'I’m with Mary Poppins and Maria from The Sound of Music'

Tell us about life growing up in Ferryden Park? I grew up in a very working-class suburb. My mother, Louie, cleaned offices and my father, Albert, was a waterside worker at Port Adelaide. There was never a lot of money in the house but that didn’t mean any of us went without because we certainly didn’t. It was a great childhood.  I had two brothers, Ron and Shane, and a sister Judy. I was number three, and my youngest brother still lives in Adelaide.
I went to Ferryden Park Primary School and then Croydon Technical School but I couldn’t wait to get out of school. You need to have an education but for some people school doesn’t suit, and it didn’t suit me. I learned most going on tour around the country touring with shows. Life experience worked for me: it’s different for everyone.

When did you discover theatre? The first time I ever saw a show, a big musical, was at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Grote Street and that was probably in about 1966. I was about 14 at the time and I just happened to walk past the theatre during the interval of a show. I peered through the doors and saw the curtain coming down on this musical called The Great Waltz. I thought, “what is all this about?”, so I went in and discovered it was a live theatre show and I’d never seen a live show until that point.

So, I bought a cheap ticket to see the show the next week and seeing that show transformed me. I knew then and there I wanted to be involved in show business but I didn’t know at what level. I didn’t know if I could even sing or dance, so I got a part in the chorus of Show Boat by the Mayfair Light Opera Company which played at The Arts Theatre on Angas Street. The company decided I didn’t have the talent to perform so I got a job backstage. Eventually, I got a job at Her Majesty’s Theatre working on big musicals that used to come in from Melbourne and Sydney and I worked in the wardrobe department. I left school at 15 to work full-time at the theatre, first as a props assistant and then as a dresser. I would do all these quick changes for all the dancers and I went on to tour around the country with JC Williamson’s tour of the stage musical Mame. I then saw these men in grey suits backstage and I soon realised they were the producers and the bosses. While I didn’t know exactly what they did, I thought that’s what I want to do.

What was it about the theatre that inspired you? It was the live music and the live people on stage. I’d only seen movies and to experience a live show and live audience was extraordinary. That inspired me to try and take it on as a full-time job. 

What do you love about the industry? The wonderful thing is when you’re touring with a company and a production, you’re together with the cast and crew for 12 to 18 months and you become a family. What was great was the advice I received from people like stage managers and different actors. The best advice I ever received was keep your mouth shut and just listen to learn, which is exactly what I did. Touring on musicals I learned what a producer did and through that I worked in other departments. I became a stagehand and moved on to work in every department from administrative roles to usher, dresser, front of house tearing tickets, wardrobe master and assistant theatre manager. I was aware of what I was doing but was always just so grateful I had a job in an industry I loved and that is so wonderful.

Can you give a brief summary of how you rose through the ranks? Gaining experience in every department meant I could learn as much as possible. I met the producer Harry M Miller on a musical called Jesus Christ Superstar which had its premiere in Adelaide at Memorial Drive as an outdoor concert. Through that show I had the opportunity to work with other producers. Subsequently, I got to a point where I realised that the only way I was going to become a producer was to raise some money and put a show on. I met a great fellow named Ashley Gordon and together we created a company called The Gordon Frost Organisation in 1983 and put on some great shows. We were the youngest theatrical producers in Australia at the time. Ashley passed away in 1989 and after his death I decided to keep the company name and continued producing shows.

What were some of the biggest and most successful shows in the early days? We produced Big River starring Cameron Daddo and The King and I at Adelaide Festival Centre, as well as South Pacific, Crazy For You, The Secret Garden and many more shows. It was a fantastic time and it led to other shows like a big production with Julie Andrews of My Fair Lady where Julie Andrews spent 10 weeks in Australia.

What have you produced since then? The company has produced and co-produced some of the biggest musicals in the country including South Pacific, Hello, Dolly!, Crazy for You, The Sound of Music, The Phantom of the Opera, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Wicked and The Book of Mormon. Two years ago, the company was acquired by Crossroads Live. I now work as the CEO and we have offices in London, LA, Sydney and Melbourne. We tour musicals around Australia and have shows currently on Broadway and the West End. We are now part of an international producing organisation touring shows in the UK, Asia, Europe and USA.

