Kane Alexander
Kane Alexander is an Australian jazz singer, classical singer, and television actor. He has appeared on Blue Heelers, Neighbours, Stingers and Good Morning Australia. Early life Alexander grew up in Victoria, where he was raised on an isolated farm in the Victoria's wheat-belt. At the age of six, he discovered a box of old records belonging to his grandparents in an old shed. These included artists such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Slim Dusty. One of the records was by Mario Lanza, who he thanks for sparking his lifelong love for operatic and classical singing. He studied and graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in voice and drama, after which worked in jazz clubs in New York. After working in the New York jazz scene from 2000 to 2002, he returned to Australia. Professional career Alexander is best known for his lead roles he has performed on the Australian stage. Some of his well-known roles include Bobby Strong in Melbourne Theatre Company's Urinetown, Claude in Hair, Willard in Footloose, Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, and the Scarecrow in the Sydney season of The Wizard Of Oz. He has also appeared in the 10th-anniversary production of Les Misérables, South Pacific, Only Heaven Knows and Angry Penguins. Alexander has also toured Australia in concert with the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2000, Kane took his cabaret show to New York. There he appeared at the FireBird Cafe and Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room. In the 2001 New York Cabaret Awards, he was named "Best New Voice" in the Theatermania Cabaret list, and won both the BISTRO and MAC Awards for "Most Outstanding Debut". Furthermore, he became "Critic's Pick" in the New York Post, and "Pick of the Week" in New York's Time Out Magazine for three consecutive weeks. In 2002, he was requested to perform alongside Natalie Cole at Rupert Murdoch's 70th birthday party, hosted in New York. After his return to Australia, he was named a finalist in the Arts section of the 2001 Young Australian of the Year Awards, and nominated for a MO Award for his performance in Footloose. Kane also completed a tour with the Australian Philharmonic Orchestra, performing The Music of Lerner & Loewe at concert halls around Australia. Alexander has also made several television appearances, such as Good Morning Australia, Denise, The Midday Show, In Melbourne Tonight, Carols By Candlelight and The Good Friday Appeal Gala, along with roles in Late For School, Neighbours, Water Rats and Stingers. He also appeared as a guest performer on the 18 June 2006 special broadcast of The Footy Show which was filmed in Munich in which he performed the song "Timeless" with Australian icon Tina Arena. The show was specially broadcast in support of the Australian soccer team for the 2006 world cup. Kane Alexander (debut album) The concept for the album emerged from Kane's passion for pop, opera, and the sweeping orchestration of the most memorable movie themes. "I wanted to make an album that