Ballarat Performing Arts Centre – 19 September 2026

Specially devised by Rushan Hewawasam, Victoria Welsh Choir presented their first West End to Broadway concert celebrating the best of musical hits over the years. Compère Drew Hopkins dramatically opened up the possibility of A Musical from the  Something Rotten! show. In contrast to the exuberant first song, the choir quietened down to steal upon their prey With Cat-like Tread from The Pirates of Penzance.

There followed 3 songs from the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon. Firstly, There Is Nothing Like a Dame from South Pacific with a spoken solo by Bendigo’s Keva Lloyd and the audience eagerly singing along while agreeing with the general premise. This was followed by our guest baritone Stephen Coutts melodiously singing Some Enchanted Evening from the same show. He continued with Edelweiss from the Sound of Music. The capacity audience obviously knew it so well that Rushan invited them to reprise the chorus which they did with great sensitivity.  Stephen continued with a dramatic version of If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof before the choir segued into Sunrise, Sunset from the same musical.  Befitting a male choir, the next song was Stout Hearted Men from The New Moon followed by the exuberant Seventy-Six Trombones from The Music Man. The first half finished with a special arrangement (one of nine throughout the program by Rushan) of You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel and Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music, again enhanced by very enthusiastic singing from the assembled company.

The second half opened with the very lively The Rhythm of Life from Sweet Charity which led to the patrons eagerly joining in to Get Me to the Church on Time from My Fair Lady.  Stephen came back to the microphone to perform the poignant Evermore from Beauty and the Beast before nonetheless articulating When Words Fail from Shrek the Musical. Cole Porter’s Were Thine That Special Face from Kiss Me, Kate was shrewdly and beautifully enunciated.  Stephen continued with I Know Him So Well from Chess and, in a surprise move, was joined by Rushan in a beautifully modulated duet which attracted huge acclaim.

The choir came back with the very wise Love Changes Everything from Aspects of Love before Bendigo’s baritone Barry Leviny launched into the most modern song in the concert – the comic You’ll Be Back from the hit show Hamilton.

Stephen then led the choir with Javert’s solo Stars from Les Misérables before again combining with the choir on The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha. For the finale, the choir, orchestra and Stephen moved from windmills to Whispering Jack and the iconic anthem You’re the Voice made famous by John Farnham. The whole arts centre rocked with the audience singing and clapping their way through the chorus  before the slightly enigmatic but optimistic finish.

With sustained applause the audience heartily thanked Rushan, Stephen, accompanists Mary O’Driscoll and Janice Noh and the six talented musicians in the orchestra. And, of course, the choristers, as well as the very happy patrons, who certainly didn’t sit in silence.

Photo by Glynis Rose

If you missed us in Ballarat you have a second chance to hear us with exactly the same program at Carey on October 4.