Latest news with #Collette
The Age
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
The inside story of how Australia's moment to shine in the arts world went horribly wrong
The historic grip of major galleries over Australia's representatives had been broken, and the newish selection process seemed to be serving Australia well. On December 16 last year, Collette and Creative Australia's head of visual arts, Mikala Tai, conferred and the pair's selection was confirmed, the decision tightly held in the organisation for weeks for fear it would leak. Among the select few with knowledge of the successful team, the decision was regarded as 'bold' or 'courageous' – Sabsabi's Lebanese heritage and public pro-Palestinian stance connected him to the Middle East at a time when conflict in that region was emotive and polarising. But a week before the planned February 7 announcement, police lobbed their own explosive device into this febrile mix, going public with their investigations into a caravan loaded with explosives in north-west Sydney. The incident was quickly labelled a 'terrorism threat', although later the Federal Police would describe it as 'a criminal con job'. By then, a federal election was imminent and polling showed voters were starting to turn against Labor. Loading Two days after the caravan discovery, Creative Australia briefed Minister for Arts Tony Burke on its upcoming announcement. Mention was made in the ministerial dispatch that Sabsabi, along with other artists, had withdrawn from the Sydney Festival in 2022 in protest after the festival accepted funding from the Israeli Embassy, 'out of solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause'. But the minister's office was not alerted to historical works which would later be raised in the Murdoch press and in parliament, including You (2007), a multichannel video and sound installation featuring imagery of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art. 'That the work was seen as highly ambiguous, and already nearly 20 years old … appears to have given staff confidence that any controversy connected with the work could be managed,' the report says. A staff member later left a message with Burke's office alerting them to the work's existence but appears not to have followed that call up. A 'questionable' matter The board of Creative Australia was backgrounded on the winning team but played no direct role in the selection process. Members were not alerted to any potential controversies. Days after the team's announcement, as its sister tabloid paper defended allegations it tried to entrap a Sydney cafe in an antisemitic sting, The Australian described Sabsabi's use of imagery of Nasrallah as 'ambiguous' and 'questionable'. Collette and senior members of his team were unaware of a second sensitive work, Thank you very much (2006) featuring imagery of the 9/11 attacks and US President George W. Bush, until Senate question time two days later when the Coalition's then-shadow arts minster Claire Chandler rose to her feet. By all accounts, Chandler's questions sparked panic. Soon after, around 3pm, the CEO, chair and head of public affairs held a call with Creative Australia's external communications advisers, who concluded the negative media narrative around the artist and his prior artworks posed a significant risk to the reputation of Creative Australia if the stories continued to run. Burke then called Adrian Collette at 3.30pm asking why he was not alerted to the contentious artwork. He later insisted he did not demand Sabsabi's head. The report found that the minister's statement was consistent with the information received by the panel during its review. Loading Collette later recalled in testimony to Senate estimates: 'We anticipate always that the selection of the Venice artist will be controversial. It has been from time immemorial. 'Everyone has a view on the artist, on the art. We don't resile from any of those decisions; we haven't in the past. But what happened at that moment was a recognition by me and the board that this entire process was going to be mired in the worst kind of divisive debate.' At 6.05pm an emergency meeting of the board had been convened, and it was determined to offer the artistic team the opportunity to withdraw from the project under threat of sacking. The board did not seek the advice of the head of visual arts or its head of communications, and did not allow the artist to present his case. It was beyond the panel's terms of reference to judge the legitimacy of the board's decision, but it's clear the board acted hastily without drawing breath. The board could have announced a review of the team's selection. Instead, it brought a gun. 