One of Australia’s favourite leading ladies, Rhonda Burchmore has been gracing our stages, screens and airwaves for the past 40 years. The triple threat stars in Cabaret de Paris, which hits the stage at Canberra Theatre Centre on 15-16 June. CW caught up with Burchmore to discuss career, costumes and performance.

1. Tell us about Cabaret de Paris.

Cabaret de Paris is a beautiful old-fashioned song and dance extravaganza featuring some of the finest dancers in the world. Beautiful dancers that have all performed in the Moulin Rouge in Paris, extraordinary circus acts and, of course, the wonderful illusionist Michael Boyd. The costumes are spectacular, and when the company performs the can-can, it brings the house down.

I play the Grand Dame in this spectacular show, stringing it together with beautiful French songs, stories, striptease and dance, not to mention about 10 costume changes.  

It has always been my dream to be like one of the Moulin Rouge showgirls, in high heels and feathers. I truly thought I would never get the opportunity, so when Michael invited me to be part of it, I was absolutely thrilled. 

2. When did you know you wanted to be a performer? 

For as long as I can remember I’ve always wanted to perform on stage. This goes back to when I was about two years old when I did my first performance with the local dancing school. I was dressed as a jockey and got a little song called Camptown Races – Do da do da day.

It was at that moment that I knew all I ever wanted to do was to sing and dance … That wonderful feeling still remains within me all these years later.

3. Do you have any career highlights?

Celebrating now over 40 years in showbusiness, there are, of course, many highlights throughout that time.

One that jumps to mind was playing the lead in Hot Shoe Shuffle, a wonderful tap-dancing musical with seven gorgeous boys. It was a smash hit here in Australia and transferred to London West End. 

Another highlight is being cast as Tanya in the original Mamma Mia here in Australia. It was so much fun to sing ABBA every night, it felt like a big party.

Other highlights include the juvenile lead in the Broadway musical Sugar Babies alongside the legendary Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller.

Performing for Princess Diana and Bill Clinton has to be up there amongst the highlights as well.

4. What drew you to cabaret? 

I love the audience interaction you get from cabaret and the flexibility that you have with that to interact with the audience. It’s wonderful doing musical theatre, but cabaret has an element of danger about it that really thrills me and gets the old adrenaline pumping.

This is definitely the case with Cabaret De Paris, especially when I attempt the burlesque striptease.

5. What’s next?

I have only recently finished a nine-month run as Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray The Musical and went overseas to Europe for a month and have now come back refreshed and ready to do Cabaret De Paris shows throughout Australia. Canberra audiences are going to adore this show.

I also have several other concerts planned for this year and intend to write a new cabaret memoir later in the year.

Catch Rhonda Burchmore in Cabaret de Paris at Canberra Theatre Centre, 15-16 June; canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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