Matt Hetherington: Ready to rock

At age 11, Matt Hetherington began dreaming about performing on Broadway. He’d just watched West Side Story on television – alone – and felt profoundly impacted by the “power of the musical”.

As a teen, he spent many nights watching his musician father perform in a Vegas-style show at family restaurant, The Swagman.

The ambitious lead singer had been gigging in cover bands for a while when he landed a spot at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in the 1990s, meeting fellow student Hugh Jackman playing touch football on the lawn outside. The pair bonded over their passion for sport and musicals, remaining mates ever since.

To this day, Hetherington and Jackman share advice as they both navigate their respective careers in show business.

In the early days, Hetherington remembers getting a call out of the blue from Jackman, who was nervous about upcoming corporate gigs and seeking song suggestions. The pals ended up singing jazz standard duets for a while until Jackman’s career in television, film, and theatre soared. 

In 2011, Hetherington tallied 13 shows when he visited New York solo to absorb as many Broadway musicals as possible.

There were rave reviews, and accolades in Australia for shows such as Hair, The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and North by Northwest before Hetherington, with his hard-fought-for green card in hand, departed for the US in 2014, working in Los Angeles and New York.

“A lot of people get to the US and are desperate to meet people and network. And professionally, that can be good, but you can go a little bit mad. I went to a few of those parties, and it’s really not me. I’m hopeless in those environments.”

Many times over the six years he spent in the United States, Jackman was on the other end of the phone: guiding him, lending a kind, supportive ear and giving audition tips. And there were some hard lessons learnt, as Hetherington determined that success is not just about what you achieve professionally. 

“If you don’t get the balance right, do it with integrity, and in alignment with who you are and where your heart sits, then it doesn’t really count. I know quite a few “really successful” people who are desperately unhappy and some really peaceful, content, empowered artists that aren’t as ‘successful’. I’ve sometimes asked myself if I’m prepared to sell my soul for this moment.”

He was deep in discussions with producers and destined for his Broadway debut when COVID-19 struck. Returning home to Melbourne with his young family, he’s secured a starring role in The Who’s Tommy. The reasons he’s taken on the role of Captain Walker are varied. 

“I’ve never worked with Victorian Opera before; I’m a big fan of The Who; I get to work with Amy Lehpamer again and work with Paul Capsis for the first time.

“I’m really, really excited about doing a show that doesn’t get done that often.” 

The Who’s Tommy is at The Palais Theatre, St Kilda, August 13 – 21. ticketmaster.com.au