User:Blakeappelqvist/sandbox

Blake Appelqvist (born 16 March 1993) is an Australian actor, singer, producer and recording artist. They have played various roles in musical theatre and cabaret across Australia.

Early life and education
Appelqvist was born and raised in Canberra, and is of Māori (Ngāti Porou) and Swedish descent. They attended Marist College Canberra until the end of Year 12 where they were inducted into the Wall of Honour, before moving to Melbourne to study musical theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) where they graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Musical Theatre).

Musical Theatre
Whilst studying at the Victorian College of the Arts, Appelqvist made their professional debut with The Production Company in West Side Story playing Diesel at the State Theatre. A review described Appelqvist to be a particularly strong triple threat and a performer to watch as Diesel.

That same year, they were a finalist for the Rob Guest Endowment which is awarded each year to an emerging musical theatre performer selected by a panel of industry experts, and provides the emerging performer with further knowledge and training in the industry to develop their potential.

Blake was then cast in Ghost as an understudy for the lead role of Sam Wheat, played by Rob Mills, which toured Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth from 2015 to 2016.

Appelqvist went on to play a Ziegfeld Tenor in Funny Girl, An Angel in Kinky Boots , Miss Understanding in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert , Paul Owen in American Psycho , Sir Galahad in Spamalot , Esteban in Kiss of the Spiderwoman and Oaken in Frozen.

The first Australian production of Bonnie and Clyde was staged in Sydney in June 2022, produced by Hayes Theatre Co and Joshua Robson Productions, and starred Teagan Wouters and Blake Appelqvist in the title roles.

After featuring on the world premiere cast recording, Appelqvist was cast as Harry in the Sydney Opera House season of FANGIRLS.

Blake originated the role of Demetrius in the Bell Shakespeare production of The Lovers created by Laura Murphy based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In 2023, Appelqvist was cast as Romeo in & Juliet which toured to Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Singapore. Blake was nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Artist in Musical Theatre - Commercial/Funded for their portrayal.

Cast Recordings
Blake was cast to play Harry in the world premiere cast recording of Fangirls, which was released by Ghostlight Records on 30 April 2021. The album is the first Australian musical to be released by Ghostlight Records. It was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album in October 2021.

In 2021, Appelqvist played Sammy in Scarlet: The Concept Recording by Richard Lindenfelzer and Jess Newman. Scarlet is a post-apocalyptic science fiction parable for climate change and the importance of climate action and the concept album was released on 2 January 2022.

Cabaret
Appelqvist produced Theys at the Hayes on 19 February 2024, which was a variety concert showcasing gender expansive performers and musicians across the Australian entertainment industry.