How do you know if a musical is going to be a hit? Number one is hopefully they’re a crowd-pleaser. Currently coming out of COVID, I think the public want a good time and hence the idea of doing Hairspray The Musical which is coming to Adelaide in December and The Mousetrap which is at Her Majesty’s Theatre in January. They are both good-time shows. Neither of them is a heavy night in the theatre - they’re there to entertain the audiences.

I think over the years I’ve tried to go with my gut instinct on a show and not allow people to talk me out of something. Years ago, I was in New York and I saw The Book Of Mormon and I instinctively knew it would work in Australia. Some people warned me against it but I knew it would be a hit with audiences and it was. You get a feel for things instinctively and I think that happens even more as I get older. If I go with my gut, 90 per cent of the time it’s the right decision. There’s no magic formula for anything though, so while there’s been plenty of hits, there’s also some flops but that’s all part of this industry.

Who are some of the best performers to work with? I’ve toured with some incredible artists including Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury and James Earl Jones who were all brilliant to work with and they came to Adelaide to perform.

Julie Andrews was extraordinary. I remember as a kid seeing Mary Poppins at a cinema called the Metro Cinema in Hindley Street. I used to wag school to see this movie and I think I saw it about eight times. So, when as a producer I had the opportunity to bring Julie Andrews to Australia, I thought this is not real, it was the strangest thing. I was able to bring Julie to Australia for 10 weeks and I still keep in touch with her. She’s everything you hope she is: she’s loving, smart and immensely talented, funny and witty. One night when meeting Julie, I remember sitting on a couch with a slice of pizza and a martini thinking, "I’m with Mary Poppins and Maria from The Sound of Music". It felt like a full-circle moment.

Speaking of names, where does the name "Frosty the Showman" come from? A radio announcer in Sydney called Stan Zemanek would ring me for interviews about shows and he came up with the name when introducing me.

What musical moves you the most? One of the most wonderful musicals I’ve ever produced was one called The Secret Garden based on the Children’s Book written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I produced it starring Anthony Warlow and Marina Prior, and it’s a show I’ve always wanted to revive as it didn’t play in Adelaide or Perth at the time. The music is written by Lucy Simon: it’s wonderful music and I’m a great fan.

I’m also a fan of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals including The King and I and South Pacific. The King and I opened in Adelaide in the '90s and finished up on Broadway and played at The London Palladium – it was a mega hit! The show won four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

You have won Tony Awards and an Order of Australia. How do you reflect on that little boy from Ferryden Park now on the world stage? I still wake up and pinch myself and think of everything I’ve set out to achieve I’ve done up to this point. I was always somebody who knew what I wanted to do, the minute I walked past Her Majesty’s Theatre there was nothing stopping me. It’s part ambition and drive and I’m competitive with myself. I will keep going until I drop: there’s nothing else I can do. Theatre is what I know and love.

What can audiences expect from Hairspray and The Mousetrap? What they can expect from Hairspray The Musical is a cracker of a night out. It’s a good fun show with huge production values. Without a doubt, you will be on your feet screaming for more at the end of the show.

The Mousetrap is a good, old-fashioned who-done-it and with the success of British television now, people love murder mysteries. This show is like going back in time and what’s amazing about it is it’s in its 70^th year running in London. We just finished a Sydney and Brisbane season and played to almost full houses every night. The show will be on at Her Majesty’s Theatre and I’m very much looking forward to coming back there and having a show there as it always brings back a lot of fond memories. Adelaide should be very proud of how that building has been rejuvenated.

What else is on the agenda for you in 2023? Next year we are producing more shows and musicals, some yet to be announced. We are also planning a big Christmas show in Melbourne at the end of next year… and another major musical is on the way to Adelaide, but you’ll have to stay tuned. 2023 is looking like another busy year, which is the way I like it.

Hairspray The Musical is on at Festival Theatre from December 27. hairspraymusical.com.au

The Mousetrap is on at Her Majesty’s Theatre from December 31. themousetrap.com.au

My South Australian Life is a first-person series, published each Sunday. Read our previous profiles here.