’s screen credits include Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge playing the role of Grease Nolan and on the small screen playing Alan Bond in Nine Network’s House of Bond, Flip Menelaus in The Twelve for Foxtel, Jim Delaney in Amazing Grace, Trystan Powell in Home and Away, Buzz in Packed to the Rafters for the Seven Network and prior to that Ben starred for three seasons as Rob Duffy in the Network 10 series Wonderland.
Ben’s stage credits include Shrek in Shrek The Musical (GFO), Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd (WAO/SOSA/VO/Sydney Opera House), the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance (SOSA) Evan in Vivid White (MTC), Jud Fry in Oklahoma (TPC), Achilles in Paris - A Rock Odyssey (MTM) and numerous concerts around Australia with the hit singing group Swing on This. Other stage credits include Thomas in Rolling Thunder Vietnam, The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Zack Mayo in the World Premiere production of An Officer and a Gentleman. In 2011 Ben received rave reviews for his portrayal of Tommy DeVito in the award-winning musical Jersey Boys, which was his first Australian performance since he originated the role of Billy Kostecki in the World Premiere of Dirty Dancing in 2004. In Dirty Dancing, Ben's unique vocal ability won him the same role in every English-speaking production worldwide for almost 6 years, including the West End, Canada, Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles.
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About the Artists
Sophie Foster
Vocals
Soul songstress Sophie Foster is one the most sought-after vocalist and entertainers in Perth. Graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2015 Sophie has a wealth of experience in Jazz, Soul, Contemporary and Musical Theatre. Well-regarded as one of the greatest vocalists Perth has ever seen, her unmistakable voice has been influenced heavily by all the soul greats.
Sophie has spent the last decade gracing stages across the nation. She has fronted numerous local and touring musical acts alike, including the illustrious Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, Perth Symphony Orchestra and PROOF The Band. Sophie has supported both international and national touring artists including Chris Isaak, Guy Sebastion and Casey Donavan. In 2021 Sophie was cast by Platinum Entertainment in the musical ‘The Boy from Oz’ which completed a highly successful season at Crown Theatre, selling over 15,000 tickets. Not only a performer, Sophie has spent some time recording and releasing her original music with both Soul and Funk influences. Sophie is currently a part of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts faculty working as a contemporary vocal lecturer.
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About the Artists
Prudence Sanders
Vocals
Prudence Sanders is a principal artist with West Australian Opera, making her role debut in 2020 as Fiordiligi in the Glyndebourne Festival production of Così fan tutte. Other roles for WAO include Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Madame Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor), Eleonora (Prima la musica poi la parole), Michaëla (Carmen) and Rapunzel (Into the Woods).
A graduate of WAAPA and the Guildhall School of Music, Prudence performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall. She has recorded and performed with the BBC, London Voices, Opera Rara and was a member of the chorus at the Royal Opera House and Opera Australia.
Since returning to Perth, Prudence has appeared as a soloist with WASO, Perth Symphony Orchestra and Australian Baroque. She made her Perth Festival debut in 2021, singing the title role in an adaptation of Dvořák’s Rusalka with Freeze Frame Opera. Prudence will be performing in WAO’s 2024 season in the roles of Eurydice and Amor (Orfeo ed Eurydice) and will be the soprano soloist in a new collaboration between Australian Baroque and WAO, launching at the WA Museum Boola Bardip.
About the Artists
Gina Williams & Guy Ghouse
Vocals & Guitar
Guitar brilliance and incandescent vocals - these exceptional performers connect and capture audiences all over the world through the power of song, made even more special when sung in rare Noongar language.
Gina Williams and Guy Ghouse bring a fresh, modern take on ancient traditions; merging evocative sounds, natural acoustic instruments, and poignant stories with that incredible, beautiful voice.
Gina is a Balladong (Noongar) daughter, covering the south west corner of Western Australia. She also has connection to the Kija people of the East Kimberley through her grandmother’s line.
By official records, Noongar language is critically endangered, with only a few speakers left.
As well as four albums, they have released three major works; Koort for the Festival of Perth, Koorlangka: Reimagined for the inaugural Perth International Cabaret Festival and Koolbardi wer Wardong for a sell-out season for the West Australian Opera.
Currently they are working on the third instalment of their Kalyakoorl song cycle, ‘Moort’, to be released at the end of 2023. In 2024 they will premier their next major work, Wundig wer Wilura, commissioned by West Australian Opera.
Performing with the all-important blessings of Gina’s elders and her community, this duo will leave you breathless.
About the Artists
WASO Chorus
The WASO Chorus was formed in 1988 and consists of around 100 volunteer choristers who represent the finest form of community music making, bringing together singers from all walks of life. They regularly feature in the WASO annual concert season, and are directed by Andrew Foote.
The Chorus has built an international reputation for its high standards and diverse range of repertoire. While its main role is to perform with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra the Chorus also maintains a profile of solo concerts, tours and community engagements.
The Chorus sings with the finest conductors and soloists including Asher Fisch, Simone Young, Stephen Layton and Paul Daniel. Recent highlights have included Brahms’ German Requiem, Mahler’s Second Symphony and Verdi’s Requiem. In 2019 the Chorus performed at the Denmark Festival of Voice and in 2018 toured China with performances of Orff’s Carmina burana. In 2020 they performed two Gala events on the Kalbarri Skywalk.
Andrew Foote
Chorus Director
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About the Artists
Perth Broadway Chorus
Established in 2019, the chorus has brought music theatre enthusiasts together to sing songs from classics such as West Side Story, Guys and Dolls and My Fair Lady to contemporaries such as Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton and Tick, Tick…BOOM!.
PBC’s concerts typically feature chorus numbers interspersed with a variety of solos and duets performed by our members. All profits from ticket sales go directly to local charities and we are always delighted to have our friends from Nulsen, St Bart’s and Regis Aged Care attend as invited guests.
In our strive for performance excellence, we find friendship and joy in working together and in connecting with our audiences. If you can read music, sing in tune and love music theatre, contact us on social media to find out more and to join us for our 2024 season!
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Lyrics
Coming Up at WASO
Frozen in Concert
Experience the adventure of Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff as the complete Frozen movie plays on the big screen with Christophe Beck’s Academy Award-winning music performed live on stage by WASO.
In Frozen, the fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey – teaming up with the rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven – to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.
Fri 12 Jul 2024, 6.30pm
Sat 13 Jul 2024, 1pm & 6.30pm
Riverside Theatre, Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre
