Exerpt from "Seth's Chatterbox"

ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: Tony Sheldon 

By Seth Rudetsky
06 Feb 2012



I was back at Seth's Broadway Chatterbox this week with all three male leads from Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Tony Sheldon (Tony-nominated for playing Bernadette) grew up in Australia with a super-famous musical theatre star mother, Toni Lamond. Here's one of her youtube videos. Add to his pedigree…his aunt is Helen Reddy! I asked him about a role we both played: Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy. He did his in Australia and he said that the ad campaign featured a picture of him in drag and underneath it said, "Meet Arnold. You may have more in common with him than you think." And…the show tanked. Then another producer came along, moved it to another city and the ad campaign featured no drag and instead featured other cast members like Laurel (the pretty girl dating Arnold's boyfriend) and Arnold's mother. He said the ad had something written on it like, "Aren't families wacky!?!" Cut to: it ran for two years!

I asked him what his most mortifying audition was, and he remembered auditioning for some pop musical in Australia being directed by Tom O'Horgan (Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar). Tony researched the Beatles and decided to do "With a Little Help From My Friends." He got to the theatre and saw that the pianist was in the pit. He bent down to give him the music, but the guy was so far into the pit that Tony had to literally lie on his stomach on the stage and then reach his hand all the way forward. So, he laid down, handed him the music and stood back up again. The vamp began, he sang, "What would you do if I sang — " and suddenly heard "THANK YOU!"

Literally one measure! Tony wanted to flee but instead he had to get his music. Meaning he had to lie down again, reach his hand out, get his music and then flee. And flee he did. He's hoping to stay here in America. Brava!