Prolific performer Simon Brook McLachlan will bring some of the magic of Broadway to Can Too’s upcoming annual gala event – The Art of Seafood.
The musical theatre star has appeared in the Australian productions of Jersey Boys and Disney’s High School Musical. He is currently guest starring in The Robertson Brothers Variety Show – an ode to the Rock n Roll superstars of the 1960s including The Everly Brothers, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and The Bee Gees.
Simon will be giving away some tickets to this production at The Art of Seafood’s silent auction. Set in a 1960s Variety TV show it’s part live stage production, studio program and rock concert with comedy and a bit of history about the artists and the times.
As the host of Can Too’s annual gala event, he will tailor the lyrics of some of the best loved songs to showcase the work of Can Too such as Frankie Valli’s song Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.
“You’re just too good to be true, thank you for joining Can Too,” he sings to demonstrate.
“I’m really looking forward to the night, I like to add my personal touch to the event to combine music and entertainment to keep the evening fun. The opening number will have customised lyrics for Can Too such as sharing the story of the pods, the cancer researchers and the founder Annie Crawford.”
The musical theatre specialist honed his skills in amateur musical societies where he was encouraged to go into show business full time. He graduated from the musical theatre course at NIDA and started out performing understudy roles which included being a ‘swing’ where he would learn the two lead roles and four ensemble parts of a musical production, which he could be called on to play at any moment.
“It was a big ask and a lot on my plate at the time, but if you can learn six roles at once then learning one is quite easy.”
He also grew up listening to the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons with his mum and dad so when Jersey Boys came along, he knew most of the songs.
The singer has always been musical he played the saxophone and sang throughout primary school then in high school joined concert, jazz bands and orchestras. After taking part in school productions the stage beckoned.
Can Too Foundation gala’s seafood theme resonates with Simon as he is a creature of the ocean himself, who loves swimming and surfing. Over summer he frequently dives in from the back of Bronte Beach pool across to the point of Tamarama and back. He also competed in swimming at a national level at school.
Supporting a cancer charity is also a massive driver for Simon.
“Everyone’s been effected by cancer. I’ve had grandparents passed away from cancer, and it’s been prevalent in my family, so anything I can do to help put money towards cancer research is dear to my heart.
“I also like the idea of people getting fit and a group achieving a fitness goal. In its own way this is helping fight cancer too. And the Can Tooers are doing the fundraising themselves, which comes full circle in helping prevent cancer.”
He has performed across the country and the globe including South Africa where he met his wife and is now a father of a ten-month old. Simon’s next production on the horizon is ‘Call me Frank’ – a Rat Pack cabaret show which will follow all the famous Franks through history such as Frank Sinatra, Frankie Valli, Frank-N-Furter (character from The Rocky Horror Show) and female artists including Aretha Franklin and Connie Francis.
To see Simon perform in person and be part of the Art of Seafood event join us at our gala event:
The Art of Seafood – Can Too Foundation’s 2019 Annual Gala Dinner
This premium seafood dining experience will support the Can Too Foundation's work in funding Australian cancer research.
- Friday 5 July 2019 at 6:30pm
- Australian National Maritime Museum, Pyrmont
- Earlybird Bookings - $275 seat / $2,500 table of 10 / $3,250 corporate table
- Information and Tickets here:
http://cantoo.org.au/event/art-of-seafood-2019
