Hayden Tee
Encyclopedia
Hayden Tee is a New Zealand
actor and singer. He has played varied roles in musical theatre as well as performing in a cabaret
act. He is based in Australia
, but has performed in New Zealand, the UK and United States.
, and moved to Auckland
at the age of 16. At 18 he was invited to Sydney
by Avigail Herman to study at the National Institute of Dramatic Art
. He also studied with tenor Kenneth Cornish in Auckland
.
He has appeared in cabaret, musicals and theatre in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and United States. His roles include "Jack" in Sondheim
's Into the Woods
and The Wizard of Oz
. In 2001, he was resident artist at The Court Theatre, Christchurch
, appearing as "Grumio" in Kiss me Kate
and as "Wayne" in Kiwifruits II.
In February 2003, Tee received positive reviews for his role in the role of Frances in Campion Decent's Three Winters Green at the Stables Theatre, Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald wrote: "a definite star."
In May 2005 Tee played the role of Joe Cable in South Pacific
under the direction of John Diedrich and Jo Anne Robinson at the Festival Centre in Adelaide
. Also in 2005, he was one of the twelve finalists in the international BBC
Voice of Musical Theatre competition. Following this, he went on to play the role of Marius in Les Misérables
at the Queens Theatre in London. He also performed the role at its 20th Anniversary performance, on 8 October 2005.
He returned to Australia in late 2006 and assumed the leading role of "Thomas Andrews" in the Australian premiere in Sydney
of the musical Titanic
, garnering critical acclaim. Prior to commencing his role in Titanic, he also played in the workshop of the new Australian musical Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as "Cuddlepie" under the direction of Neil Armfield.
In 2007 Tee starred alongside Teddy Tahu Rhodes in the opera Dead Man Walking
based on the movie
of the same name, in which he played the role of Father Grenville.
Tee appeared as "Freddy Einsford Hill" in Opera Australia
's production of My Fair Lady
in 2009 in Auckland. The Theatre Review wrote, "Hayden Tee is in fine voice, and is deliciously sappy and gushy as the love-struck Freddy." He played "Professor Bhaer" in Little Women
for Kookaburra
, The National Musical Theatre Company, as part of their 2008/2009 subscription season. He played the role of "Gus the Theatre Cat", "Growltiger the Opera Cat" and "Bustopher Jones" in Cats
in the World touring production for the Really Useful Group
.
Cabaret
Tee won the New York Award at the 2002 Sydney Cabaret Convention. His New York cabaret debut was at Don't Tell Mamma.
His debut solo cabaret show, "Me to a Tee" was performed to great acclaim in Sydney, Auckland and New York. His next cabaret show, "Quarterlife Crisis" was performed in Sydney ("pizzazz and potential" SMH 28/2/03), Melbourne and Canberra ("Cabaret at its best" – Canberra Times 18/3/03).
"Muftee", Hayden’s chat/cabaret/tonight show, opened at the Stables Theatre in May 2003 and was hailed as "Australia's cult cabaret hit" by the Sydney Morning Herald (22/8/03). This late-night show featured stars of Australia's musical theatre as guests. Originally planned as a three-week run, "Muftee" went on to play to packed houses for a record breaking seven months.
Next was a short season at Kabarett Voltaire of his new cabaret, "Hayden Tee". In December 2003, he was in New York again, performing "Hayden Tee" and "Muftee" at "Mamma Rose's". The show was described by New York Post
columnist Liz Smith as "wild and zany". During "Muftee's run in New York Hayden had the opportunity of performing opposite Stephen Schwartz
, John Bucchino
, Avenue Q’s John Tartaglia
, Julie Wilson
and Brent Barrett.
Whilst in New York, Tee released his first CD, which has been voted by Cabaret Hotline as one of the best 5 male vocal releases of the year.
In Sydney, "Muftee" returned in February for a six-week season at The Stables. He then played Kabarett Voltaire and Melbourne's Butterfly Club with his cabaret show, "Hayden Tee" and toured this show for a return season at Villa Caprese and Parramatta Riverside theatres.
