After playing the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray The Musical three years ago, Jaz Flowers thought nothing could top the experience.
But the Morwell performer has landed the opportunity to be part of a musical more meaningful to her than any other – Hot Shoe Shuffle.
“You’d think Hairspray would be the highlight of my career, but Hot Shoe Shuffle holds a very special place in my heart,” Ms Flowers said.
“It was the first show I ever saw.”
Ms Flowers remembers her late opera singer grandmother Phyllis Melbourne taping a short version of the stage show from her television for Ms Flowers and brother Dallas.
“We used to watch it every day. I knew the songs. I knew everything by the time I was probably seven,” Ms Flowers said.
“Now at 25 I get to rehearsal and they say ‘do you know this song?’ and I say ‘yep, I know’.”
Ms Flowers plays April in the tap musical, the long lost sister of the ‘Tap brothers’ who has two left feet.
“April is very loveable and joyous and a bit goofy,” she said.
“All she wants to do is be on stage and her two left feet magically disappear into the background.
“I get to show a lot of femininity, which I’ve never been able to do before in previous shows.”
Ms Flowers said the show allowed her to “embrace” everything she was as a performer through her beloved tap dancing and allowing the audience to see what her voice “can really do” as opposed to Hairspray, where she had to put on a younger voice to play Tracy.
Another major highlight for Ms Flowers is performing alongside her childhood idol, Australian theatre icon David Atkins, the show’s producer, director and choreographer, who also plays Max King.
“I am extremely fortunate to be where I am,” she said.
“It is a testament to where I trained and where I come from.”
Ms Flowers was trained in dance by her mum Vicki and has been on stage since the age of four.
From performances with the Latrobe Theatre Company, Ms Flowers went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theatre from University of Ballarat and star in Shane Warne The Musical and Fame The Musical, along with Hairspray.
Hot Shoe Shuffle opened in Melbourne on Saturday at Her Majesty’s Theatre and will run for four weeks.
“After playing in Brisbane and Sydney, I don’t have nerves anymore, but just excitement,” she said.
“This is kind of my stomping ground and where all my people are go`ing to see it.”
For tickets, visit
www.hotshoeshuffle.com
