Ross Coleman - Choreographer

Ross Coleman

The first musical that Ross choreographed was the original Australian production of Grease in 1972. Since then a selection of his works includes plays for the Sydney Theatre Company: I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road, Chicago, Stripper, The Conquest of Carmen Miranda, Summer Rain (1996, 2005), Jonah Jones, Company, The Threepenn y Opera, Merrily We Roll Along, Miracle City, A Doll’s House and The Republic of Myopia.

For Melbourne Theatre Company Ross has choreographed: High Society (including an Australian tour), Company (Green Room Award nomination), The Seagull, Great Expectations, Urinetown (Helpmann Award nomination 2005) and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Helpmann Award nomination 2006).

Other musicals include: Side by Side by Sondheim, The Rocky Horror Show, Jerry’s Girls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Cabaret, Grease - The Arena Spectacular (Green Room Award nomination), Follies in Concert, Love Burns, Trouble in Tahiti, Funny Girl, Call Me Madam, Naked Boys Singing, The Merry Widow (Australian Opera 2005), Shout (2001 Green Room Award Best Choreography), Dusty - The Original Pop Diva (2006 Helpmann Award Best Choreography) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. International work includes High Society (UK tour), The Demon (Bregenzerfestspiel, Austria), The Demon (Zurich Opernhaus), The Merry Widow (Metropole Theatre and Friedrichstaadtplast, Berlin, St Petersburg Music Hall) and Pomp, Duck and Circumstance (Berlin and New York). Also, productions in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

As a performer Ross is best remembered for his portrayal of Paul in the original Australian production of A Chorus Line.

As a director, work includes: Turandot and Norma (Canterbury Opera, New Zealand), The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie (Production Company, Green Room Award nominations), Shout (2003 regional tour), Merrily We Roll Along (2004, WAAPA) and Shout (2005, MS Society, Adelaide).

Since Priscilla opened in Sydney, Ross has co-directed Tom Foolery with Simon Phillips (MTC), and directed and choreographed Pippin (inaugural production for Kookaburra in Sydney, three Helpmann Awards nominations). Ross was also nominated for a Helpmann for Priscilla.

Most recently, he choreographed Sweet Charity (Production Company). Ross won the Green Room Award for Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical in 2007. Ross was nominated for two Helpmann Awards in 2008, for his work on Sweet Charity and Shout - The Legend of the Wild One.

Ross died suddenly in July 2009 and will be greatly missed by everyone involved with Priscilla.