A Migrant's Son Tour Pack

OVERVIEW

Genre

Musical Theatre

Duration

75 minutes

Themes

Migration, migrant life, family, hope, loss, love, Australian life, Greek traditions

Show Status

Tour Ready

Touring Party

4 artists + 2 crew:

  • Lead Singer/Performer

  • Pianist/Choir Leader

  • Percussionist

  • Bouzouki Player

  • Production Manager

  • Producer

Community Chorus

Local choir or group of volunteers (group size pending space availability)

Engagement Opportunities

Dinner & show, local choir/group performance opportunity, Q&A, workshops (adult/youth)

Advice Warnings

Mild coarse language, adult themes (death/loss/hardship)

FEE STRUCTURE

  • $7,100 +gst per show rate

  • $14,650 +gst weekly rate

  • 8% royalties

  • Excludes travel costs (flights, ground transport, per diems, accommodation) or delivered fee by request

THE STORY

Igniting memories of a story that millions of Australians can relate to, Michaela Burger pays tribute to her Greek migrant family and hard-working, fun loving larrikin father Luke.

A Migrant's Son is a true story exploring migration from Greece to Australia during the 1930’s. This extraordinary work conveys incredible historical events that are brought to life through original songs accompanied by a live band and community chorus, creating a beautifully presented and touching account that is melodious, hilarious and heart-warming. 

Traversing 100 years, from Russia to the Australian outback, Burger theatrically portrays tales of early morning deliveries for the family bakery at age seven, exploring opal mines in Coober Pedy as a teenager and opening a chain of discount supermarkets in Adelaide as a young man.

Written and performed by award winning cabaret star Michaela Burger (Exposing Edith, Simply Brill). This is a tale about the son of a poor migrant, who defied all odds to rise above adversity. His unrelenting determination to build a successful life is comical, dramatic and relatable. 

Spanning nearly 90 years and featuring traditional Greek instruments and costumes, audiences are presented with nostalgic anecdotes and a cheeky recount of one family’s experience. This musical rouses tremendous community spirit with its foot-tapping melodies and electrifying vocals.

Tagline: “A true-life musical homage to the heart and hilarity of Australia’s migrant stories.”

 THEMES AND MUSIC

  • True story

  • Greek traditions and Greek family heritage

  • Family and community

  • Humorous and feel-good story

  • Character development and supportive images/video content

  • Original music, emotive, powerful

  • Easy-listening, quality musical theatre, emotive cabaret-style power-ballads

  • Audience participation (sing-a-longs, clap-alongs, performer walks through audience and engages with audience)

COMMUNITY CHORUS

  • We can’t wait to meet you and work with your local community!

  • Call out for volunteers or engage an established choir - group size depends on size of stage

  • Chorus on stage (full show), sing on 6 tracks, no movement/actions; suitable for people with limited movement

  • Seated on stage, but stand to sing if possible

  • Choir master/music teacher/group leader meeting with Music Director (Carol Young) and Lead Artist (Michaela Burger)

  • Music and lyrics provided in advance plus a high-quality recording of the music

  • Recordings of choir parts sent and available to assist in learning, especially important for those who don’t know how to read music

  • 5 x 2hr Choir rehearsals in the lead up before the performance plus minimum 1 hour rehearsal on stage before the show

  • Choir to wear black with a ‘burst’ of colour from opal palette ie. blue/turquoise/blue/green coloured scarves, necklaces, earrings, tie, bow-tie etc

TARGET AUDIENCE

  • Adults/General

  • People with family history of migration or know people who have migrated to Australia

  • People who are culturally and linguistically diverse

  • Older people

  • People in regional/remote areas (references to outback Australia and mining towns)

  • School age students for educational purposes e.g. migration, australian history

SELLING POINTS

This show premiered to a sell-out Adelaide Cabaret Festival audience in 2018 and has since toured to many arts festivals and regional audiences with huge success and excellent reviews. 

This show has done two seasons at Edinburgh, UK and has strong international appeal. The story is incredibly impactful and relatable; it can be enjoyed by almost everyone. 

The show attracts a wide range of demographics including migrants, musical theatre & theatre play fans, older people, descendants of migrants and people in regional areas who are business owners, have a family, and adopt a “Aussie Battler” mindset.

The original musical score for this show is outstanding; high-quality, rhythmic, emotional and dramatic. The three band members elevate Michaela’s exceptional voice and the lyrics are well written and beautifully convey the story.

