Arts/School Holiday Activities

How to Audition for a Professional Musical with Queenie van de Zandt

“The cost of the workshop is worth every cent… it’s about having an edge in a tough audition, every little bit counts” - The Courier Mail

Mary Poppins the Musical is coming to Australia so the timing couldn’t be better for a workshop for children in how to audition for a professional musical. The workshop will be led by one of Australia’s musical theatre stars – Queenie van de Zandt.

Dates: Wednesday, July 9 (Studio 11 Performing Arts) / Monday, July 14 (All Starz Performing Arts Studio) / Tuesday, July 15 (RGDANCE)
City: Sydney, Australia
Times: 9.30am – 5.30pm
Cost: $140.00
Bookings: (Studio 11) thernreynolds@bigpond.com – 0405 776 799 / (All Starz) info@allstarz.com.au – 9533 6589 / (RGDANCE) mrsdavies@rgdance.com - 9712 1822 (before 4th) or 9644 1339 (after 4th)

Download the Sydney poster
Download the Sydney registration form
Download the Sydney press release

Date: Saturday August 2 (he Fame Talent Agency and Theatre Co.)
City: Brisbane, Australia
Times: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Cost: $140.00
Bookings: 3252 4806 or fametheatre@fametheatre.com

Download the Brisbane poster
Download the Brisbane registration form
Download the Brisbane press release

Queenie van de Zandt is a well-known and highly regarded actor, singer, and writer. She has had 9 nominations for her work, including being nominated for all 3 of Australia’s prestigious musical theatre awards; the Helpmann Awards, the Green Room Awards, and the Sydney Theatre Awards and has won a Glug Award, an AussieTheatre.com Award and a MEAA ACT Green Room Award. Critics have raved about her performances in both musical and straight theatre, in shows such as, The Full Monty, The Boy From Oz, Oliver!, Cabaret, Les Miserables, Into the Woods, Speaking in Tongues, Furious and Secret Bridesmaid’s Business.

Although many would know Queenie for her work in musical theatre, most would not know that she is also one of Australia’s leading teacher’s in this field. She has lectured in musical theatre performance for NIDA Open Program, VCA, University of Ballarat’s Arts Academy, and Melbourne University and has lead workshops and seminars for many of Australia’s leading performing arts institutions such as ANATS (Aust. Nat. Assoc. of Teachers of Singing) in Melbourne, Djarts in Brisbane, and Brent St. in Sydney. Queenie also has a gift for working with children and has developed quite a reputation for her ability to help her students get cast in professional musicals. Queenie ran similar workshops in Brisbane in 2001 while auditions were being held for the touring production of The Sound of Music. Half the children cast in the final production had attended Queenie’s workshop.

Using improvisation games, role play, and exercises, Queenie de-mystifies the audition process and imparts the skills needed for children to feel confident of what is expected of them in a professional audition. The children will sing, act and dance the day away learning material from Mary Poppins, while Queenie’s natural warmth and humour will help to spark the children’s imaginations so that they go home singing!

“Not only has Queenie got one of the best voices in the business, but she also has a unique understanding of the acting process…” - Todd McKenney (Dancing with the Stars, The Boy From Oz)

“You are such a good teacher! You created such an easy environment for me to go for it and really improve from you! Thank you so much! It was so fun!” - Ineka, Master-Class Participant, NSW

PRESS CONTACT: Queenie van de Zandt: admin@queenievandezandt.com or 0407 922 736

Posted in News and events, Welcome on June 16th, 2008

“Queenie van de Zandt’s hilarious one-woman exploration of the dark side of music therapy, I Get The Music In You, was a deserved cabaret hit first time around in 2004-5 … van de Zandt brought in musical-comedy script master Tony Taylor to co-write the new version. The result is that on July 24, 2006 a new star of Australian comedy theatre was born.

In Jan … van de Zandt and Taylor, with director Craig Ilott … have given us a character who provokes simultaneous laughter and shudders and recalls nothing less than the frightmare early-glory days of Dame Edna and Betty Blokbuster.

Don’t miss her. I Get The Music in You, Ensemble Theatre (this one will run and run). 5 stars.” - Diana Simmonds, Sunday Telegraph.

Review of “I Get the Music in You” - Ensemble Theatre Sydney - 2006

Posted in Reviews on September 20th, 2007

“Is your life just one big bum note? says Jan van de Stool…If so, then perhaps she can help with a “colonic irrigation of the spirit” … The snippets above don’t do justice to the wonderfully deadpan comedy of Queenie van de Zandt, who wrote (along with Tony Taylor) and performs this merrily malign swipe at loopy New Age gurus. Imagine a cross between the unshakeable self-importance of The Office’s David Brent and the cringe making terror tactics of Marjorie Dawes, the abusive flab fighter from Little Britain … Van de Zandt can (also) sing like an angel … ” - Colin Rose, The Sun Herald.

Review of “I Get the Music in You” - Ensemble Theatre Sydney - 2006

Posted in Reviews on September 20th, 2007

“Jan is the comic creation of van de Zandt and Tony Taylor, and she has been peddling her new-age musical therapy in I GET THE MUSIC IN YOU to deadpan satirical effect since last year. Van de Zandt sustains with vigour the unsubtle assult Jan makes … Presenting each hapless victim of Jan’s mentoring, van de Zandt transforms in a single movement from Dutch despot to damaged dependants … The writing is sharp … The opening night had a ball … For the theatrically aware … an extra layer of self-referenced humour exists … a joyful collaboration of talented artists mocking a form for which they have a great facility … if the audience response is a guide, van de Zandt just might have van de Stool on the verge of comic genius.” - Mark Hopkins, Sydney Morning Herald.

Review of “I Get the Music in You” - Ensemble Theatre Sydney - 2006

Posted in Reviews on September 20th, 2007