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Homemade musical theatre star Joel Granger returned to the Hibiscus Coast this month for a one-off evening of entertainment ranging from standards from major musicals he’s starred in to “a brazen attempt at a pop song or two”.
The November 28 show at the Centrestage – where he’ll be accompanied by the theatre’s Billie Hart on piano – is sold out, but Sydney-based Joel says since a lot of friends have missed out getting tickets, he may need to return next year.
He also performed a few numbers at Age Concern’s annual Christmas Concert, at the same venue, the day before.
The lad from Ōrewa has gone a long way since moving to Perth straight out of school in 2012 to study at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
He’s taken top roles in massively successful productions – including Tobias in Sweeney Todd and Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon – while television credits include parts in True Story with Hamish & Andy on Australia’s Channel Nine, and the ABC/Pivot comedy-drama Please Like Me.
“Funnily enough, even though I have been based in Australia for the last 10 years, my top two performance highlights are actually performing in NZ,” he says.
“We opened our national tour [of Sweeney Todd] at the Civic Theatre in Auckland, which was incredibly special to me considering every show I saw that toured there was the inspiration to pursue this career. It seemed so unattainable to perform at that level from my teenage perspective, and I count myself so lucky that I was able to come full circle so quickly in my career.”
Joel’s return to the Civic in 2020 for the Australia/NZ tour of The Book of Mormon was cut short due to the pandemic lockdown. Even so, “it was really special performing the work I’m most proud of, in my home town, in front of family and friends”.
Coming home to the Centrestage is particularly special as it was there that a young Joel “developed my joy for what I do”.
“It’s always special to perform for all the communities I grew up with, just to show them how far I’ve come, and to prove that I’m still alive and kicking!”
Joel was raised in Ōrewa, where his “absolute best memory” was the annual Santa Parade.
“It was something I very much looked forward to, and had me mesmerised the whole afternoon.”
What else does he miss? “I probably should say the beautiful weather and beaches, but considering my skin couldn’t be pastier, the sunshine was wasted on me. I do miss my family and the sense of community in Ōrewa, but I love the fact that I now get to live so close to the city [Sydney] and all its vibrancy. I’m very much a city boy at heart.”
And living in Sydney, Joel says, offers a vast array of performing opportunities, “just because it has the population to support them”.
“I have been very lucky to work on TV, but I would really love to delve more into the screen industry,” he says. “Working on camera forces you to be present and in the moment and as a control freak, I love the challenge that this style of acting brings.”
