STAGES Episode 544: TOM BURLINSON

STAGES with Peter Eyers

After graduating from NIDA in 1976, Tom Burlinson’s early work in various productions for the Queensland Theatre Company, the Old Tote Theatre Company, and the State Theatre Company of South Australia included roles in The Merchant of Venice, Da and The One Day of the Year. He co-starred in Tribute for Peter Williams Productions in Sydney and Brisbane and played continuing roles in the TV series Kirbys’ Company (ABC) and The Restless Years (Grundy Organisation).

In 1981 Tom was cast in the title role in the feature film The Man from Snowy River. It was an enormous box office success, and led to Tom being offered a succession of leading roles in Australian and international films and mini-series over the next several years. These included Phar Lap, Eureka Stockade, Flesh and Blood, Windrider, Piece of Cake, and The Legend of Kootenai Brown (aka Showdown at Williams Creek) as well as The Man from Snowy River I I (aka Return to Snowy River).

In 1991 Tom sang the voice of the young Frank Sinatra in the Warner Brothers mini-series Sinatra. This was his first professional singing engagement! Soon thereafter he returned to the stage to star in the Gordon Frost production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He was soon working on the international scene again in the mini-series The Way to Dusty Death, filmed in Europe.

In 1995 renowned theatre director Gale Edwards cast Tom in a leading role in the acclaimed workshop production of the Australian musical Miracle City for the Sydney Theatre Company. The following year he was given another chance to further develop his musical abilities in Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, again for the STC.

In 1997 Tom hosted the TV series Animal Hospital for the Nine Network. He then appeared in concert at Taronga Zoo in A Tribute to Frank Sinatra. This prompted Tom to create Frank – A Life in Song, under its original title of Frank – The Sinatra Story in Song. On screen, Tom again provided the voice of Frank Sinatra, this time for the Australian feature film The Night We Called It A Day, starring Dennis Hopper as Frank.

Tom was cast in the role of Leo Bloom in the Mel Brooks’ musical The Producers, which played for more than 500 performances in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney during 2004 and 2005.

In May 2006, Tom was asked to return to the Star City Showroom with Frank-More from a Life in Song, a sequel to the first show, with lots of new songs from the marvellous Sinatra repertoire as well as many of the all-time favourites.

In 2019 Tom returned to the musical theatre stage as an actor in the role of the unscrupulous lawyer Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago in seasons at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney and the Lyric Theatre, Brisbane.

Tom Burlinson performs Still Swingin’ at the Frankston Arts Centre on Sunday March 9th.

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