Styles/Themes
David Campbell
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LocationBrisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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Best Musical Theatre Performer of the Year |
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| David Joseph Campbell was born in Adelaide, Australia on August 6, 1973. Raised by his grandmother, he grew up wanting to be a performer. He didn’t find out he was the son of Australian rock star, Jimmy Barnes, until he was 11, but singing was in his genes.
He began working professionally in Australia in 1993, after extensive training in youth theatre, during which he won an Australia Day award for his contribution to youth stars.
David first attracted attention in Sydney with his role in the hit Australian play Relative Merits, followed by roles in several other plays, in addition to his first major singing roles in cabaret performances at the Stables Theatre. His breakthrough performance was in the highly lauded revival of Alex Harding’s musical, Only Heaven Knows, for which he was nominated for a MO Award (Australia’s equivalent to the U.S.’s Tony Award) for Best Musical Theatre Performer of the Year. |
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A Natural Entertainer |
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| In 1995, David gained much attention for his performance at a master class with Barbara Cook in Melbourne, which eventually led to an invitation to perform in New York. In 1996 he won acclaim for his role in the Tony Award winning Love! Valor! Compassion! and recorded his first CD, Yesterday Is Now. He went on to perform at the New York Cabaret Convention, leading to a series of performances in New York, proving to be a captivating entertainer and gaining an enormous amount of praise and attention, with Time Out New York describing him as "creating the biggest buzz since Streisand".
Similar critical acclaim followed other performances and he was nominated for a MAC Award for Outstanding New York Debut. In 1997, David returned to Australia for a national tour and recorded his second CD, Taking the Wheel for Polygram, after which h e returned to the USA for another tour and became the youngest performer to headline at Rainbow and Stars, the prestigious night club in New York City. The New York Times called him "a natural entertainer who oozes star quality" and the Village Voice described him as "the best male singer in years". He returned to Australia to perform the role of Marius in the 10th anniversary production of Les Miserables, winning the MO Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and, during this time, also won the New York Backstage Bistro Award as Outstanding Vocalist of the Year, accepted on his behalf by Barbara Cook. |
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Joseph...King of Dreams |
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| In 1998, David performed 2 sold out concerts at the Theatre Royal in Sydney, then performed in a special benefit concert in London, Hey Mr. Producer, the Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh, which was attended by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, televised by PBS and released on video and CD. In June, David was honored by Ross Smith High School, which he had attended as a teenager, by their dedicating the performing arts building, The David Campbell Performing Arts Wing. Also in 1998, David performed two additional weeks at Rainbow and Stars and the title role in the workshop of the new musical Don Juan DeMarco. In addition, he was featured in a "60 Minutes" profile and on the CBS Sunday Morning Show.
During 1999, David performed in the award winning show, Sweet Dreams with songwriter, John Bucchino; had the lead role in the City Center production of Babes in Arms, was nominated for the MAC Award for Major Male Vocalist, played Lt. Cable in the 50th Anniversary Concert of South Pacific, performed twice at Carnegie Hall with the Boston Pops Orchestra and then did a one man show at the Cremorne Orpheum Theatre in Sydney to sold out audiences. In September he was awarded the "Variety Club of Australia Heart Award" for Australian Performer of the Year. He also landed the lead role of Jimmy Smith in the Broadway bound, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Closing out the year, David headlined the New Year’s Eve Hopman Cup Ball celebration in Sydney. After several USA concert dates in 2000, David performed the lead role of Gene in Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night, an off-Broadway musical written by Mr. Sondheim at the age of 24, but not previously produced. David received rave reviews and was featured in several newspaper and magazine articles. In June, David moved back to Sydney and performed the lead role of Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls and later, at the 2000 Olympics Arts Festival with the legendary Barbara Cook. In November, he returned to the U.S. for 6 performances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and to attend the premier of the animated, Dream Works film, Joseph...King of Dreams, in which David sings the voice of the title character. |
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Recording Credits |
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| As of January, 2001, David has been starring in the new Australian musical, Shout!...The Story of the Wild One. The show is based on the life of Australian Rock & Roll legend, Johnny O’Keefe and will have performances in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and other Australian cities. This show has received critical acclaim and standing ovations for David who has at the age of 27, achieved more than many artists twice his age. His definition of success, however, is "...continuing to change and grow...not sitting back on your laurels".
David has appeared on virtually every major television and radio show in Australia and several in the United States. His recording credits include: Yesterday is Now, Taking the Wheel, Grateful...the Songs of John Bucchino, Hey Mr. Producer, Number One Musicals, Banana Lounge, and cast recordings of Saturday Night, Babes in Arms, Only Heaven Knows, A Kid Inside, and Shout!...the Musical. |
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