'Nobody except those involved can ever know how fraught and heartbreaking that meeting was,' board member and artist Lindy Lee later recalled. She resigned the next day. Officially, the board said it acted to avoid the unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community of a 'prolonged and divisive debate'. The panel found the board felt compelled by 'a strongly negative narrative [that] was expected in the media around the artworks and the artist, and the decision to select the artist had become a matter of political debate'. Another factor that may have been weighing on some board members was the potential for the controversy to be used as a battering ram to reduce the funding and independence of Creative Australia. With an election imminent, Creative Australia faced an existential threat from cuts, real or imagined, as conservatives made every noise they would follow the playbook of Donald Trump in stirring up the culture wars. Notably, it is in a more benign political environment with Labor securing a thumping majority that Sabsabi and Dagostino have now been reinstated. In any event, at 7.41pm on February 13, Collette contacted the artistic team and advised them of the board's decision. Sabsabi and Dagostino refused to resign. Forty minutes later, after the board's statement was prepared, Collette made three unsuccessful attempts to contact them. Sabsabi and Dagostino later recalled being stunned by the turn of events: 'The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest platforms in Australian art,' Sabsabi told this masthead. 'To be selected and then have it withdrawn was devastating. It was heartbreaking and has caused ongoing anxiety. It's had a serious impact on my career, my wellbeing and my family's wellbeing.' By 6pm the following day the Herald had broken the news that philanthropist Simon Mordant had resigned, along with Mikala Tai and program manager Tahmina Maskinyar. Petitions and protests followed, the outrage lasting four months until the board voted two weeks ago to rescind its decision. Had Creative Australia been as well-prepared for the public announcement as it should have been, it is possible that its senior leadership and board may have reached a conclusion that any controversy around both works could be sensibly managed, the report concluded. The organisation was caught between its conflicting desire to do right by the artists and political realities. Ultimately, the entire mess could have been avoided if cooler heads had prevailed and due processes were followed. Changes afoot Former publisher Louise Adler is not the only commentator to draw parallels between the Sabsabi debacle and Antoinette Lattouf, the radio broadcaster who was last week awarded $70,000 after a Federal Court found she was unfairly sacked by the ABC for her political opinions concerning the war in Gaza. Like Lattouf, Sabsabi's pro-Palestinian views were well known at the time of his appointment, and complaints flooded Creative Australia as soon as the appointment was publicised, cheered on by the Murdoch media. Holding or expressing a political opinion was held by the federal court as not a valid reason for terminating Lattouf's employment, even at the national broadcaster. Sabsabi and Dagostino had been selected by an open expression of interest process, by an organisation founded on the principle of artistic independence. Both stand as an abject lesson to the dangers of knee-jerk reactions to pressure tactics. Sabsabi and Dagostino speak of a sense of renewed confidence that allows them to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant and collective hardship. The arts world feels vindicated by their intervention. Loading It's likely there will be changes to the Venice selection process, and there is every indication that Collette, an experienced arts administrator, will seek to make things right, and then make a diplomatic exit. 'At the end of the day, Adrian became the kingmaker,' said one campaigner. 'He brought the recommendation to the board. The buck stops with him.' Mikala Tai made a rare statement via social media after a period of media silence in which she said she had come to learn why she wanted to work in the arts industry. 'I have also learnt a lot about cultural leadership. That we have conferred leadership on administrators and that this is a distraction from the fact that artists remain the heart of the industry and that the moment we forget the artist, we sacrifice the industry.'
