Tana Laga’aia (Musical Theatre, 2023) is a recent NIDA graduate who has quickly established himself in the Australian musical theatre scene, landing the role of Peter in the 50th-anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. In this interview, he shares his journey, the challenges of preparing for a role in such an iconic production and how he’s integrated NIDA training into his performance style. With an impressive CV that includes a national tour and even more exciting projects on the horizon, Tana is one to watch.
Congratulations on being cast as Peter in the 50th-anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Can you tell us about your role and how you’re preparing for the part?
Firstly, thank you! It’s really a dream come true to be a part of a show like this with such an incredibly talented and exciting team of cast and creatives.
Preparing for any role has its set of challenges. For this one specifically, there are a few that I am paying keen attention to. Starting with the text for the show. Jesus Christ Superstar has a deep connection and attachment to religion, though at times its onstage representation may be loose or dramatised, I feel that a big part of preparing for a show like this is to find a way to not only tell the stories in an engaging and authentic way but to also do so the utmost respect and regard towards the text itself as possible.
Another challenge specific to Jesus Christ Superstar is that in this staging of the show, many of the cast, including myself, play musical instruments live on stage, which has presented its own set of difficulties and challenges that I am excited to tackle with the cast once we get into rehearsals.
What has your experience been working with fellow alumni Sam Harmon (Musical Theatre, 2019) and Calista Nelmes (Musical Theatre, 2018) on the production?
Funnily enough Sam, Calista and I only recently finished the national tour of RENT together in June; having worked on that show together since January. This is Sam and my fourth show together (second professional one). The three of us became quite good friends over the RENT run. Having graduated from the NIDA Diploma of Musical Theatre (DMT) in three different years, the three of us didn’t have a whole lot in common in terms of our cohorts, however, we would often talk in admiration about our tutors, namely Philip Quast and Anne-Maree McDonald, who would teach our workshops and masterclasses before retiring from teaching at NIDA this past year.
You’ll also be the accompanist for Toby or not Toby at the Sydney Fringe Festival this September with alum Toby Quast, how did this collaboration come about?
Toby and I were classmates together in the DMT at NIDA and having spent part of our time there writing and performing a cabaret as an assessment, I knew Toby had a knack for writing, and he knew that I had a knack for piano and accompanying. So, a few weeks ago he reached out about playing in his cabaret and the rest is history.
You recently received your Diploma of Musical Theatre from NIDA, what are some of the skills you attained from this course that have helped you prepare for these productions?
Work ethic.100%.
Having teachers who are working professionals and industry giants (such as the aforementioned Philip Quast) meant that going in, I knew what they said would be important. The technique and skill that was most drilled into me was to not only have a good work ethic but to love it. To love the hard days in rehearsals or on set, to love the long dance rehearsals, the difficult choreography and the hours spent in the room and alone learning and refining them. It was to know that being on stage and performing for an audience is the reward for your work, and the job part of this industry is the rehearsing, the learning, the auditioning, and the countless hours of work that nobody will see, and to most of all love doing it.
Why did you decide to pursue your Diploma of Musical Theatre at NIDA?
While musical theatre had been on my mind since graduating high school in 2019, due to COVID-19, I ended up having to work labour for three years. It was honestly working a job I didn’t love for so long that drove me back to Musical Theatre, and luckily, a couple of days before submissions closed I received a message from a close friend of mine I knew through community theatre saying that I had to audition. So, after consulting a few alumni, including the likes of Sam Harmon, I decided to submit an audition, and, as luck would have it, I got in!
What advice would you give to aspiring musical theatre actors considering the Diploma of Musical Theatre course at NIDA?
If you are willing to put in the work, a course like this has the potential to be incredible for you in all aspects. But you have to be willing to work. Courses like this can only help people who want to be helped, so if you love musical theatre, and you love the work, this course will do you wonders.
*Header image is Tana Laga’aia (Musical Theatre, 2023) as Benny in the Australian tour of RENT. Photo by Wendell Teodoro.
