Stars of musical theatre to sing at Carols

ZOY Frangos remembers doing sprints up the stairs of the City Oval grandstand as a teenager with a dream of being an Olympic athlete.

Injury unfortunately put paid to that dream however as a world-renowned singer and performer he is returning to City Oval as one of the home-grown headliners for the Ballarat Carols by Candlelight presented by Harcourts.

The thought of singing at the Carols in front of his hometown crowd is very exciting, Frangos said.

“I remember when I was a little kid going along to that with candles wrapped in foil, in those days we were allowed to carry an open flame,” he said “I never thought one day I would be up on the stage singing.

“To do it at City Oval where I played football and did athletics back in the day is amazing.”

Frangos has performed star roles nationally and overseas in such musical greats as Les Misérables, South Pacific, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.

He won the American-Australian Association Rising Star Award for 2019, performing at the awards ceremony in New York City for distinguished guests including Hugh Jackman, Simon Baker and Elle MacPherson.

Frangos and his wife Elisa Colla met when they were both performing in Les Misérables and then were lucky enough to do My Fair Lady together as well.

“We haven’t worked together since,” Colla said. “We will be singing a duet which will be very special because we don’t really get that many opportunities to sing together.”

Colla is also an actor and singer, who made her professional debut as Nessarose in the Sydney season of Wicked.

She has played lead roles in My Fair Lady, West Side Story and Into the Woods and was a finalist in the prestigious Rob Guest Endowment Award in 2013.

Currently in London the pair will return in December in time to perform at Ballarat Carols by Candlelight.

O Holy Night, Colla’s favourite carol, is the song they will sing together.

While the stirring Christmas standard Holy City, a big classical-voice song with a rousing finish, is the perfect number for Frangos’ solo, the traditional O Little Town of Bethlehem will be Colla’s standalone piece.

Frangos, impressed that the event had been planned and arranged so quickly, after the cancellation announcement from the previous organisers said it “shows the love and support of the local community.

“It is important that to keep these things alive and Elisa and I are very keen to be involved in performing this year,” he said. “The new organisers have put in a lot of effort and I think this will be a slick and professional event.

“They have gathered a terrific collection of professional singers all with a connection to Ballarat as well as a group of talented locals.

“Christmas is not Christmas in Ballarat without the Carols.”

Matt Hustwaite, President of Ballarat Carols by Candlelight was keen to see attendance at this year event eclipse other efforts.

“The audience at previous concerts has numbered around 5000 and with the calibre of the performers this year we are hoping to grow that number this year,” he said.

Mr Hustwaite also said the city’s revived Carols by Candlelight event was very fortunate to have Frangos and Colla singing at the concert, but organisers weren’t done with big announcements yet.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the Ballarat community to celebrate and join in on a night of music for everyone during the festive season,” he said. “We will have more exciting announcements coming up in the next few weeks, particular about who will be the MC on the night.”

Frangos has fond memories of watching the Myer Music Bowl’s Carols by Candlelight at a friend’s house in Ballarat each Christmas Eve and was overjoyed to sing at the Melbourne event in 2014.

However, this year he is looking forward to performing for his own community.

“When you are on stage in the place where you are from, it is so much more personal,” he said. “I am sure all the family will be there to see me and Elisa perform.”