Tyler Chapman was poised to pursue a career in speech pathology when he received a phone call that changed his life.
He had been chosen to play the role of Santiago in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, a new live production by Global Creatures premiering at Sydney's Lyric Theatre in March.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is Chapman's first professional lead role. He'll be joined on stage by Ben Hall (The Duke of Monroth), Tim Omaji (Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec), and Thalia Smith (Nini). Together, they embody the bohemians, aristocrats and dazzling entertainers who inhabit the Moulin Rouge, bringing Baz Luhrmann's beloved world to life with glamour, spectacle and heart.
More cast members will be announced in the coming months, producer Carmen Pavlovic says.
"Moulin Rouge! The Musical demands an extraordinary range of performance skills, and Ben, Tim, Tyler and Thalia are outstanding performers who each bring something uniquely special to these iconic roles," she explains.
"They will capture the spirit and passion at the heart of this story. As we build this new Australian company, we're assembling a cast that will honour everything audiences love about this spectacular production while bringing fresh energy and excitement to the stage for Sydney in 2027."
This is his professional debut but Chapman is no stranger to the stage. He has featured in Newcastle Herald Star Struck stories over the years.
"What was I thinking?," he groans when reminded about his noughties-era hairstyles.
But he cannot wait to sink his teeth into the role of Santiago, the fiery Argentinian bohemian who becomes a driving force in the fight to protect the Moulin Rouge and its future.
Did he expect to get the role?
"Yes and no. One of the most important qualities to have in this business is to be a little bit delusional," he replies, laughing.
"You have to believe that you're going to get it.
"I initially wanted to audition for a different role but the casting team put me down for Santiago and I fell in love with him very quickly."
Chapman, who attended Wallsend South Public School and Lambton High School, has been working full-time as a wedding singer for the past eight years, performing around Newcastle, the Hunter Valley, Sydney and Europe.
He will be moving from Newcastle to Sydney for the production.
His is a similar story to that of his friend and fellow Novocastrian Freddy Hellier, who was about to embark on a career as a teacher when he was unexpectedly cast as Freddy in My Fair Lady, now showing at the Sydney Opera House's Joan Sutherland Theatre.
"This has been the dream since I was 15 years old but I put it on hold when I had a vocal injury and started studying speech pathology," Chapman says.
"I always wanted to be in any kind of professional theatre show. I love the lifestyle of eight shows a week, the discipline that takes. I love being on stage, and being on stage with so many talented people is such a privilege.
"I am a qualified speech pathologist and I was meant to start practising this year and then I woke up one day and said to myself, 'What are you doing? Go and follow your dream, you can always be a speech pathologist later on'.
"So I decided to dive into the deep end and see what happened, and now I've now got my foot in the door."
Chapman loved being on stage from an early age.
"I would perform anywhere I could, it wasn't just limited to singing," he says.
"The first musical i ever did was Rent. I was 19 and kind of thrown into the deep end and most of the cast were teachers I'd had over the years.
"More recently I did & Juliet and Kinky Boots at the Civic Theatre. I've also done Mamma Mia! with The Very Popular Theatre Company, Chicago and Legally Blonde."
What does he love about performing on stage? The diversity.
No two performances, or audiences, are ever the same.
"Moulin Rouge is such an iconic movie, but the stage show is like Moulin Rouge on steroids. There's more songs, there's more dancing, and you're in the room with people who are all there for the same reason.
"You never have the exact same combination of people in the room, ever. Or on stage, either. Reactions are always changing and it's such a thrill, as a performer, to be up on stage and experiencing that.
"Performing live is an indescribable feeling for me."
