West Melbourne local shines in Mamma Mia! The Musical

Matt Hamilton is having an “absolute blast” performing in the Australian tour of Mamma Mia! The Musical, with Melbourne being the last stop of the production’s national run, closing on December 10.

The West Melbourne resident plays Father Alexander in the show as well as covering all the dads of protagonist Sophie; a multi-faceted role that sees him adapting to potential changes at a moment’s notice.

However, Matt is certainly no novice when it comes to the challenges of the role.

“This is my second time around, as I also performed in this production when it was last in Melbourne,” Matt told North West City News.

“Melbourne audiences have been fantastic, they’re up on their feet, singing along – it’s just fantastic.”

While Matt describes growing up in a musical household and “always singing”, the journey that led him to performing on stage professionally came by a mere twist of fate.

“I started taking dance lessons as a boy and found that I was pretty decent at it, that led to high school productions, competition choir and local amateur musical theatre productions until finally a friend asked me to drive them to a professional theatre audition,” Matt said.

I ended up auditioning myself and got the job – that was 25 years ago, and I haven’t looked back since.

While most audiences would be familiar with iconic ABBA tunes such as Dancing Queen, Voulez Vous and Take a Chance On Me, Matt said that singing in the show was more difficult than people may think.

“The layering and the vocal harmonies are incredibly challenging and rewarding to be a part of,” he said.

As well as his role in Mamma Mia!, Matt’s theatre credentials extend to some of Australia’s most famous theatre productions; Legally Blonde, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Georgy Girl, Into the Woods, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dream Lover and the Australian premier of Wicked.

“So much of this industry is out of your own personal control, but constant development and pursuit of upskilling, positive mindset, and of course, a little bit of talent, are what get you through,” Matt said.

“I hope to continue working and do more lead work, as well as I hope to produce my first creative project in the next coming years.”

Originally from the Midwest of the United States, Matt and his family have been living in Melbourne’s north-west for the past 11 years and he describes it as an “awesome spot” to put down Australian roots.

“We love it – the local cafes and coffee shops, we know everyone by name at our local, schools for our kids are great, and in a pinch I can walk into the CBD.”

Matt and the cast of Mamma Mia! The Musical will perform their final show on December 10 at the Princess Theatre, finishing an incredible 2023 season. •