His show The Gin is Cold...But the Piano Is Hot, which focused on the music of Kander and Ebb
, has played around Australia.
In 2008 he appeared at the Metropolitan Room in New York City in his self-titled one man show.
in Titanic the Musical, plus a 2006 Glugg award for Best Cabaret performer.
His debut self-titled album was voted top five male vocalist of 2003 by cabarethotlineonline.com. He was nominated for an Adelaide Theatre Guide Award for best Individual Male Performance for his portrayal of Joe Cable in South Pacific. Tee was the recipient of the New York Award at the 2002 Sydney Cabaret Convention, winning his first trip to New York to perform. Tee was selected as one of the top 12 voices of Music Theatre 2005 at the BBC world voice of Music Theatre competition in Cardiff
, Wales.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
actor and singer. He has played varied roles in musical theatre as well as performing in a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
act. He is based in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but has performed in New Zealand, the UK and United States.
Early life
Hayden Tee was born in New Zealand, grew up in MaungaturotoMaungaturoto
Maungaturoto is a small town in the Northland Region of New Zealand. The population was 837 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 87 from 2001. It is the second largest settlement in the Kaipara District....
, and moved to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
at the age of 16. At 18 he was invited to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
by Avigail Herman to study at the National Institute of Dramatic Art
National Institute of Dramatic Art
The National Institute of Dramatic Art is an Australian national training institute for students of theatre, film, and television, based in the Sydney suburb of Kensington. It is supported by the federal Office for the Arts, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. NIDA is located adjacent...
. He also studied with tenor Kenneth Cornish in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.
He has appeared in cabaret, musicals and theatre in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and United States. His roles include "Jack" in Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
's Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
and The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
. In 2001, he was resident artist at The Court Theatre, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, appearing as "Grumio" in Kiss me Kate
Kiss Me Kate
Kiss Me Kate was a British sitcom that ran from 1998 until 2000. It followed the everyday life of a woman counsellor, Kate , who must not only manage her clients' problems, but must also help her neighbours and unsuccessful business partner, Douglas, played by Chris Langham. Amanda Holden played...
and as "Wayne" in Kiwifruits II.
Career
Theatre and operaIn February 2003, Tee received positive reviews for his role in the role of Frances in Campion Decent's Three Winters Green at the Stables Theatre, Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald wrote: "a definite star."
In May 2005 Tee played the role of Joe Cable in South Pacific
South Pacific (musical)
South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
under the direction of John Diedrich and Jo Anne Robinson at the Festival Centre in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. Also in 2005, he was one of the twelve finalists in the international BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Voice of Musical Theatre competition. Following this, he went on to play the role of Marius in Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
at the Queens Theatre in London. He also performed the role at its 20th Anniversary performance, on 8 October 2005.
He returned to Australia in late 2006 and assumed the leading role of "Thomas Andrews" in the Australian premiere in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
of the musical Titanic
Titanic (musical)
Titanic is a musical with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone that opened on Broadway in 1997. It won five Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical...
, garnering critical acclaim. Prior to commencing his role in Titanic, he also played in the workshop of the new Australian musical Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as "Cuddlepie" under the direction of Neil Armfield.
In 2007 Tee starred alongside Teddy Tahu Rhodes in the opera Dead Man Walking
Dead Man Walking (opera)
Dead Man Walking is the first opera by Jake Heggie, with a libretto by Terrence McNally; it premiered on October 7, 2000 at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco Opera.-Roles:...
based on the movie
Dead Man Walking (film)
Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American drama film directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the non-fiction book of the same name...
of the same name, in which he played the role of Father Grenville.
Tee appeared as "Freddy Einsford Hill" in Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
's production of My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
in 2009 in Auckland. The Theatre Review wrote, "Hayden Tee is in fine voice, and is deliciously sappy and gushy as the love-struck Freddy." He played "Professor Bhaer" in Little Women
Little Women (musical)
Little Women is a musical with a book by Allan Knee, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and music by Jason Howland.Based on Louisa May Alcott's classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel, it focuses on the four March sisters - brassy, tomboy-like, aspiring writer Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and...
for Kookaburra
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...
