Paddington’s beloved musical theatre couple Belinda and Michael Lewis are stepping back into the limelight together, and in the most powerful way imaginable.
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The husband-and-wife duo are leading the Queensland premiere season of Parade, the acclaimed musical by Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry, opening 19 July at Brisbane’s Ron Hurley Theatre.
It’s the first Brisbane staging of the show in 20 years, and the debut production from Bump In Productions, the company they co-founded to bring neglected Broadway and West End gems to Australian audiences.
The husband-and-wife duo first met in the original Australian production of Urinetown – The Musical, where their on-stage chemistry soon became a real-life romance. They married not long after, and while both remained active in the theatre world – including co-founding Bump In Productions – it wasn’t until nearly 20 years later that they shared the stage again, this time as the Beast and Belle in QMT’s Beauty and the Beast in 2021.
Belinda, originally from Sydney, holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts in Theatre Performance from the University of Wollongong and a Certificate V in Dance from Brent Street Studios. Her impressive list of credits includes Kate Murphy in the original Australian production of Titanic – The Musical (Theatre Royal, Sydney), Mae Coleman in Reefer Madness (Squabbalogic), Rebecca in Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Seymour Centre), Eve in Children of Eden (MTOL), and Kim in Bye Bye Birdie (MMS).
Michael, a long-time performer in musical theatre, has played many of his dream roles, including John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music, Bobby Strong in Urinetown, Lieutenant Cioffi in Curtains, Elliot Garfield in The Goodbye Girl, Lancelot in Camelot, Tony in West Side Story, and Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
A Landmark Revival of a Groundbreaking Musical
Set in early 20th-century Georgia, Parade tells the harrowing true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory manager falsely accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl. The musical confronts themes of anti-Semitism, injustice, and mob mentality, while also highlighting the endurance of love and personal redemption in the face of unimaginable persecution.
Michael plays Leo, whose journey is less about proving innocence and more about the transformation of a man forced to grapple with hatred and his own shortcomings. Belinda portrays Lucille Frank, Leo’s steadfast wife, whose strength and loyalty become central to the story’s emotional core.
The production is directed by Johnny Peek (Rent, Sweeney Todd), with musical direction by Michael Keen and choreography by Maureen Bowra. The cast features seasoned professionals from across southeast Queensland, brought together to do justice to a musical celebrated for both its haunting beauty and historical weight.
First staged in 1998, Parade won Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Book, and its 2023 revival earned Best Revival of a Musical. Its soaring ballads and stirring anthems, coupled with a fearless exploration of difficult truths, have secured its place as one of the most significant works in modern musical theatre.
Belinda views Parade as urgently relevant, especially in a time of rising prejudice, while Michael believes its impact lies in its ability to challenge audiences to confront the complexities of justice, hate, and love. For director Johnny Peek, the production is both inspiring and essential – a story that needs to be told.
Parade runs Thursdays to Sundays from 19 July to 3 August at the Ron Hurley Theatre, Seven Hills.
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/CZKWD
More info: www.bumpin.com.au
Published 9-June-2025