The Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre (QAEMT) has a bit of a reputation for a reason. Their alumni are all over the place working professionally, and I’ve seen a bunch of them on stage, usually with that “yep, they’re the real deal” feeling.
So I went into An Evening in Concert with my expectations pretty high. I’d never been in the Tony Gould Gallery before either, and I loved the black-box vibe: close, intimate, and the kind of room where you really notice the detail.
Saul Kavenagh kicks things off with New York (a personal favourite of mine), and honestly, he had me straight away. Maybe it was the twinkle in his eye, maybe it was the confidence. Or perhaps it was just the charm of the whole thing, but I was strapped in from the first minute.
After that, the show features one great number after another. Zoe Allsopp Lander’s Morning Person is bright and fun; she is basically glowing up there, and you could feel her energy bouncing around the room.
Aarya Doolabh then comes in with So Easy (To Fall In Love) and it has this warm, grounded feel that really suits her voice. Ned Kelly brings the heart with Waiting For Life; emotional, but still really strong and steady.
And AJ Betts’ Changing My Major has that great mix of feeling and humour; the intentions are clear, and the funny moments actually land.
Hannah Mohr’s Another New York Love Story is genuinely lovely and shows off a really sweet quality in her voice. Lily Bennetts follows with Two Little Lines and brings a heap of personality: playful, but still in control.
Caelan McCarthy’s No Turning Back Now feels open and honest. Sam Thomas comes out next with Madrid Is My Mama and very nearly runs away with the whole night. The character work is big and fearless, and it was impossible not to grin.
Priya Gill’s Life As We Know It has this clear emotional through-line that pulls you in, and Addisyn Herndon’s Pretty Funny is a real standout; super precise vocally, but also properly vulnerable.
The second half keeps on delivering. Lucas Harm does Mom Could Play Guitar with this easy warmth, and the last line got a very audible “hmm” from the crowd, which says a lot.
Tayler Ramsay makes Sister’s Pickle really watchable: strong character, a bit of sparkle, and what I felt reminded me of Glinda. Annika Reilly absolutely belts I’m Done (in the best way), and her precision was a highlight for me.
Lachlan Dunks gives It All Fades Away this calm focus that makes the story land. Harry Ince sounds rock-solid in Playbill, while Lottie Smith’s Home has a nice mix of grounded emotion and lightness.
Alessia Charman tackles Astonishing with a lot of confidence and presence, and Jackson Hughesman makes Santa Fe look way too easy: full commitment, heaps of energy, and really clean vocals. Even without a solo song, Ella Wood still gives a memorable performance and I look forward to hearing her full range later in the year.
And it wasn’t just the individual performances. The ensemble stuff is seriously strong, too. With Heidi Loveland as musical director, the group numbers sound tight and together. My favourite company moment is That Ball from Shane Warne: The Musical; the comedic timing is spot on, and you can really feel the group chemistry.
One thing I really liked was the little monologues in between songs. Hearing each student talk about why they chose QAEMT, what motivates them, and how they’ve grown makes the whole thing feel more personal (and honestly, makes you root for them even more).
Director and Helpmann Award winner Amy Lehpamer set those stories as part of the brief, and the way the night was staged feels really thoughtful; nothing was thrown away.
Dan Venz’s choreography also has its stamp on the night. There aren’t heaps of big dance breaks, but what is there was clean and purposeful, and it definitely made me want to see this cohort in a full production later in the year.
An Evening in Concert delivers a really strong night of musical theatre and serves to remind us how much talent is coming through QAEMT. The graduating class feels ready for what’s next, and if they can do this in a black-box space, I’m excited to see what happens when they hit a bigger stage.
An Evening in Concert runs for a limited season to 28 March. Presented by the 3rd year Musical Theatre students at the Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre (QAEMT), Griffith University. Tony Gould Gallery, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
Tickets: https://www.qtix.com.au/whats-on/2026/qcgu-an-evening-in-concert-3rd-year-musical-theatre-students
Website: https://www.griffith.edu.au/arts-education-law/queensland-academy-of-excellence-in-musical-theatre
Socials: Socials: https://www.instagram.com/qaemt.griffithuni/
Photo credits: Kenn Wylchi