Travel Weekly
04-07-2025
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Tour operators and destinations begin preparations now for America's 250th birthday
Tour operators and tourism boards are gearing up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America's founding in 2026, with trips and events that focus on history and inspiration. While cities and states around the nation are partaking in the party, destinations along the Eastern Seaboard are expecting to draw huge crowds for the semiquincentennial, with storytelling about the nation's founding at the heart of their celebrations. Both tour operators and destination management organizations said they hope the stories of resilience will inspire unity. "There's no greater story than this one about our country ... and there's no bigger time than right now to tell and understand the story and for us all to embrace it," said Steve Born, chief marketing officer for the Globus family of brands. Globus unveiled Celebrating America: 250 Years Strong, a 10-day tour from Boston to Washington that will visit some of the nation's most historic cities while putting history into context, Born said. "This package is all about not just seeing these cities and hearing about the history and hitting all the must-see sites but having a layer in each city of our history, and how that's living history, and the effect that it has on our country, not only then but now," he said. Collette is offering an itinerary to celebrate the semiquincentennial, including a visit to Mount Vernon in Virginia. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Collette Collette will operate a nine-day Celebrating America's 250th Anniversary itinerary, also starting in Boston and ending in Washington. The idea is to start the trip where the American Revolution began and end in the nation's capital, said Diana Ditto, Collette's product marketing and growth strategy vice president. "A psychographic insight we have on our travelers is that they like to be inside the story, inside history," she said. "Our travelers do consider themselves, many of them, history buffs. ... They like to be walking in history." Some departure dates are already sold out, Ditto said, while Born said Globus has seen "good traction ... right away." American Cruise Lines also unveiled an itinerary to ring in America's milestone birthday, a 52-day trip from Oregon to Boston that includes three cruises, ending with a New England sailing and Independence Day in Boston. The river line will also operate a 32-day Revolutionary War trip, combining three sailings starting in Albany, N.Y., and ending in Washington. Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Visit Philadelphia is projecting increased visitor spend for the 250th anniversary of America's founding. Photo Credit: J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia Cities step up Prominently featured on all of these itineraries are the cities where the country's founding history was made: the start of the revolution, the development of America's cultural and financial hubs, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Tourism boards are not celebrating the semiquincentennial on just one day: They are stretching the festivities across 2026 with sporting events, art shows and festivals. New York will start the party early by celebrating the 400th anniversary of its founding in 2025 as a lead-up to next year. New York City Tourism + Conventions partnered with the city to launch "Founded By NYC," a campaign that focuses not only on the city's history but on its present and future. "It really does give us an opportunity to highlight the achievements in terms of the creativity and the resilience of our city and its people," said Julie Coker, CEO of the DMO. "What we would say is, 'Come see the New York that you may not know': We'll be creating different itineraries for those [stories] to be highlighted." Destination DC expects 2026 to bring record visitors to the nation's capital, said CEO Elliott Ferguson, who added that the organization is promoting its events to international visitors who are coming for the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. The anniversary creates an opportunity to highlight untold stories of the nation's history, he said. For example, a tour hosted by the nonprofit 51 Steps to Freedom features 300 stories from "hidden figures" in D.C. history and features lesser-known burial grounds, enslavement quarters and civil rights sites. Visit Philadelphia also expects its events related to America's 250th to draw major crowds, said CEO Angela Val, as the city was where the Declaration of Independence was drafted and signed, marking the nation's birth. Visit Philadelphia anticipates additional visitor spend of up to $1.6 billion in 2026, a figure that includes the impact from World Cup matches in the city, including one that will be held on the Fourth of July. The opportunity to use the semiquincentennial as a unifier for Americans and as a draw for international visitors to the city is also on the minds of planners, Val said. "Our core value is brotherly love and making sure that Philadelphia is seen as a welcoming place," she said. "We're America's birthplace. We're the birthplace of modern-day democracy. ... You have an opportunity here to be yourself and have a sense of belonging."
