Background
Since 1986, Andrew McKinnon has produced and presented hundreds of performances throughout Australia, New Zealand, and North America.
Highlights have included tours by Marcel Marceau, the Abbey Theatre from Dublin, a fully imported American production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess, the Afro-Cuban All Stars, Scotland the Brave, David Helfgott, in both concert and solo recital, Shakespeare’s Villains performed by Steven Berkoff, and the phenomenally successful Australian and New Zealand tour of Dickens’ Women starring Miriam Margolyes.
Other presentations include Bea Arthur and Oscar nominee Susannah York in one-woman shows; the Australian première of Carmen Jones; the smash hit season of Zarzuela! at the Sydney Opera House; a concert version of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate, with Yvonne Kenny and Thomas Allen in the lead roles and a concert version of Porgy and Bess, with the first primarily Australian cast, which remains the only occasion that an Aboriginal soprano has appeared in a principal role in a mainstream opera at the Sydney Opera House.
Andrew McKinnon has toured many of the world’s greatest opera stars including Victoria de los Angeles, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Teresa Berganza, Nicolai Gedda, Luigi Alva, Sir Thomas Allen, Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Inessa Galante, David Hobson, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Yvonne Kenny and Joan Carden.
Theatrical highlights have included Neil Armfield’s production of The Judas Kiss by David Hare, which marked the Queensland premiere of Sydney’s acclaimed Company B Belvoir.
Andrew McKinnon was invited to produce and present a concert tribute to the 14th Dalai Lama at the Sydney Opera House, which was blessed and attended by His Holiness. This concert, under the direction of Michael Askill, featured violinist Richard Tognetti, and a special commission from choreographer Meryl Tankard.
Presentations of other leading Australian artists have included performances by the Queensland Ballet, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and other state orchestras, Judi Connelli, Caroline O’Connor, Simon Tedeschi, James Morrison, Slava Grigoryan, Jane Rutter, Peter Cousens, Max Gillies, Billie Brown, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Todd McKenney, Sean O’Boyle, and Emma Matthews.