Swing on This

Swing on This is made up of musical theatre leading men, Michael Falzon, Luke Kennedy, Matt Lee, Rob Mills and Ben Mingay, singing a collection of classic swing songs reworked with a more contemporary style, as well as more recent popular music arranged for an 18 piece big band.[1] Although songs range from Irving Berlin and Cole Porter through to more recent influences like Oasis, Swing On This embraces a more contemporary style of swing, with Falzon comparing it more to Michael Buble and Robbie Williams.[2] Swing on This includes a medley of Australian classic rock and pop.[3]

Swing on This
Swing On This starring Michael Falzon, Matt Lee, Luke Kennedy and Ben Mingay debuting at Adelaide Festival Centre 6 June 2014
Background information
OriginAustralia
Genresswing
Years active2014–present
Websiteswingonthis.com.au
Members

History

Swing on This was originally conceived by Michael Falzon[4][5] and had been in development for several years.[1] Initially produced by Good Egg Creative and Asia Theatricals as a one-off, stand alone cabaret act specifically for the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Swing on This debuted on 7 June 2014.[6] Falzon claimed his intent was not about creating a boy band, but a group of "mates coming together and having a sing."[7] He added that "The strength of this show is based on individual personalities and everyone brings something different."

Following Adelaide Cabaret Festival, they performed as the headline act at both the official black tie launch of the refurbished Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre on 25 July and at the community concert[8] the next evening, again playing to a full house. Falzon, Lee, Kennedy and Mingay were accompanied by the Perth Symphony Orchestra Big Band, part of the newly formed Perth Symphony Touring Ensemble. The freshly arranged Australian pop section was performed in Sydney for the first time at the Rob Guest Endowment concert on 13 October 2014. Their Gold Coast debut followed in March 2015 at Queensland's 1100 seat Arts Theatre. Swing on This made their television debut on Channel 9 Gold Telethon, 8 June 2015, a fundraiser for Sydney Children's Hospital. This performance included Mingay, Falzon and Lee. Kennedy and Falzon performed as Swing on This in Perth, Western Australia with Perth Symphony Orchestra Big Band for The Pinnacle Awards.

Swing On This was originally choreographed and directed by Christopher Horsey with Musical Direction by Craig Schneider.[9] Music for Swing On This was arranged by Richard Sidwell, whom Falzon had worked with on Music of Queen: Rock and Symphonic Spectacular.[1]

Members

Whilst retaining its identity as a specific act, Swing on This also refers to the members of the cast. As Falzon describes it: "Rather than putting together a boy band it's about mates coming together and having a sing," [7] Founding members of Swing on This include Michael Falzon, Luke Kennedy, Matt Lee, and Ben Mingay, all seasoned performers in their own right.[10] Rob Mills joined in 2015, as a fifth member,[7] due in part to Lee temporarily returning to Mary Poppins in the UK.[11] The structure of Swing on This is specifically designed for a certain amount of fluidity, allowing the members to continue their individual careers and commitments.[7]

On 23 June 2020, producer and founding member Michael Falzon died[12] after a year long battle with germ cell cancer.

Guest performers

ARIA Hall of Fame singer songwriter Ceberano joined Swing on This on stage for their Adelaide Cabaret Festival debut performance. The successful soul, jazz and pop singer was in her final year as Director of the festival. She again joined Falzon, Kennedy, Mingay and Mills at a charity performance to raise funds for the Otis Foundation.

  • Mini Mes

Four young male tap dancers were recruited for the Swing on This Gold Coast performance in Surfers Paradise. Riley Brooker, Harmi Davis, Kieren Bofinger and Brady Burchill were chosen by producer Michael Falzon and choreographer Christopher Horsey to perform on stage at the Arts Centre, which seats 1174.[13] Four more young male dancers (Franco Lastra, Jacob Licastro, Kai Taylor and John Vallentine) were chosen for Swing on This at Theatre Royal, Sydney.

  • Prinnie Stevens

The former The Voice contestant and star of Thriller - Live (Australian tour) joined Swing on This for performances at Theatre Royal, Sydney and Noosa Long Weekend Festival in 2016.[14]

References
  1. Catherine Blanch (29 May 2014). "Swing On This – Charm Personified In A Cocktail Of Swing". The Clothesline. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  2. "Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2014 Program Announced,". Broadway World. 6 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  3. Catherine Blanch (8 June 2014). "Swing On This – Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review". The Clothesline. The Clothesline. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  4. "Mates who know how to swing". Sunshine Coast Daily. Sunshine Coast Newspaper Company. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  5. "Festival hosts swing classics". Noosa Today. Star News Group. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  6. "Swing On This". Adelaide Festival Centre. 7 April 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  7. Seanna Cronin. "Rob Mills swings into new role in live show". Sunshine Coast Daily. APN Regional News Network. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  8. Leigh Ritchie (22 July 2014). "Entertainment Centre Opening Celebrations". Planet Bunbury. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  9. "Adelaide Cabaret Festival Review: Swing on This". Glam Adelaide. 9 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  10. "Swing On This". The Barefoot Review. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  11. "Zizi Strallen and Matt Lee star in Mary Poppins tour". Musical Theatre Review. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
  12. "Michael Falzon, who starred in We Will Rock You, dies a year after cancer diagnosis". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  13. "Ambitious Young Tap Dancers to Join Cast of Swing On This at the Arts Centre Gold Coast". The Otaku's Study. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  14. "SWING ON THIS Set for Sydney's Theatre Royal". Broadway World. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
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