Michael Nicholas Williams

Michael was born in Petone and studied Music at the Wellington Polytechnic. He made his professional debut as Musical Director in 1983 with Tom Foolery at Circa Theatre. Since then he has been responsible for productions throughout New Zealand including Side by Side by Sondheim, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aunt Daisy!, Trafford Tanzi, Judy, and his own show, 'Dead Tragic'. In 1988 he was Musical Director for oNZtage at Expo 88 in Brisbane. He spent the following year in Sydney where he was Assistant Musical Director for Evita and repetiteur/alternative 1st keyboard in Chess. He returned to New Zealand in 1990 and since then has been Musical Director of National Tours of Ken Hill's Original Phantom of the Opera, Blood Brothers (also in Australia), The New Rocky Horror Show and Boogie Nights.

He has been Assistant Musical Director/Conductor on tours of Cats, The Secret Garden and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (New Zealand and Asia) and Fiddler On the Roof. He has composed scores for several productions including 'Blithe Spirit' and 'Elizabeth: Almost By Chance A Woman', and has completed two original musicals, 'Lonely Heart' (chosen for the 2005 Adam Playreadings) and 'Dress.' His score for 'Under Milkwood' (Downstage 2006) was nominated for best score at the Chapman Trip theatre awards and he's also written scores for two Roger Hall pantomimes 'Cinderella' and 'Aladdin'. He recently wrote the score for Circa Theatre's production of 'Uncle Vanya'. He was Musical Director of Downstage Theatre's acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd, and was Assistant Musical Director of Mamma Mia in Melbourne. Three years ago he was touring MD of Once Were Warriors and assistant MD of Evita before touring to Japan as MD of Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera. He has been the MD of both the Gareth Farr and Paul Jenden shows Troy the Musical and Monarchy the Musical.

Michael is married to actor Emma Kinane and they have two children, Barnaby and Claire.