Sydney Morning Herald
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The inside story of how Australia's moment to shine in the arts world went horribly wrong
The historic grip of major galleries over Australia's representatives had been broken, and the newish selection process seemed to be serving Australia well. On December 16 last year, Collette and Creative Australia's head of visual arts, Mikala Tai, conferred and the pair's selection was confirmed, the decision tightly held in the organisation for weeks for fear it would leak. Among the select few with knowledge of the successful team, the decision was regarded as 'bold' or 'courageous' – Sabsabi's Lebanese heritage and public pro-Palestinian stance connected him to the Middle East at a time when conflict in that region was emotive and polarising. But a week before the planned February 7 announcement, police lobbed their own explosive device into this febrile mix, going public with their investigations into a caravan loaded with explosives in north-west Sydney. The incident was quickly labelled a 'terrorism threat', although later the Federal Police would describe it as 'a criminal con job'. By then, a federal election was imminent and polling showed voters were starting to turn against Labor. Loading Two days after the caravan discovery, Creative Australia briefed Minister for Arts Tony Burke on its upcoming announcement. Mention was made in the ministerial dispatch that Sabsabi, along with other artists, had withdrawn from the Sydney Festival in 2022 in protest after the festival accepted funding from the Israeli Embassy, 'out of solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause'. But the minister's office was not alerted to historical works which would later be raised in the Murdoch press and in parliament, including You (2007), a multichannel video and sound installation featuring imagery of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art. 'That the work was seen as highly ambiguous, and already nearly 20 years old … appears to have given staff confidence that any controversy connected with the work could be managed,' the report says. A staff member later left a message with Burke's office alerting them to the work's existence but appears not to have followed that call up. A 'questionable' matter The board of Creative Australia was backgrounded on the winning team but played no direct role in the selection process. Members were not alerted to any potential controversies. Days after the team's announcement, as its sister tabloid paper defended allegations it tried to entrap a Sydney cafe in an antisemitic sting, The Australian described Sabsabi's use of imagery of Nasrallah as 'ambiguous' and 'questionable'. Collette and senior members of his team were unaware of a second sensitive work, Thank you very much (2006) featuring imagery of the 9/11 attacks and US President George W. Bush, until Senate question time two days later when the Coalition's then-shadow arts minster Claire Chandler rose to her feet. By all accounts, Chandler's questions sparked panic. Soon after, around 3pm, the CEO, chair and head of public affairs held a call with Creative Australia's external communications advisers, who concluded the negative media narrative around the artist and his prior artworks posed a significant risk to the reputation of Creative Australia if the stories continued to run. Burke then called Adrian Collette at 3.30pm asking why he was not alerted to the contentious artwork. He later insisted he did not demand Sabsabi's head. The report found that the minister's statement was consistent with the information received by the panel during its review. Loading Collette later recalled in testimony to Senate estimates: 'We anticipate always that the selection of the Venice artist will be controversial. It has been from time immemorial. 'Everyone has a view on the artist, on the art. We don't resile from any of those decisions; we haven't in the past. But what happened at that moment was a recognition by me and the board that this entire process was going to be mired in the worst kind of divisive debate.' At 6.05pm an emergency meeting of the board had been convened, and it was determined to offer the artistic team the opportunity to withdraw from the project under threat of sacking. The board did not seek the advice of the head of visual arts or its head of communications, and did not allow the artist to present his case. It was beyond the panel's terms of reference to judge the legitimacy of the board's decision, but it's clear the board acted hastily without drawing breath. The board could have announced a review of the team's selection. Instead, it brought a gun. 