Amanda Harrison, star of famed productions such as 'Wicked' and 'Guys And Dolls', has had her fair share of proud moments in her already stellar career.
“I remember the first night I went on, in the lead role, in 'Mama Mia' on the West End, sitting on the step waiting for the curtain to go up, just thinking, 'I am on the West End, I'm about to play a lead role on the West End'".
However, she didn't begin life with such lofty theatrical ambitions, indeed, she only tried out for a part on a whim. "I don't think I ever decided to perform actually, I just ended up doing it. I was in high school and my father heard on the radio that they were auditioning for a role in 'Aspects Of Love', back in the early 90's. I went along to that audition just thinking 'Oh I'll give it a crack' and I ended up getting the role. So straight after high school I was thrust into the professional world of musical theatre and I haven't looked back since then. It's been a fantastic interesting career so far. So really, I didn't decide, it just happened, and I'm really glad it did. And now I don't really know how to do anything else."
Amanda describes her new show 'Up Close And Reasonably Personal' as a a "cabaret about my life and having children. It incorporates a whole bunch of stories about my time in 'Wicked', and my time since having kids and it's just a fun look at my life and my work and incorporating some really cool favourite songs of mine.
"My friend James Miller (a writer and actor) did the show in collaboration with me and he sat me down on his couch and interviewed me. Then I told him the songs that I wanted to sing and he very cleverly put them together, and sung them together in a structured way, to tell the story of the things that I wanted to talk about. This included working, musical theatre, children, the social media aspect of my life and it's all done in a very comedic and fun way."
Amanda names among her influences those she collaborated with in her breakout years. "I always find inspiration with the people who I work with. You find movie stars fascinating and TV actors very inspirational, as far as acting is concerned, but I always find it inspirational when I work with someone who's giving and wonderful. I think about all the actors that I worked with on my very first show, 'Aspects Of Love', when I was 18 and straight out of high school and how I've always thought they were amazing people. Peter Cousins, and Delia Hannah — not only were they role models and teachers and friends — they helped me to become the professional that I am today. So I always look back on that experience and think I was so lucky to have wonderful people around me at the time."
Amanda will be performing 'Up Close And Reasonably Personal' at the Powerhouse on Jan 17.
