A Dedicated Man

Coral Drouyn talks to the eclectic John O’Hara about his cabaret show Dedications, opening in Melbourne this week at Chapel off Chapel.

John O’Hara is one of those amazing triple threat performers that it’s hard to categorise. Whether it’s as The Father in Wicked; or Rum Tum Tugger in Cats (he’s played the role 4 times in various parts of the world); a Delltone in Shout; belting out the rock songs in Rock of Ages; corporate gigs as one of “The Three Waiters” or lending his voice to fund raisers Twisted Broadway and Light The Night and new musical theatre development, there’s not much he hasn’t done. But it’s only recently that he’s added cabaret to his repertoire, with rave reviews at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Sydney’s Hayes Theatre.

“When you grow up in Perth in the 80s, so far removed from where real “theatre” happens in Sydney and Melbourne, it honestly never occurs to you that you can actually have a career in theatre, let alone one that that will take you all over the world and last the best part of a couple of decades,” John tells me. “I was friends with Lucy Durack and all we both wanted was to get into WAAPA; we never thought further ahead than that.”

It was a wise move for John. WAAPA is noted internationally as one of the best Performing Arts Academies in the world and when John graduated in 2001, just the fact that you were WAAPA trained was your ticket to audition for major productions, and John found himself in high demand.

“I LOVE musical theatre – I mean I’m quite tragic about it. If I wasn’t on stage in a show I would probably spend whatever money I had on going to see it. It’s the most uplifting entertainment in the world, whether you’re on stage or in the audience.” And yet John has chosen to take on Cabaret …how did that come about?

“When I was doing a show, I used to listen to a late radio show on the way home called “Love Song Dedications”, hosted by Richard Mercer.” John explains, “It amazed me that people would use anonymity to tell their deepest secrets and I started imagining whose these people were; asking what was really behind their calls and requests. Pretty soon a group of characters had formed in my head and I knew I had to see it through to production….but it wasn’t a musical, or a play as such, and – even though the thought initially terrified me – it seemed a one man cabaret show was the obvious format for me to explore the idea.”

If there’s a certain amount of anonymity in Musical Theatre, behind the safety of the character, then cabaret puts a performer up front and personal with an audience; there’s no safety in numbers and no place to hide. “True,” John agrees, “but I am playing characters. What’s especially different is that there’s just me, and the audience is so close. If you don’t connect with them there are no second chances and no-one on stage to distract to them. You can see their faces, their expressions, you know instantly if they relate to you or not. That’s what’s scary.”

Fortunately for John, Dedications was an instant success. “Partly it’s the songs,” he concedes. “Great hits from Celine, and Lionel Ritchie…even the Pussycat Dolls get a look in. But also, people relate to the characters, and the need to belong, to be part of something bigger. The people who call late night shows are like a family, even though they connect through voice only.”

John concedes he was surprised by the willingness of the cabaret audience to embrace him. “It helped that I had no relatives or friends at that first performance, but I had expected them to be more judgemental - more distanced. Instead it was the most wonderful feeling of connection.”

So does this mean more Cabaret and less Musical Theatre in the future?

John chuckles.

“I would never give up Musical Theatre, but the reality is it might give me up one day. I’m dancing less and less – there is a Use-by-Date for dancers – and there aren’t that many roles that fit me as glove-like as a show I’ve conceived and written for myself. In a perfect world I’d come back as a Diva, and get to play roles like Elphaba – I mean, who wouldn’t want that? But it isn’t going to happen and basically, as long as I can still sing and make people happy, or thoughtful, or just plain entertain them, it doesn’t matter what the format is.”

You can see John and his alter egos, including The Love God – at Chapel Off Chapel this Friday and Saturday 14^th and 15^th August, 2015 – and then put a note to hit Twisted Broadway on Monday August 17th.