In a long and glittering musical theatre career, Rob Mills says he’s only ever truly hoped for two roles.
The first was Prince Fiyero in Wicked , the himbo-turned-revolutionary love interest for both female leads. Mills originated the Australian role in the 2009 production, dancing through life and into the hearts of the nation’s musical theatre fans.
The second, he says, is that of Dr Jim Pomatter, the gynaecologist and love interest – yes, you read that correctly – of the titular pregnant pie baker in Sara Bareilles’ Waitress. He saw the original Broadway cast on a New York holiday 10 years ago and was smitten.
“I like to go see shows when I’m over there, it’s always like, ‘Could I be in any of these?’ And I saw Waitress, and I just fell in love with it,” Mills says. “It’s funny. It’s a dramedy, I suppose, but with the perfect music.”
He’s been treading the boards for more than 20 years, and Mills is a musical theatre person – that is to say, he believes wholeheartedly there are just some things that can only be expressed through the power of song.
Rob Mills and Natalie Bassingthwaighte rehearsing for Waitress the musical. “I’d already been a fan of Sara Bareilles – my friend Ben Abraham had already performed with her and toured with her and written with her, and I just love her music,” he says. “Anyway, she just knows when to write the songs. I’ve got a thing with musicals, and a good musical always knows when you can no longer say the words you need to say, you move into a song. And she does it perfectly with this.”
Mills, of course, has landed his second dream role and will bring Dr Pottamer to life in the first Australian production of Waitress – a production that almost didn’t happen. It was meant to open in 2020 and, of course,
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