ISSUE 4 Galen Catholic College Newsletter
APRIL 23, 2021
2012 Graduate Des Flanagan to star in Moulin Rouge! The Musical Sometimes dreams do come true - often through shear hard work and determination. This is certainly the case for 2012 Galen Alumni Des Flanagan who was last week announced as one of the leading cast members in the upcoming stage show, Moulin Rouge! The Musical. Cast as Christian, Des will perform alongside fellow lead Alinta Chidzey as Satine at Melbourne's Regent Theatre.
Beautiful Game with Manilla Street Productions. Other credits include Grease the Arena Experience (Harvest Rain) and The Songs of Pasek and Paul: You Will Be Found. Screen credits include the short film Rabbits, written and directed by Riley Sugars, for which he was nominated for Best Lead Actor at Black Bird International Film Festival New York. In just the past few days Des has appeared in a number of media channels including The Age, Herald Sun, Channel 7, 9, 10 and of course his Galen Drama teacher Julie Nolan is over the moon. “I am absolutely thrilled for Des, that he has landed this wonderful, life-changing role. It was clear from the moment Des took to the stage in the College Productions, that he was destined to shine. An extremely talented performer with a wonderful work ethic, who was very popular amongst the cast and crew.”
From his role as the Tin Man in Galen’s 2012 production of Wizard of Oz to the big stage is an amazing achievement from Des’s humble beginnings growing up in Beechworth. Des commented, “I was lucky enough to see the show (Moulin Rouge) on Broadway and was struck by how immersive the entire experience was; it was like nothing I’d seen before. It’s been a dream of mine to play this character, and to be able to do so in my home state is extremely special.” Des studied Musical Theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) and since graduating had landed a number of roles. These include a short stint on Neighbours in 2017, and a number of musicals. A highlight being Handa Opera’s West Side Story on Sydney Harbour and he most recently played Thomas in The
Tickets to Moulin Rouge! The Musical went on sale in February 2021, breaking the Regent Theatre record for the single biggest day of pre-sale tickets sold, ahead of performances scheduled commencing August 13, 2021. The Australian production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical will not only be the first international production of the musical, but due to the ongoing Broadway shutdown, Melbourne will be the only place in the world the show can be seen when performances begin in August. Everyone at Galen wishes Des all the best!