, The National Musical Theatre Company, as part of their 2008/2009 subscription season. He played the role of "Gus the Theatre Cat", "Growltiger the Opera Cat" and "Bustopher Jones" in Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
in the World touring production for the Really Useful Group
Really Useful Group
The Really Useful Group Ltd. is an international company set up in 1977 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is involved in theatre, film, television, video and concert productions, merchandising, magazine publishing, records and music publishing...
.
Cabaret
Tee won the New York Award at the 2002 Sydney Cabaret Convention. His New York cabaret debut was at Don't Tell Mamma.
His debut solo cabaret show, "Me to a Tee" was performed to great acclaim in Sydney, Auckland and New York. His next cabaret show, "Quarterlife Crisis" was performed in Sydney ("pizzazz and potential" SMH 28/2/03), Melbourne and Canberra ("Cabaret at its best" – Canberra Times 18/3/03).
"Muftee", Hayden’s chat/cabaret/tonight show, opened at the Stables Theatre in May 2003 and was hailed as "Australia's cult cabaret hit" by the Sydney Morning Herald (22/8/03). This late-night show featured stars of Australia's musical theatre as guests. Originally planned as a three-week run, "Muftee" went on to play to packed houses for a record breaking seven months.
Next was a short season at Kabarett Voltaire of his new cabaret, "Hayden Tee". In December 2003, he was in New York again, performing "Hayden Tee" and "Muftee" at "Mamma Rose's". The show was described by New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
columnist Liz Smith as "wild and zany". During "Muftee's run in New York Hayden had the opportunity of performing opposite Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz (composer)
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell , Pippin and Wicked...
, John Bucchino
John Bucchino
John Bucchino is an American composer. His hometown is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He has done work for several off-Broadway shows and highly acclaimed concerts...
, Avenue Q’s John Tartaglia
John Tartaglia
John Nicholas Tartaglia is an American singer, actor, dancer, puppeteer.Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade, New Jersey, U.S.. He joined Sesame Street's puppetry team at the age of 16 part-time, performing as a right hand and many minor characters, including Phoebe and being the backup for Kevin...
, Julie Wilson
Julie Wilson
Julie Wilson is an American singer and actress.Born in Omaha, Nebraska and first finding a musical outlet with local musical group Hank's Hepcats, Wilson headed to New York City during World War II and found work in two of Manhattan's leading nightclubs, the Latin Quarter and the Copacabana...
and Brent Barrett.
Whilst in New York, Tee released his first CD, which has been voted by Cabaret Hotline as one of the best 5 male vocal releases of the year.
In Sydney, "Muftee" returned in February for a six-week season at The Stables. He then played Kabarett Voltaire and Melbourne's Butterfly Club with his cabaret show, "Hayden Tee" and toured this show for a return season at Villa Caprese and Parramatta Riverside theatres.
His show The Gin is Cold...But the Piano Is Hot, which focused on the music of Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb . Known primarily for their stage musicals, Kander and Ebb also scored several movies including their most famous song, the theme song from Martin Scorsese's New York, New York...
, has played around Australia.
In 2008 he appeared at the Metropolitan Room in New York City in his self-titled one man show.
Awards
Hayden received a 2009 Glugg award for best supporting actor for his performance as Professor Bhaer in Little Women the Musical. He also received an Aussietheatre Best actor in a Musical nomination for playing Thomas AndrewsThomas Andrews
Thomas Andrews may refer to:*Thomas Andrews , English financier who supported the parliament cause during the English Civil War*Thomas Andrews , British metallurgist of international renown...
in Titanic the Musical, plus a 2006 Glugg award for Best Cabaret performer.
His debut self-titled album was voted top five male vocalist of 2003 by cabarethotlineonline.com. He was nominated for an Adelaide Theatre Guide Award for best Individual Male Performance for his portrayal of Joe Cable in South Pacific. Tee was the recipient of the New York Award at the 2002 Sydney Cabaret Convention, winning his first trip to New York to perform. Tee was selected as one of the top 12 voices of Music Theatre 2005 at the BBC world voice of Music Theatre competition in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales.