Tom Burlinson

After graduating from NIDA in 1976, his early work in various productions for the Queensland Theatre Company, the Old Tote Theatre Company, and the State Theatre Company of South Australia included roles in ‘The Merchant of Venice’, ‘Da’ and ‘The One Day of the Year’. He co-starred in ‘Tribute’ for Peter Williams Productions in Sydney and Brisbane and played continuing roles in the TV series ‘Kirbys’ Company’ (ABC) and ‘The Restless Years’ (Grundy Organisation).

In 1981 Tom was cast in the title role in the feature film ‘The Man from Snowy River’. It was an enormous box office success, and led to Tom being offered a succession of leading roles in Australian and international films and mini-series over the next several years. These included ‘Phar Lap’, ‘Eureka Stockade’, ‘Flesh and Blood’, ‘Windrider’, ‘Piece of Cake’, and ‘The Legend of Kootenai Brown’ as well as ‘The Man from Snowy River I I ’.

In 1991 Tom sang the voice of the young Frank Sinatra in the Warner Brothers mini-series ‘Sinatra’. This was his first professional singing engagement! Soon thereafter he returned to Australia and to the stage to star in the Gordon Frost production of ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’. He was soon working on the international scene again in the mini-series ‘The Way to Dusty Death’, filmed in Europe.

In 1995 renowned theatre director Gayle Edwards cast Tom in a leading role in the acclaimed workshop production of the Australian musical ‘Miracle City’ for the Sydney Theatre Company. The following year he was given another chance to further develop his musical abilities in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’, again for the STC.

In 1997 Tom hosted the TV series ‘Animal Hospital’ for the Nine Network. He then appeared in concert at Taronga Zoo in ‘A Tribute to Frank Sinatra’. This prompted Tom to create ‘Frank – A Life in Song’, under its original title of ‘Frank – The Sinatra Story in Song‘. The initial two week booking at the Seymour Centre in June 1998 was extended to five weeks, and successful seasons in Melbourne, Adelaide, Newcastle, Brisbane and Perth were followed by sell-out returns at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney and the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne.

The success of ‘Frank’ led to Tom being kept busy performing in concert at a variety of venues for charities, corporations and other organisations around the country throughout 1999 and 2000. He remounted the show for the 2001 Adelaide Cabaret Festival and another return engagement at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney, playing to sell-out houses.

At the international premiere of the show in Toronto, Canada, Tom received standing ovations at every performance throughout the five week season at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

In 2003 Tom returned with ‘Frank’ to Brisbane, the Star City Showroom in Sydney and Crown Showroom in Melbourne for highly successful seasons. On screen, Tom again provided the voice of Frank Sinatra, this time for the Australian feature film ‘The Night We Called It A Day’, starring Dennis Hopper as Frank.

Tom was thrilled to be cast in the role of Leo Bloom in the Mel Brooks’ musical ‘The Producers’, which played for more than 500 performances in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney during 2004 and 2005.

In May 2006, Tom was asked to return to the Star City Showroom with ‘Frank-More from a Life in Song’, a sequel to the first show, with lots of new songs from the marvellous Sinatra repertoire as well as many of the all-time favourites. This show was then revised and renamed ‘The Best of Frank’ and was performed in October 2006 at The Palms at Crown in Melbourne.
In 2007 Tom appeared as a judge in the hit TV show for the Seven Network ‘Australia’s Got Talent’. In December of that year he was honoured to be asked by Las Vegas entrepreneur Steve Wynn to perform his Sinatra material at a special engagement at Wynn Las Vegas resort.

In 2008 and 2009 Tom continued in his role as a judge on ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ as well as performing in ‘Frank’ at the Sydney Opera House, at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, on the Gold Coast and in Newcastle. He also appeared in cabaret with a small combo of just piano, bass and drums at the Civic Hotel, Sydney in ‘Simply Sinatra’.

2010 saw new and exciting developments. Tom created a new music show celebrating the greats of vocal swing called ‘Now Were Swingin’!’. He performed on the Gold Coast, in several Sydney clubs as well as at the Palms at Crown, Melbourne. He also opened the Noosa Long Weekend Festival in June with yet another performance of ‘Frank’.

During this time Tom was delighted to be cast by director Simon Wincer in his new feature film ‘The Cup’, filmed in and around Melbourne. This will be released late in 2011.