'Nobody except those involved can ever know how fraught and heartbreaking that meeting was,' board member and artist Lindy Lee later recalled. She resigned the next day. Officially, the board said it acted to avoid the unacceptable risk to public support for Australia's artistic community of a 'prolonged and divisive debate'. The panel found the board felt compelled by 'a strongly negative narrative [that] was expected in the media around the artworks and the artist, and the decision to select the artist had become a matter of political debate'. Another factor that may have been weighing on some board members was the potential for the controversy to be used as a battering ram to reduce the funding and independence of Creative Australia. With an election imminent, Creative Australia faced an existential threat from cuts, real or imagined, as conservatives made every noise they would follow the playbook of Donald Trump in stirring up the culture wars. Notably, it is in a more benign political environment with Labor securing a thumping majority that Sabsabi and Dagostino have now been reinstated. In any event, at 7.41pm on February 13, Collette contacted the artistic team and advised them of the board's decision. Sabsabi and Dagostino refused to resign. Forty minutes later, after the board's statement was prepared, Collette made three unsuccessful attempts to contact them. Sabsabi and Dagostino later recalled being stunned by the turn of events: 'The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest platforms in Australian art,' Sabsabi told this masthead. 'To be selected and then have it withdrawn was devastating. It was heartbreaking and has caused ongoing anxiety. It's had a serious impact on my career, my wellbeing and my family's wellbeing.' By 6pm the following day the Herald had broken the news that philanthropist Simon Mordant had resigned, along with Mikala Tai and program manager Tahmina Maskinyar. Petitions and protests followed, the outrage lasting four months until the board voted two weeks ago to rescind its decision. Had Creative Australia been as well-prepared for the public announcement as it should have been, it is possible that its senior leadership and board may have reached a conclusion that any controversy around both works could be sensibly managed, the report concluded. The organisation was caught between its conflicting desire to do right by the artists and political realities. Ultimately, the entire mess could have been avoided if cooler heads had prevailed and due processes were followed. Changes afoot Former publisher Louise Adler is not the only commentator to draw parallels between the Sabsabi debacle and Antoinette Lattouf, the radio broadcaster who was last week awarded $70,000 after a Federal Court found she was unfairly sacked by the ABC for her political opinions concerning the war in Gaza. Like Lattouf, Sabsabi's pro-Palestinian views were well known at the time of his appointment, and complaints flooded Creative Australia as soon as the appointment was publicised, cheered on by the Murdoch media. Holding or expressing a political opinion was held by the federal court as not a valid reason for terminating Lattouf's employment, even at the national broadcaster. Sabsabi and Dagostino had been selected by an open expression of interest process, by an organisation founded on the principle of artistic independence. Both stand as an abject lesson to the dangers of knee-jerk reactions to pressure tactics. Sabsabi and Dagostino speak of a sense of renewed confidence that allows them to move forward with optimism and hope after a period of significant and collective hardship. The arts world feels vindicated by their intervention. Loading It's likely there will be changes to the Venice selection process, and there is every indication that Collette, an experienced arts administrator, will seek to make things right, and then make a diplomatic exit. 'At the end of the day, Adrian became the kingmaker,' said one campaigner. 'He brought the recommendation to the board. The buck stops with him.' Mikala Tai made a rare statement via social media after a period of media silence in which she said she had come to learn why she wanted to work in the arts industry. 'I have also learnt a lot about cultural leadership. That we have conferred leadership on administrators and that this is a distraction from the fact that artists remain the heart of the industry and that the moment we forget the artist, we sacrifice the industry.'
Sunday World
30-06-2025
- Sunday World
Loyalist woman killer and dangerous paedophile confronted by Sunday World
