Ryan Gonzalez
Ryan Gonzalez as Santiago & Samantha Dodemaide as Nina in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
Photo: Michelle Grace Hunder.
Growing up in the Illawarra with a passion for musical theatre Ryan Gonzalez had to endure incredibly long days to achieve a dream. Ryan's dedication & persistent effort has paid off though with them winning a Sydney Theatre Award in 2018. More recently they also performed the role of Santiago The Argentinian in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
During a rare gap in their schedule, Ryan recently sat down with Pario to chat about their journey.
Ryan's journey begins as a very energetic, young boy. "As a kid, I never really had any chill. So my parents would put me into every after-school activity they could find, just so they could have a moment to chill," laughed Ryan. All of these after-school activities were in the performance space. Be it dance, acting, or music. However, it wasn't until Ryan was 14 years old & their parents took them to Sydney's Lyric Theatre that they realised the disciplines could be combined.
"I've grown up dancing since I was about 3 years old. I remember seeing Singing In The Rain & turning to my parents astonished that they were singing, dancing & acting all at once," reflected Ryan. "That moment gave me a taste of what else was available outside of just dancing. From then on I was obsessed."
Although Ryan developed this obsession they knew completing school was still critical. So they continued at school, completing year 12, whilst still pursuing dance. In year 11 Ryan was awarded a scholarship to Bent Street Studios in Sydney, which would further drive their passion & dedication to the art.
"I would have to get on the train in Albion Park at 5:40 am to travel to Sydney for a half day of academics & half day of dance/acting/acro etc," explained Ryan. "Doing that instilled a very good work ethic in me. I remember my parents would get up with me at 4:30 am, so if I didn't feel like going I would feel bad for making them get up."
Once school was finished Ryan dove head-first into auditions. Eventually landing a swing role in Legally Blonde The Musical.
As a swing performer Ryan was tasked with learning multiple different roles. As a swing, Ryan was tasked with covering any unexpected openings throughout the season. Obviously an incredibly difficult position but also a vitally important member of the cast. Reflecting back on that experience Ryan said, "Swinging is probably the hardest job in theatre. It's also something everybody should do at least once in their career! I'm such a perfectionist but I learned very quickly that the job of a swing actually isn't to be perfect. It's simply to keep the show going."
After completing their musical theatre "crash course" Ryan would go on to portray Usnavi in the musical In The Heights. A role that would see them winning the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Actor In A Musical in 2018.
Most recently though Ryan has been performing in the beloved Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Sydney's Capitol Theatre. A role that was a long time coming. Thanks in large part to that pesky global pandemic.
"I found out about the show right before COVID. I was about to go into my audition but then they stopped auditions the day before I was scheduled," Ryan told Pario. "I was fully prepared & then I sat at home for a year! Over lockdown, we started sending in tapes & doing Zoom sessions to workshop. I did about 4-5 video auditions but then they went back to in-person auditions & the process restarted. I did another 8 in-person auditions where I partnered with a lot of different dancers."
Having such a drawn-out audition process was emotionally challenging & draining according to Ryan.
"We had just come out of lockdown & I was doing a show called Fun Home at Sydney Theatre Company. But I knew once that was finished I didn't have any income or any savings to fall back on. I knew this was an incredible role, but also a great opportunity for me to step into a more principal space. I was just excited to have a stable wage. I think that is what made this experience very intense & very emotional. We all knew this wasn't just another show but instead, it was the show that was helping us get back on track."
Not only did this show get the careers of Ryan & their fellow cast members back on track but Moulin Rouge! The Musical has helped get Sydney musical theatre audiences back!
"The audience has been gagging for it!" laughed Ryan. "Australians feel some kind of ownership because the film was directed by Baz Luhrmann & it was made in Australia. So performing this show for the first few times we realised just how much of an event it is & how huge it is for the audience to be seeing it... I've never had a theatre experience like this before & probably won't again for quite a while."
In closing our conversation with Ryan we asked what advice they would give to other young actors. Especially those from regional areas who want to make it to the big stages of capital cities.
"The advice that I would give to a younger me would be to stop boxing yourself in," Ryan answered. "I used to tell myself a lot that I was just a dancer & then forget about all of the other things that make me me. It has only been through performing recently that I've realised that no one box solidifies what my skills are."
Keep up with Ryan on social media at: @RGonzy or www.RyanGonzalez.org
Support Pario Magazine
Become A Publisher
$10 / Month
- Name Added To Publisher List
- Physical Print Issue
- Early Access
-
