He’s the seventeen-year-old whose mature voice wowed Europe at the Eurovision Song Contest this year in Kyiv.
And in the new year Isaiah Firebrace will mix things up by going greased lightning and burning up the quarter mile, as he joins the Australian cast of Grease: The Arena Experience.
A musical stage production based based on the 1978 film, Isaiah will have his luxurious locks slicked back and will channel his inner rockabilly cool as ‘Johnny Casino’, the front man of ‘Johnny Casino & the Gamblers’. The 500-strong cast also features prominent Australian drag queen and RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Courtney Act as ‘Teen Angel’.
Released almost 40 years ago, Grease has remained one of the most revered musical films of all time, spawning a sequel and television special.
The 1978 film also has a strong Eurovision connection — main character Sandy Olsson was played by the famed Australian singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, who represented United Kingdom at the 1974 contest in Brighton and placed fourth, behind eventual winners ABBA.
It’s been a whirlwind year for Aussie Isaiah.
Since earning a top ten placing with “Don’t Come Easy” in Kyiv in May, Isaiah has kept his Firebase well alight, Instagramming his ventures through Stockholm, Oslo, Brussels and London.
Last month he released the music video his latest single “Streets of Gold”, which featured footage from his time throughout Europe and during the Eurovision Song Contest.
Reflecting on the busy year, Isaiah recently announced that he is taking a break from television appearances to work on his second studio album, telling the Sydney Morning Herald that it will feature a different sound than we are used to hearing from him.
“When I’m writing music, I can write songs about personal experiences or sometimes just a song for fun. So some of the music coming out soon will definitely be more fun and different to ‘Streets of Gold.'”
Perhaps his time as Johnny Casino might inspire his new sound.
Isaiah will hit the stage as Johnny Casino as part of Grease: The Arena Experience at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on 20 January 2018.
Are you looking forward to seeing Isaiah on the big stage? Are you excited about his new music? Let us know in the comments below!
I need him to be in the Melbourne performance of Grease!!! I know he’ll do a great job. I love grease and if he’s in it it will be so much more amazing!!
YASSSSS!!!!
Apart from Olivia Newton John, another Eurovision connection with Grease is the songwriter John Farrar, who wrote “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and “You’re The One That I Want” – he produced Olivia’s 1974 entry, but also backed Cliff Richard in 1973 and legitimately represented the UK himself in 1975 as a member of The Shadows.
Good luck to Isaiah, I’m sure he’ll do great – the arena show sounds like a whole lot of fun.