UVF murderer and child-porn perv is 'sorry' for 1970s execution of woman Jackie MacCauley answers his front door to the Sunday World this week The podgy pensioner pictured here is a UVF woman killer and dangerous paedophile, the Sunday World can reveal. John 'Jackie' MacCauley (78) appeared at Antrim Magistrates Court two weeks ago where he pleaded guilty to possessing a mobile phone capable of accessing the internet, which he had been banned from having after he was convicting of possessing sordid child abuse. MacCauley will appear in court again at the end of next month for sentencing. At a previous court hearing, where he was facing a string of child porn offences, it emerged MacCauley had told investigating detectives: 'I'm just a dirty old bastard — I'm guilty.' But a Sunday World probe revealed this week that MacCauley had recently bought a laptop computer which can also access the internet. And we also learned that he even had the brass neck to ask an unsuspecting young woman to set up the new computer in the living room of his own home. Collette in the Women's Royal Army Corps Originally from the ferry-port town of Larne in Co. Antrim, but now living in Ballymena, MacCauley was sent down for life in 1975 for the sectarian murder of 31-year-old Catholic mother-of-four Collette Brown. Her body was found dumped at the side of a country lane near Larne's Craigyhill estate. A former serving soldier in the Women's Royal Army Corps, Collette was a member of the popular and ultimately tragic Kelly family from Larne's Antiville estate. As Catholics living on a predominantly Protestant estate, the Kellys were particularly vulnerable to attack by loyalist paramilitaries. Jackie MacCauley answers his front door to the Sunday World this week And this week for the first time, MacCauley publicly apologised for Collette's savage murder. Speaking on the doorstep of his Ballymena flat, MacCauley bizarrely thanked us for giving him the opportunity to express his remorse. He said: 'I've visited Collette's grave a dozen times and each time I said I was sorry.' But despite being pressed by the Sunday World, MacCauley refused to apologise for his persistent and ongoing paedophile behaviour. MacCauley is quizzed this week by our man Hugh Jordan We told MacCauley that we knew he had recently pleaded guilty to possessing a phone capable of accessing the internet, which contravened a court order. And we told him that the courts viewed each child abuse picture found in his possession as representing an innocent victim. MacCauley appeared lost for words. And before closing the door, he said: 'I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking any more, but thank you, thank you.' MacCauley currently lives in a development in Ballymena which caters for over-55s. He moved there after his home on Larne's Craigyhill estate was attacked by the UDA. MacCauley's previous home was near the famous Craigyhill super-bonfire site and just a short distance from where he dumped Collette Brown's body. Over a nine-year period during the early years of the Troubles, the Kellys had two family members murdered by loyalists, even through both victims had served with the British security services. MacCauley's former home in Larne after it was attacked by loyalist paramilitaries A Larne resident who knew the Kelly family well told us: 'The Kellys' dad died at the very start of the Troubles and they had to survive as best they could. 'After the B-Specials were disbanded, young Protestants joined the UDR in droves. But they were also members of the UDA. They would wander round Craigyhill and Antiville during the day wearing their UDR uniforms,' he said. 'Then in the evening they would get out their UDA uniforms and parade around with wooden cudgels, looking for Catholic victims.' Another Kelly brother, William, had his hand cut off with a hacksaw by drunken loyalists who had tied him to a chair inside a third-floor flat. But the badly injured man was able to escape and run 70 yards to his sister's home on Kintyre Road, where she called an ambulance. MacCauley is quizzed this week by our man Hugh Jordan William was rushed to the Ulster Hospital in Belfast where, during an eight-hour operation, surgeons successfully re-attached his hacked-off hand to his wrist. The day before Collette's body was discovered, she had attended another brother's wedding and she later went on to a party. And it was from there she was abducted by powerfully-built Jackie MacCauley. Accompanied by a serving lance corporal in the British army's Ulster Defence Regiment, MacCauley drove the young mum to a quiet country road, where she was shot. Separated from her husband at the time of her death, the single mum's children were aged from two and 13. Both of her killers were later convicted of murder. MacCauley was handed a life sentence, but was released after serving just nine years behind bars. The Kelly family plot where Collette Brown and her murdered brother James are buried Collette is buried in the same grave as her 25-year-old brother James, who was murdered by loyalists in June 1973. James had served in the UDR for three months before quitting. He was abducted by a UDA gang while hitching a lift back to Larne from Corr's Corner after visiting his girlfriend. His body was found at the side of the road to Larne, just like his sister's would be two years later. Seven years later and riddled with guilt, one of James Kelly's killers approached an off-duty police officer in a Larne hotel and he confessed to his role in the murder. He was jailed for life. At his trial, the court heard how James had been selected for murder at a UDA meeting in a homing pigeon club in Larne. The murder squad was selected by the drawing of lots, the court also heard.
