When a group of Sporties staff found out their colleague Courtney Emmas was in a stage production of the musical, Les Miserables, they immediately grabbed some tickets and planned a night out.
And as she took the stage as 17th century working-class woman, Fantine, in the Packemin Production at Riverside Theatres in Parramatta, she blew them – and the rest of the audience – away.
Courtney has been working behind the bar at Sporties for six months and loves the atmosphere the club environment provides. But her true passion is musical theatre.
The 19-year-old says she has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember.
“I watched my best friend in a production, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So, I started auditioning and after a couple of attempts, I got into a show when I was 12. I realised it was what I wanted to do with my life, and I haven’t changed my mind since”.
Her first production with Annie with the Bankstown Theatre Company.
“I got to play Annie in front of an audience in the Brian Brown Theatre in Bankstown. Playing such a big role for my first ever musical was nerve-wracking, but I loved every second of it – even with the red wig!
“I’ve done a few amateur productions since then, but my favourite would have to be the mini rendition of The Prom, which I got to do in my diploma course last year. I played the character of Emma, and it was a really challenging role. But I’d say that experience has really helped to shape my skills”.
Courtney says she had been following the Packemin Productions company for a while and had seen quite a few of their productions, before seeing the casting opportunity for Les Miserables.
“After realising I was old enough and available to do the show, I jumped on the audition straight away! I originally went for the role of Eponine, which is the other female lead in the show, but in my final call-back that asked me to sing some of Fantine’s material which I had to learn on the spot. Thankfully, I didn’t do too badly and landed the role”.
Les Miserables is the biggest production Courtney has been a part of to date, and she says it was a fantastic experience.
“It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done. I felt so privileged to be sharing the stage with the other cast members. Everyone was so talented, the creative team were so professional, and the whole crew were incredibly kind and supportive”.
Now that the production has finished, Courtney says she’s planning to get straight back into auditions.
“I’ll also head back to training and doing lots of acting and singing classes while working at Sporties, to try and land another gig soon”.
We wish Courtney the best of luck with her musical theatre career.