Rob Guest signed as The Wizard in 'Wicked'

Kiwi Rob Guest signed as The Wizard in multi-million dollar stage show Wicked

ROB GUEST

The Wizard of Oz

WICKED The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz

The casting of New Zealand's most famous Phantom Rob Guest (full bio follows) has been cast as The Wizard in the multi-million Australian production of the Broadway smash-hit Wicked. The announcement has been made this afternoon in Melbourne where the show will open in July.

Please see attached announcement for full details.
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0802/wicked_announcement.pdf

www.wickedthemusical.com.au

ROB GUEST O.B.E.

Rob Guest is principally a theatre performer, with more than 36 roles to his credit, including the title roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Barnum.

He has toured the world extensively, appearing everywhere from Korea to Czechoslovakia, where he performed to a television audience of over 400 million. In 1978 Rob won the trophy at the Korean Song Festival and was voted New Zealand’s Professional Performer of the Year. He also recorded his own television special in conjunction with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

1981 saw Rob in Las Vegas, where he performed at the Dunes Hotel for eight months, then at Harrahs Hotel in Atlantic City, Reno and Lake Tahoe. In 1985 he won the coveted F.I.D.O.F. Award in Los Angeles for his performance at the World Song Festival in the U.S.

Rob’s musical theatre engagements have seen him performing throughout Australia in the role of Jean Val Jean in Les Misérables, for which he received a Green Room Award for Best Male Performer in a Leading Role in 1991. In 1992 and 1993 Rob was awarded the Best New Zealand Theatrical Performer of the Year for his roles in Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera. In 1995 he traveled to London at the invitation of producer Cameron Mackintosh to appear in the 10th Anniversary Concert Performance of Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall.

On television, he hosted Man O Man for Grundy Television, and the Special Missing Pieces, both for the Seven Network. He was also a regular guest on Good Morning Australia with Bert Newton.

In 1998 Rob performed in New Zealand at The Concert in the Quarry, Dunedin before an audience of 11,000 people and at the Gala Opening of the St. James Theatre, Wellington with Elaine Paige. He sang the Australian National Anthem and This is the Moment at the AFL Grand Final, and performed in concert in Canberra, the Cassegrain Winery and the Regent Theatre Palmerston North, New Zealand.

In September 1998 Rob completed a record seven years playing the title role of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera in both Australia and New Zealand. His CD The Magic of Christmas was released in New Zealand that same year.

In 1998-99 Rob performed the role of Jean Val Jean in the 10th Anniversary Production of Les Misérables, touring Australia and New Zealand, followed by the title role of Al Jolson in Jolson, receiving rave reviews for his performance.

Rob played the role of Captain Georg von Trapp in the SEL & GFO production of The Sound of Music.

He was guest artist at the Federation North Tattoo Centenary Concert in Townsville and the Riverfestival concert on Southbank in Brisbane, and performed at the France vs All Blacks Rugby Test in Wellington, New Zealand. In 2002 Rob performed in concert at Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney alongside Georgie Parker, an outdoor concert in Warren Gorge, South Australia with Marina Prior and Maestro Tommy Tycho for Country Arts SA, and the Premier’s Concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

In May 2002 Rob performed the role of Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man for The Production Company.

The past few years Rob has been on tour throughout Australia and New Zealand with his solo concerts.

On New Year’s Day 1994, Rob received an OBE for his services to the New Zealand Entertainment Industry.

ENDS

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