road to the moulin rouge

For Albion Park performer Ryan Gonzalez, each night is a Parisian fantasy as they star in Moulin Rouge! The Musical. We spoke to Ryan about their early years performing in Wollongong and their favourite role to date as Santiago, the charismatic Argentinian.

Image Michelle Grace Hunder

Tell us about how you started on the stage…
I started dancing when I was about three at Garvie-Sanderson dance studio in Albion Park. I went to St. Paul's and then high school at St Joey's – they did the Rock Eisteddfod and stuff like that. I was about 14 years old and saw Singing In The Rain, the professional production that was touring at that time with Rachel Beck, Todd McKinney and Wayne Scott Kermond. I remember seeing that show and thinking you can do more than just dance! [laughs]

I started taking singing seriously around that time and later started training at Brent Street Studios at Moore Park [near] Fox Studios. I did Year 11 and 12 at Brent Street, so I'd get on the train at 5am in the morning. I would do a full day of academics, then a half day of dance and get home at about 8pm. I would go to bed and do the whole thing again and again and again! But it definitely paid off, for sure.

What style of dance did you focus on?
The studio I went to covered all the basic forms – ballet, tap, jazz. They were the main three that we started with, but the studio that I went to was very tap based. It wasn't until I got to Brent Street, I reckon they could see that I had the bones of a good dancer, but I just had no style yet! [laughs] We refined that a little bit when I got to Sydney. And then I started learning a lot more styles outside of the regular ballet, tap and jazz.

These days you're the triple threat! How did you add singing and acting to the mix?
I did drama and music as electives in year nine and 10… I didn't know what else to do, to be honest. It wasn't until I booked my first musical when I was 18 and I learned quickly on that job. I did Legally Blonde The Musical and realised that I had to work on my vocals and acting because they weren't up to scratch as much as my dancing was. I would've done it the other way around if I'd known! [laughs]

How did the role in Moulin Rouge! The Musical come about? What's been the most challenging part so far?
I auditioned like everybody else! Get a number, do all my prep, and audition with as much info as I could. It's been one of my favourite roles to play so far.

The role I'm playing Santiago. If you know the film, there is Christian who is a young writer who arrives in Paris to find something creative that can fulfill his life and give his life meaning. And he meets two Bohemians. One of them is Lautrec, a painter, and quite an iconic figure in history. And the other is Santiago, who I play. The two of them act as like villian performers to Christian. They inspire him to lead with love and sensuality, and the rawness that the Bohemian lifestyle brings to them.

Santiago also has a love story with Nini who is one of the can-can dancers and a rival of Satine, who is the head dancer at the club. Nini is the more rough and ready version of Satine in the musical. I get to have this awesome, dangerous, passionate relationship on stage every night with my partner, Samantha Dodemaide. We do it through a lot of dance and throwing ourselves at each other! It's quite a physical performance for us, but it's absolute heaven.

The role of Santiago is a well-known character in the film. How have you been able to make it your own?
I think I'm very luckily assisted by the new show. There's quite a lot of like differences between the film version of Santiago and the stage version of Santiago and I think it comes down to like what he sings.

He sings Bad Romance and Royals that weren't in the original film. We're not using the same music and I think Santiago is a much bigger role in the musical than it was in the film. They’ve fleshed out his love story, so it is quite different, but I think where they are very similar is the presence and gravitas. He’s kind of erratic, and in a way, he is quite insane. He also gets to show a much softer kind of nurturing side in the musical, as he's supporting Christian on his journey with his first ever love.

What’s it been like working with such well-known talent like Simon Burke?
It's amazing. Simon Burke is so fun. Simon is iconic and I think he just wants to make us laugh and have fun every night, which he succeeds in doing.

We’re 300 shows in and it can become like you're stuck in a cycle. With actors like Simon and Tim Omaji, who I play opposite a lot, it is fun because we find ways to challenge each other and recreate the dialogue. And I think Simon is a master - it's been sensational to watch him do that and to watch his process in keeping a show super duper fresh.

Lastly, where is your favourite place to go when home in Wollongong?
I would normally make a coffee at home and sit at Bushrangers Bay [in Shell Cove] – that is probably my favourite thing to do. We love Pot of Gold Mexican and the satay chicken from Nam in Wollongong! I love it there.