Hamilton Spectator
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
New Brunswick's Justin Collette is the ghost with the most in ‘Beetlejuice' musical
TORONTO - Even the walls of Justin Collette's dressing room scream, 'Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.' While most theatre actors would choose a Zen-like atmosphere in their backstage quarters, Collette prefers a little anarchy. Hanging around the room are nearly a dozen fan sketches of the living dead trickster he portrays in 'Beetlejuice: The Musical,' as well as drawings of his goth teen sidekick Lydia and the grotesque sandworm that invades her suburban home. 'This is like a fifth of fan art I've been given — so many cool, cool things,' Collette says with a smile, while the music of Italian rock band Måneskin blares over a speaker. 'I have to ship much of it home because it's hard to travel with anything on the road.' Collette is preparing for opening night at Toronto's CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, where 'Beetlejuice: The Musical' runs for six weeks, until July 19. It's the longest stop for the travelling show where he plays the character made famous by Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's 1988 dark comedy film. The New Brunswick native says he's excited to plant himself in a city where he once lived. Everything about his life on the road is a routine, including the hours leading up to his nightly performance. He comes into his dressing room, surveys the fan art, and then settles into a chair as makeup artist Andrew Ozbun begins to apply his Beetlejuice face. It's a process that Ozbun says once took an hour, but he now manages to finish in about half that time. Over the past 2 1/2 years, Collette has been criss-crossing North America, playing the wisecracking Beetlejuice practically every night. It's a gruelling role that calls for high energy, spastic movements and improvised witty quips. Before the show, Collette slips in and out of the character with ease, adopting the gravelly voice and wide-eyed mannerisms like he's flipping on a switch. 'One of the things about doing this for like 900 shows is that my facial muscles are atrophying,' he says. 'I don't know how Jim Carrey isn't lopsided because I have to get dry needled all the time to get my eyes and jaw to work.' Despite the physical challenges, Collette is buzzing about this opportunity to entertain Canadian audiences for a good chunk of the summer. He spent his early career in Toronto sharpening his skills as an improv comedian, and the crew has draped a banner of little Canadian flags across his wardrobe as a reminder of his homecoming. 'I feel like here I can relax into my own sensibilities,' he says of performing for locals. 'Because I kind of agree with them on what is good and what isn't, because I'm one of them.' Collette made his name on Broadway in the 2015 adaptation of 'School of Rock,' playing Dewey Finn, the music-obsessed teacher first portrayed by Jack Black in the Hollywood comedy. On stage, Collette took over the role from Alex Brightman, who decided to leave 'School of Rock' to become live theatre's first Beetlejuice. 'He was so excited about how funny it was,' Collette remembers of his friend's leap to the ghostly character. 'When I went to see (it), I agreed. It really was like nothing I'd ever seen on Broadway.' Collette didn't think he'd ever get to play Beetlejuice, until one day the opportunity arose for him to audition for the lead part in a travelling production of the show. 'I knew exactly how I wanted to do it,' he says of the character. 'It's hard to explain. I heard the cadence of how I was going to (speak) ... even when I read the script. I just knew.' After Collette got the part, he began refining his version of Beetlejuice to make it independent of his predecessors. 'I don't think it looks good when somebody does an impression of somebody else's character in one of these things,' he says. 'It's just diminishing returns because you'll inevitably just get compared to them.' Collette did lift a few mannerisms from the cinematic source material, he admits. Most notably, he liked Keaton's 'open-legged goblin run' in one scene of the movie, which he uses several times in throughout the musical. '(It's) little things, because I don't want him to be unrecognizable, right?' Collette says. 'So you've got to borrow some stuff.' Staying in the Beetlejuice role this long hasn't lost its appeal for him either. Collette says he's set personal goals for his portrayal, and then pushed himself to go further by 'sharpening movements and trying to dig into moments to mine them for little comedy bits.' Each night, as he stares out into the crowd of theatregoers and costumed Beetlejuice fans, he rises to another challenge of making Beetlejuice a little more his own. ''Make it your own' sounds so lame to me,' he interjects. 'You have to figure out who you are.' And with that, his makeup is finished, and Collette is buzzing with mischievous energy. Surveying his dressing room one last time, he pauses before whipping out one of Beetlejuice's trademark phrases, punctuated by his hearty growl. 'It's shooowtiiime!' he shouts. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2025.
