Topic: “Let’s put on a show”

Presenter: Tom Sweeney

Tom Sweeney was President of Willoughby Theatre Company (WTC) for 12 years, which in 2022 celebrated 65 years of staging Broadway musicals to patrons on the north shore and wider Sydney. Both Tom and his wife Joy have been members of WTC for over 54 years and during that time, Tom has directed over 40 musicals for that company and directed plays and musicals for other companies in Sydney. The WTC now stages all its productions in the magnificent Concourse Chatswood and annually stages two major Broadway musicals and one Cabaret. In 2023 the company will stage “Sound of Music” and “Cats”. Tom has directed such shows as Les Miserable, The Boy From Oz, Titanic, Zorba, Meet Me In St Louis, The

Scarlet Pimpernel, 42nd Street and has appeared on stage in Camelot, Half a Sixpence, Brigadoon and Pyjama Game to name a few.

At our September meeting, Tom presented a behind the scenes description of how musicals are actually chosen, cast, rehearsed and staged and how it is now a big business not just a hobby. WTC regularly attracts about 10,000 patrons a year to its shows and spends an average of $275,000 on each production.