Since beginning her career in musicals at the age of 7 in The King & I, Patrice Tipoki has made a number for herself in a number of high profile stage musicals including The Lion King (Nala) and Wicked (Elphaba). Those who are well-seasoned theatre-goers are quite likely to have seen her in at least one if not more stage musicals over the year. With plenty of experience on the stage, Tipoki this month decided to launch her debut album, featuring highlights from her successful career.
Titled ‘A Musical Heart’, this album is features songs from many of the hit musicals Tipoki has appeared in during her career These include: Les Misérables – ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, Wicked – ‘Defying Gravity’, Beauty and the Beast – ‘Beauty and the Beast’, We Will Rock You – ‘Somebody to Love’, Westside Story – ‘Tonight’, The King & I – ‘Shall We Dance’, Anyone Can Whistle – ‘Anyone Can Whistle’, and Songs For a New World – ‘I’m Not Afraid of Anything’. Priced at $16.99 AUD, you can pick yourself up a copy of A Musical Heart through iTunes.
I was able to ask Patrice Tipoki a few questions earlier this week, with the Q&A available below:
First off, for those who may not be too familiar with your work, would you mind sharing a little bit about your history on stage?
Well I come from a musical family and have been performing my whole life. My parents & grandparents are entertainers, I travelled touring with my siblings when my parents worked for the Arts Council for 8 years. I’m blessed to still be able to work alongside my family. My sister is Associate Musical Director on Les Miserables, my little brother is playing Gavroche in Les Mis and my brother Kuki is a performer & musician in the industry also. So I guess we’re keeping the family legacy alive!
After a musical upbringing including my first professional musical at age 7, I went on to study at WAAPA then have performed in musicals and around the place since.
From Fantine in the current production of Les Miserables to Elphaba in Wicked, you have been performing major roles on stage for many years now. After so many years since your musical theatre debut, what do you think has helped keep you motivated and engaged in the industry?
I love singing and performing and have been blessed with some wonderful opportunities. I guess part of staying motivated for me has been about being prepared, working hard and if opportunities aren’t readily available, then being prepared to make your own work.
What was the motivation behind releasing “A Musical Heart”?
My sister and I had a conversation with Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Cassel on Opening Night of Les Miserables in Melbourne and Cameron suggested we work on a family project in our spare time. We had some ideas and when we started talking about doing an album everything just fell into place. We had a wonderful producer friend in James Kempster of RockCandy Productions who helped us realise our ideas and the rest is history. Throw in some talented musicians and friends and you have “A Musical Heart”.
Do you happen to have a personal favourite song amongst its playlist?
I have different favourites depending on the day. I love the strength and excitement in songs like “Defying Gravity” & “Somebody to Love” then other days it’s the passion and musicality of the strings and duet partners Simon Gleeson in “Unchained Melody” & Alex Boye in “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. It really just depends.
With A Musical Heart available on the market for a few days now, what are your thoughts on its reception so far?
I’ve been blown away by the album’s reception so far. Over the first few days after release “A Musical Heart” was the No. 1 album on the iTunes Classical Charts and 3 of the songs sold well with 2 of them being in the top 5 and the 3rd in the top 15. What’s touched me more has been the messages I’ve received on facebook & twitter from friends, colleagues & fans who have been affected by the album or specific tracks on it and have shared their enthusiasm & love with me. I feel very lucky to sing music that has that ability to move people.
With a number of university degrees and training courses aimed at musical theatre available, there seems to be an interest amongst Young Aussies to possibly make a career for themselves on stage. What advice can you offer to those who hope to someday follow in your footsteps.
I always think it’s important to get as much experience as you can through training, exams, eisteddfods, concerts and performing in front of audiences. That way you’re always honing technique with the right guidance as well as consolidating those lessons under pressure. If this industry is where you want to be then you’ll quickly figure out if you’re up to it. And it’s ok if you’re not.
Congratulations on the release of your album, and I personally look forward to seeing you on stage again soon!
I would just like to pass on my thanks to Patrice Tipoki for taking the time to answer my questions. Thanks also goes to the team at AKA (Australia) for helping arrange this Q&A.