The community chorus invites community spirit into the theatre. There’s a connection between the singers and the audience because they can see their friends and family on stage. Volunteers throughout rehearsals and the performance are invited to add their own flair to the show.

REGIONAL TOURING

Regional audiences respect and celebrate stories that are relatable and boost their wellbeing. This story appeals to a range of diverse and multicultural audiences as it explores the struggles and the unique experience of Australian families who have migrated from other countries. 

A major drawcard for presenters is the community engagement. Volunteers from the local community perform in the Chorus to their friends and family in the audience. The original songs are relatable, heart-warming and powerful; especially as they’re authentically performed by the daughter of the Migrant’s Son, Michaela Burger, an internationally acclaimed, award-winning cabaret artist originally from SA.

ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

We’d love to work with your venue/council/community to make the most of our visit. Some ideas to add value to this show include:

  • Dinner and show packages - cabaret style seating

  • Sell or offer Greek cuisine or treats before the show

  • Local artists performance opportunity to perform in the chorus

  • Post Show Q&A with the artists

  • Unique performance ideas and bespoke experiences available on request for an additional cost:

    • Secondary School incursion

    • Aged care facility incursion

    • Greek/Multicultural Community Centre performance

    • Cooking school learn to make a Greek dish & short performance

  • Workshops (adult/youth) available for an additional cost:

    • Voice/singing workshops - 12 years and older

    • Career pathways guest speaker opportunity

    • Music/instrument demonstration - bouzouki player

SUSTAINABILITY RESPONSIBILITY

Our touring company is passionate about sustainability and we aim to reduce our impact on the environment wherever possible. We’d love to work with you and your venue to reduce our impact on the environment and increase the benefit for your community. Talk to us about how we can help. 

Holistically we ensure that communities feel included, and that they can access meaningful storytelling that reflects their community. We look for opportunities to enrich that experience with workshops and artist talks. We support offering discounts or free tickets to Mob, low-socioeconomic groups and people experiencing disadvantage.

PERFORMANCE HISTORY

VIDEOS

REVIEWS & WEBSITE

  • https://www.michaelaburger.com 

  • A Migrant's Son Media Reviews

  • Michaela Burger Media Reviews:

    • “Astonishing voice with knockout power and an ability to wrench emotion out of lyrics ” Libel, NZ

    • “An astounding level of emotional depth and nuance…she illuminates the stage” Dance Life

    • ★★★★★ “Soaring Voice” - Southside Advertiser, UK

    • ★★★★★ “Moving…exceptional”  - Daily Business Group, UK

    • “The temperature really shot up when Burger stepped on stage ” - The Advertiser

    • “It was eerie how well she played her part” - Planet Arts Melbourne

    • “She has one of the finest voices this state has produced” - Matt Gilbertson, The Sunday Mail

    • “Burger has the ability to inspire…an amazing voice” - Perth Walkabout

    • “Her voice stirs your deepest and darkest emotions whilst enchanting your aural sensibilities” - Stage Whispers

    • “Her songwriting and compositions are a testament to artistry” - In Daily

    •  “You’ll have to have the catchy chorus surgically removed…recurring problem with her music” - Leicester Bangs, UK

CREATIVE TEAM

  • A Migrant’s Son Company Bios

  • Original music and story by Michaela Burger

  • Music arranged and produced by Dave Higgins

  • Musical direction and choir arrangements by Carol Young

  • Directed by Jane Packham

  • Song development mentoring by Jethro Woodward

  • Dramaturgy by Sally Hardy and Elena Carapedis

  • Percussion: Steve Todd

  • Bouzouki: George Grifsas

  • Costumes by Artemis Sidiropoulou

  • Lighting by Tom Bayford

MARKETING & PROMOTION RESOURCES

VENUE REQUIREMENTS

BUMP-IN & OUT

  • Bump-in time 4-6 hours:

    • 1 hour load-in and tech set up

    • 1 hour LX plot and focus

    • 1 hour AV set up - projection/video

    • 1 hour sound check with band

    • 1 hour choir rehearsal

  • Bump-out time 1-2 hours

INDUSTRY & VENUE REFERENCES

     LINK SUMMARY

KEY CONTACTS

Producer

Grace Coy

grace@gcreative.au

0410 584 791 

Production Manager

Tom Bayford

tom@eventtechnologies.com.au

0408 802 021

Writer, Director, Lead Performer

Michaela Burger

info@michaelaburger.com

0405 693 979

Music and Choir Director

Carol Young

youngcarol67@gmail.com

0407 718 956