Alinta Chidzey is one of Australia's most captivating leading ladies.
A multi-award winner, she originated the role of Satine in Moulin Rouge! The Musical for Australia's national tour, with her work receiving outstanding reviews. She played the famed role of Velma Kelly in Chicago for the Gordon Frost Organisation, and sassy Anita in West Side Story, which saw her nominated for several awards, including a Helpmann, Green Room and Sydney Theatre Award. In 2011 she won the Australian Dance Award for Most Outstanding Performance.
Alinta is an acclaimed jazz vocalist, songwriter and recording artist. She released her debut album with Hook Turn Orchestra, titled Jazz and the Silver Screen, a collection of beautifully rearranged cinematic soundtracks. She also released her original music with Alinta and the Jazz Emperors, titled I Got You. Both albums are available through her website and iTunes.
With her burgeoning profile, Alinta is frequently asked to perform at special events and concerts across the country both as a soloist and with her bands. These include iconic events such as Melbourne Fashion Week, the Australian Open, State of Origin and the NRL grand Final, to name a few. She has also performed at various concerts including Piano Man: Celebrating the Music of Billy Joel at the Adelaide Festival Centre, Spirit of Christmas at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Christmas at Central Park for the City of Stonnington, and her own one-woman show, Walk on By; a tribute to the songs of Dionne Warwick and music of Burt Bacharach.
Alinta performed alongside Hugh Jackman in his Broadway to Oz tour (Dainty Group) and played Petra for the Victorian Opera season of A Little Night Music. She became a fixture on The Production Company stage, playing Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, Magnolia in Show Boat, Kathy Selden in Singin' In the Rain, Svetlana in Chess, Niki Harris in Curtains and Sibella Hallward in the unforgettable A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder. For Chess, Alinta was honoured with a Green Room Award for Best Female Artist in a Supporting Role.
Screen credits include Wentworth, Winners & Losers, U.S. telemovie The Frontier, The Dr Blake Mysteries and Neighbours. Other stage credits include the Australasian Tour of Mamma Mia!; Mickey in Leader of the Pack, for which she received yet another Green Room Award (Best Featured Ensemble in a Musical); Dusty: The Original Pop Diva; Demeter in Cats; Mary Poppins for Free Rain Theatre; the Netherlands season of Dirty Dancing; a tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alice in the play Closer.
Talking Points
Keynote Presentations
Award-winning performer and creative leader Alinta Chidzey shares her compelling story of balancing high performance with personal wellbeing in a fiercely competitive industry. From centre stage to behind the scenes, Alinta offers real-world insight into making courageous decisions under pressure, managing multiple roles, and navigating the emotional demands of sustained success.Keynote Presentations
This keynote is both uplifting and practical. With warmth and honesty, Alinta discusses the setbacks and self-doubt behind her most celebrated achievements. She offers relatable moments that foster empathy and spark open discussion. A unique feature of Alinta’s sessions is her ability to elevate the experience with a live performance, providing a morale-boosting moment that reconnects teams with joy, creativity and resilience.
Key Takeaways:
- Inspiration to act: How to make bold choices when the outcome is uncertain
- Morale boost: A live musical performance to re-energise and provide a meaningful break from the day-to-day
- Shared humanity: Candid stories that acknowledge challenge, build empathy and encourage discussion
- Long-game focus: Tools to stay grounded and maintain clarity in high-pressure environments
- Creative self-care: Practical techniques for balancing ambition with wellbeing
Video
ALINTA CHIDZEY & LUCY MAUNDER - ‘8 times a week’ …and all that comes with it!
Alinta Chidzey & Lucy Maunder are two astonishingly talented, well renowned and award winning ‘Leading Ladies’ of Australian Musical Theatre. For well over a decade, they’ve wowed audiences with their phenomenal performances. Alinta has played many roles including; Velma in Chicago, Anita in West Side Story, Svetlana in Chess, Kathy in Singin’ in the Rain, Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar and most recently she dazzled us with her performance of Satine in the hit musical Moulin Rouge. Lucy has starred as Miss Honey in Matilda, Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins, Cynthia Weil in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Rizzo in Grease, Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, and is currently playing the iconic role of Roxy Heart in Chicago. In this episode Alinta & Lucy discuss: -Auditioning for major roles at 37 weeks pregnant. -Juggling motherhood and stage life. -Dealing with the challenges of burnout and the strategies for coping with it. -Anxiety and panic attacks before and during performances. -The tips for keeping performances fresh 8 times a week. -How to handle the pressures of auditions and live performance. -Why they love the craft of musical theatre so much. -The importance of stopping, meditating, or just having a disco nap!Moulin Rouge The Musical - Simon Burke & Alinta Chidzey on Studio 10
