Meet Michael Ralph, Choreographer for The Wedding Singer
Coming to the Bruce Mason Centre for a strictly limited season
Published: 15 June 2022
Michael Ralph is an award-winning choreographer, performer, teacher and director. He’s considered top of his game, one of Australasia’s best, choreographing theatre and television shows including So You Think You Can Dance and appearing international blockbusters including Cats and Fame. Where did it all begin? Right here in New Zealand and now he’s back with The Wedding Singer, opening at the Bruce Mason Centre on 1 July.
Who is Michael Ralph
Originally from Tauranga, Michael moved to Melbourne at age 18 to pursue his dream of becoming a professional performer and ultimately, a choreographer. Having attended Otumoetai College, his interest was piqued after the drama teacher asked to choreograph the school production of Fame in 6th form. He was hooked from that moment and knew it was something he wanted to do.
“It was my first time choregraphing. I loved every second of it. I knew from that moment that choreography and creation was something I wanted to do.”
He had studied dance, singing and acting at high school and had attended dance lessons at the local studio but now it was real. He auditioned and got in to Whitireia in Wellington and Dance World in Melbourne. Ultimately, he went to Australia where he has forged a spectacular career on and off stage.
“When I turned 18 I had the dream to become a professional performer in musical theatre and I also wanted to become a director and choreographer. Those were the specific goals I had. I knew I had to achieve one before I could achieve the other,” he says.
“By the end of the first year got my first professional show which was Cats. I travelled throughout Korea, China, Taiwan, Manila as part of that Australasian tour."
“Once I got that first job, everything happened from there. I’ve climbed my way up from there.”
Michael and The Wedding Singer company arrived in to Wellington over the weekend and will be in the Opera House familiarising themselves with the venue today (Tuesday). It’s the first time he’s been in Wellington for a while, having regularly competed in dance competitions here as a teenager. He’s looking forward to seeing how things have changed. It’s also been over two years since he’s been in New Zealand, mostly due to Covid and navigating the perils of the complicated domestic Australian border system whilst on tour with a blockbuster show.
“Rehearsals started in April last year in Adelaide so it’s been a long road to New Zealand. Anyone doing theatre in Australia and New Zealand knows it’s been really, really difficult. We’ve especially been through some highs and lows but the positive is that our show is still going a year later. We’ve been able to overcome these obstacles whereas some other shows have fallen by the wayside.”
Tell us about The Wedding Singer
Australian critics says Ralph delivers a cavalcade of laughs, all performed with his trademark inventive intricacy and tightly drilled precision.
The Wedding Singer is set in 1985. It encompasses all the incredible musical styles of that era. All the wonderful influences on the score have influenced the stylistic choices in the choreography. The 80s was a time of MTV and music videos. Performance artists like Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson and Madonna. All these iconic moments in dance happened in the 80s. Dance movies like Flash Dance, Footloose and Dirty Dancing dominated the landscape. We very much celebrate this in the show, so all the musical numbers and dancing are very full out and very much a playful nod to the influences of the period. Everything in this show is big. Big dance numbers, big hair and big costumes. The lighting and set makes it pop even more. And who could forget the hip-hop granny Rosie! She has a whole sequence where she drops some fly rhymes. Susan-ann Walker (Xanadu, Les Misérables) is a pro. A riot and definitely busts some moves in a convincing way.
What sets it apart from other musicals
The big difference is that The Wedding Singer is a musical comedy. It’s not trying to be serious in any way. It’s 100% silly comedy at its best. It’s based on the movie with some original songs. It’s a nostalgic hit. High energy and really unlike any other show that’s around at the moment. We’ll be laughing with you and you’re laughing with us.
Why should we be optimistic about the future of live entertainment
There’s nothing like a live audience. We’ve all been locked away. Some for a long time. We’ve all been pulled away from each other. We’ve been consuming our art in a very different way. Through screens, ears, pre-recorded or a videoed version of something put together.
Live performance, there’s nothing like it and to feel that energy in the theatre you can’t replicate that in a TV series, you can’t replicate that in film. That is a very different kind of energy. Live theatre is immediate. A transaction of energy between the audience and the actors and without that, connection, life is just dull. Life is not the same. Live music, live performance, whatever, that will always be around. Last year I would think a lot about what it might have been like after the wars, when music had this resurgence into society. A lot of great entertainment and progression in art came out of that time of great sadness and trauma, so I like to think that I’m optimistic that it will happen again. People turn to entertainment and culture to take them away from their worries and trauma. It’s there to help uplift their spirits. I’m optimistic it will happen again.
