USC is set to host a free public performance by three of the stars of Mimma, a new Australian musical about war and friendship that has premiered this month at Perth’s Regal Theatre.

The musical revolves around Mimma, a young Italian journalist living at her uncle’s nightclub in pre-World War II London, who befriends an aspiring jazz singer named Sarah.

University students and staff will join other fans of music, dance and drama from across the region at the USC Gallery’s lunchtime concert on Thursday 23 May from 12-1pm.

The three musicians are:

• Suzanne Kompass, who plays Ada Marini. Also USC’s Director of Vocal Arts, she is a platinum recording artist whose versatility ranges from opera to Broadway classics. She has sung at festivals and concerts across America, Canada and Australia;
• Jason Barry-Smith, who plays Aldo Marini. He has performed in well-known Opera Queensland productions such as The Mikado, The Merry Widow and The Magic Flute;
• Mirusia Louwerse, who plays Mimma. She is known to millions of fans as the ‘Angel of Australia’ after 10 years of stadium performances as the star soprano of Dutch violinist Andre Rieu. She has top-selling solo albums in the Netherlands and Australia.

USC’s Artistic Director of Music Sean O’Boyle AM was also in Perth for Mimma’s run from 9-21 April after his appointment as its musical director and orchestrator.

Mr O’Boyle has conducted performances from the Sydney Opera House to the Lincoln Centre in New York. He is a multi-ARIA-award nominee for CDs in collaboration with the ABC and has worked with major recording artists such as James Morrison and Kate Ceberano.

“This is a USC consultancy and Suzanne and I are terribly excited to help develop this wonderful show, so it can appear all over the world,” he said.

“It is important for USC’s student body to learn from educators who are practitioners at the highest levels of their craft.”

Mr O’Boyle said Mimma’s producer and composer Ron Siemiginowski had donated an award for the top student of USC’s Performance Mastery subject. Creative Industries graduate Annie Sterling was the recent recipient.

The USC Gallery’s lunchtime concert will be part of its Music at USC 2019 series supported by Noelene Shadforth.