Jesus Christ Superstar | Australia
Cast
/ Creatives
Michael Paynter
Jesus
Michael Paynter has been a significant part of the Australian music industry landscape since first appearing in the clubs of Melbourne in 2004. He has been an international recording artist with Sony Music Worldwide, culminating in several top 20 singles and the multi-platinum Love The Fall (featuring The Veronicas) in 2010.
He has recorded albums in Los Angeles and the UK, and written and worked with the best of the best the world over. He has toured extensively in Australia and internationally, sharing arena and stadium stages with artists such as Miley Cyrus, Seal, The Script and 5 Seconds of Summer, as well as legends such as John Farnham and Hall and Oates. After more than a decade of creation and achievement, his name has become synonymous with quality, consistency and passion.
As a session musician, Michael is currently a full-time member of classic Australian band Icehouse, as well as the guitarist and vocalist in Australian icon Jimmy Barnes’ band, and performs live with Bachelor Girl, Killing Heidi, Delta Goodrem, Reece Mastin and many others. Michael was also music director for The Veronicas from 2013-2020, touring with them all over Australia/NZ, Europe, US and Asia. When not on tour, he is one half of MSquared, the 2023 ARIA Award-winning, Melbourne-based songwriting and production team currently making waves both here in Australia and internationally.
www.michaelpaynter.com
Javon King
Judas
Javon King (he/him) is a Green Room Award-winning New York City and Melbourne based actor, singer and dancer. Some of his Australian theatre credits include Tristan/Young Man 6 in The Inheritance at fortyfivedownstairs, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at Chapel off Chapel (Green Room Award winner for Best Supporting Actor), and Seaweed J. Stubbs in the Australian tour of Hairspray (Crossroads Live), for which he received a Green Room Award nomination for his performance. Javon received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Rider University in 2019.
Professionally back home in the US, Javon toured across the United States and internationally as Angel in the 20th and 25th Anniversary tours of RENT. His other credits include Henry/Jack understudy in Newsies and Mereb in Aida. Javon was also in a commercial for Hairspray Live! back in 2016 during the airing of the show! He is so grateful for this opportunity and to all of his friends and family back home for their continuous support of his dreams. Thank you to my amazing agencies, both back home in the US and in Australia!
@javond_king
Mahalia Barnes
Mary
Mahalia Barnes has been in and around music her entire life. Throughout her childhood years she was exposed to everything from Mahalia Jackson, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke to Ike + Tina Turner to Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder, all of which helped shape her into the powerhouse soul and blues vocalist that has jaws dropping every time she picks up a mic.
Mahalia has a unique ability to make her audience feel every word and note she sings. fearlessly vulnerable and deeply connected to the songs she performs. Mahalia Barnes + The Soul Mates consistently play to capacity crowds around the country. They have toured nationally and internationally alongside artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Roots, Mavis Staples, Joe Bonamassa, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones and more.
The Soul Mates consists of a floating line up of some of Australia’s most respected and in demand players, often featuring Clayton and Lachy Doley on keys, Franco Raggatt on guitar, Benjamin Rodgers on bass and Warren Trout on drums. The Soul Mates love to play intimate stripped back shows as well as big gigs where the band will sometimes include a horn section, or special guest vocalists like Karen Lee Andrews, Jade MacRae and Prinnie Stevens – but no matter what format, every single show is powerful, dynamic and one of a kind. If you are fortunate enough to be a part of the audience, you’re sure to be captivated, invited into Mahalia’s world and taken on a journey.
Mahalia and the band have released three full length albums as well as several EPs since 2006. Their 2015 album, Ooh Yea – The Betty Davis songbook, entered the US billboard blues charts at #10, and the Australian ARIA Jazz charts at #5. Their latest release, Hard Expectations, features appearances from US blues greats Kirk Fletcher and Joe Bonamassa, with the title track penned by none other than Don Walker.
Mahalia is also an in-demand session vocalist and live backing vocalist across multiple genres, everything from jazz, soul and blues to rock n roll, pop and rnb. Mahalia has recorded, toured and collaborated with the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Liam Gallagher, Beth Hart, George Benson, Robert Jon + The Wreck, Birds of Tokyo, Diesel, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes and David Campbell to name a few.