We are very grateful to be coming to New Zealand.
___________________________________
The motto at Ōtūmoetai College is “we prepare students for a world without borders, a life without limits, and for learning that will never end” and that’s what one of its alumni has been striving for since a fateful day in the drama room many years ago.
A savvy drama teacher shoulder tapped 6th former Michael Ralph to choreograph Fame the Musical, knowing that he’d been a keen dancer and performer on the competition circuit for some time. He also liked to act but on that day, he’d found his passion. Today his life is unlimited and he’s passing on his own talents to generations of dancers.
“It was my first time choregraphing,” he beams from the rehearsal room at Melbourne’s coveted Ministry of Dance. “I loved every second of it. I knew from that moment, that choreography and creation was something I wanted to do.”
He had studied dance, singing and acting at high school and had attended dance lessons at the local studio Dance Education Centre under the tutorage of Pru and Debbie Gooch, but now it was real. He auditioned and got in to Whitireia in Wellington and Dance World in Melbourne. Ultimately, he went to Australia where he has forged a spectacular career on and off stage.
“When I turned 18 I had the dream to become a professional performer in musical theatre and I also wanted to become a director and choreographer. Those were the specific goals I had. I knew I had to achieve one before I could achieve the other,” he says."
“By the end of the first year got my first professional show which was Cats. I travelled throughout Korea, China, Taiwan, Manila as part of that Australasian tour. "
“Once I got that first job, everything happened from there. I’ve climbed my way up from there.”
Michael and The Wedding Singer company arrived into New Zealand over the weekend, the first time he’s been back for a few years, mostly due to Covid and navigating the perils of the complicated domestic Australian border system whilst on tour with a blockbuster show.
“Rehearsals started in April last year in Adelaide so it’s been a long road to New Zealand. Anyone doing theatre in Australia and New Zealand knows it’s been really, really difficult. We’ve especially been through some highs and lows but the positive is that our show is still going a year later. We’ve been able to overcome these obstacles whereas some other shows have fallen by the wayside.”
Australian critics say Michael “delivers a cavalcade of laughs, all performed with his trademark inventive intricacy and tightly drilled precision”.
Set in the 80s, it’s an era he loves. Everything is big. Big dance numbers, big hair and big costumes.
“It encompasses all the incredible musical styles of that era. All the wonderful influences on the score have influenced the stylistic choices in the choreography."
“The 80s was a time of MTV and music videos. Performance artists like Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Michael Jackson and Madonna. All these iconic moments in dance happened in the 80s. Dance movies like Flash Dance, Footloose and Dirty Dancing dominated the landscape. We very much celebrate this in the show, so all the musical numbers and dancing are very full out and very much a playful nod to the influences of the period. The lighting and set makes it pop even more.”
And who could forget the hip-hop granny Rosie! “She has a whole sequence where she drops some fly rhymes. Susan-ann Walker (Xanadu, Les Misérables) is a pro. A riot and definitely busts some moves in a convincing way.”
Michael says what sets the The Wedding Singer apart from other musicals is its comedy.
“It’s not trying to be serious in any way. It’s 100% silly comedy at its best. It’s based on the movie with some original songs. It’s a nostalgic hit. High energy and really unlike any other show that’s around at the moment. We’ll be laughing with you and you’re laughing with us.”
As for the future, Michael is enthusiastic about that too.
“There’s nothing like a live audience. We’ve all been locked away. Some for a long time. We’ve all been pulled away from each other. We’ve been consuming our art in a very different way. Through screens, ears, pre-recorded or a videoed version of something put together."
“Live performance, there’s nothing like it and to feel that energy in the theatre you can’t replicate that in a TV series, you can’t replicate that in film. That is a very different kind of energy. Live theatre is immediate. A transaction of energy between the audience and the actors and without that, connection, life is just dull. Life is not the same. Live music, live performance, whatever, that will always be around."
“Last year I would think a lot about what it might have been like after the wars, when music had this resurgence into society. A lot of great entertainment and progression in art came out of that time of great sadness and trauma, so I’m optimistic that it will happen again. People turn to entertainment and culture to take them away from their worries and trauma. It’s there to help uplift their spirits. I’m optimistic it will happen again.”
We are very grateful to be coming to New Zealand.
Sandra Roberts Publicity
P: 021 525104 E: Sandra@skip.co.nz
Web: skip.co.nz
