As Jarrod Draper opens the door to his dressing room backstage at Crown Theatre Perth, a smile spreads across his face.
"That smile," exclaims one of Moulin Rouge! The Musical's publicists. And she's right. It is all at once infectious, genuine, and charming.
Draper laughs and introduces himself, brushing a stray lock of hair off his forehead as he invites us inside.
Even when Draper talks, he sounds melodic. Then he sings.
"There was a boy," Draper croons into the camera, delivering the opening line of Nature Boy, one of the songs his character sings in the musical.
A 'tale as old as time'
In 2018, Draper, who is from New South Wales, became the first Indigenous person to graduate from the acclaimed Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts' (WAAPA) music theatre course.
"To go into WAAPA and be the first Aboriginal man, it definitely was a flag that I was more than happy to bear and to really take charge in that experience," he said.
"It also came with its challenges being the first but my entire experience in this industry is always grounded in wanting to be that representation for someone else.
"It's the tale as old as time. If you can't see it, you can't be it on the stage."
Five years later, the proud Wiradjuri man is back out west performing in the Tony-Award winning production, which is based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film.
For the show's WA season, Draper has been promoted to one of the lead roles, Toulouse-Lautrec, a brilliant and starving artist who lives by the mantra of the musical (and the film): truth, beauty, freedom, and — above all — love.
"To be able to play this role as the first Aboriginal man to do that … it's full circle in a whole heap of different ways," Draper said.
"Being able to incorporate my own Aboriginality into Lautrec now and bring hints of that Blackness that I represent here in Australia is awesome. It truly is."
From the sporting field to the stage
As a boy growing up in Orange in country New South Wales, Draper didn't see anyone like himself on stage and he fell into musical theatre by chance.
"My family is just a big sporting family, we played every sport under the sun," he said.
"I was very competitive as a child, and I had lots of friends that had families involved in the theatre company, and they were doing a production of The Boy from Oz."
"I went along to the auditions and got the role of young Peter Allen, which meant I had to sing, tap dance, and act on the stage … something I'd never done before.
"But as soon as I got on the stage, it felt like home. I know, it sounds cliche to say that, but it really did feel like home."
Draper has been with Moulin Rouge! The Musical since it began production in Australia in early 2021, following its acclaimed run on Broadway, which earned it 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Having initially secured himself a spot in the ensemble, Draper has previously been the alternate for Toulouse-Lautrec, and has even stepped in as Christian, the main male lead.
"Being the first Aboriginal person to take on these roles has been something I just carry in my heart," Draper said — the emotion of the opportunities evident in his tone.
"Yes, I love to sing, dance and act but it takes on a larger meaning for me.
"We all have that moment where we saw a performance and went, 'That's what I want to do', because we saw a part of ourselves on that stage.
"And that's what this show, I think, does so well.
"It encapsulates the different bodies of Australia out on the streets to reflect what the true tapestry of the nation is, which hasn't always been the music theatre stock standard."
Industry grapples with diversity
Diversity on stage is something the producer of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Carmen Pavlovic, has made a priority.
"With Moulin Rouge … we're saying we're creating a club … where we want everybody to feel welcome and we want everybody to belong," she said.
"People can only feel like they belong if they see something of themselves on stage.
"So, it's really important in the casting process that we have many different types of people represented and that's age, shapes, size, race, gender.
"I feel really proud of the show in Australia, we have 13 BIPOC (black, Indigenous and people of colour) company members."
Pavlovic — who is also cheif executive of Global Creatures, the Australian live entertainment company behind Moulin Rouge! The Musical — said diversity on stage required a whole industry approach.
"I do feel the responsibility and the importance of young people, young girls, persons of colour, being able to sit in that audience and look to the stage and think, 'Oh, that could be me. If I can see it, I can be it'," she said.
"It's something that industry is grappling with, not just on stage, but behind the scenes as well.
"We're making inroads but it's going to have to remain a commitment of everybody in the industry."
Misfits and underdogs
Draper said his experience with Moulin Rouge! The Musical has made him hopeful for the future.
"I still feel like there is a long way to go and there's a lot of room for conversations, and critical conversations, around diversity and representation on the stage, and inclusivity," he said.
"But being a part of this show, it's given me a whole new hope going forward … Global Creatures as a company has been exceptional.
"It's very much a family unit. This show is about family and the misfits, and the underdogs, and everyone being welcome in one place, which is the Moulin Rouge."
And when it comes to family, Draper doesn't mess around, the artist crediting his family's unwavering love and support for much of his success so far.
"My family are my whole heart," he said.
"They're absolutely thrilled that they get to see me do what I love for a living.
"But I think above all, they're mostly proud about what I represent and what I choose to represent, and the values that I choose to uphold, which all comes from them.
"I have a father … an Aboriginal man, that is the greatest role model, and my mother who just welcomed the culture in with open arms.
"I've just been filled with love in abundance from the moment I was little, and I was allowed to be whoever I wanted to be, without any restrictions."
