MUSICAL theatre performer Suzie Mathers believes everything happens for a reason and she is living proof.
If it had not taken until her second attempt at applying to WAAPA to gain acceptance, she never would have travelled to New York in third year and seen Wicked on Broadway, then returned home to audition as a swing ensemble cast member for the original 2007 Australian production.
"It was my first job out of WAAPA," Mathers said.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW"Wicked is a massive part of my life in terms of becoming a music theatre fan, getting in to the industry (she sang Popular for her WAAPA audition) and then becoming a principle (2011 seasons as Glinda in Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand and Manila).
"It's great to be back in the land of Oz and performing with this company again."
Mathers' reprisal of role Glinda the Good in the current 10th anniversary tour of Wicked follows performances as Sophie in Mamma Mia! and a six-month stint in London where she was when called back to play opposite Jemma Rix as Elphaba.
"I've always wanted to play the role with my family and friends in the audience and not had the chance to do that in Perth before," Mathers, originally from Scotland, said.
"Both Elphaba and Glinda are two massive roles that in modern music theatre any female wants to play.
"For me the appeal is the vocal range Glinda sings – I adore the classical stuff in the beginning and mixed pop in the middle.
"But as a character, she's just so much fun and goes from this bubbly, popular, charismatic, full-on character in the beginning and grows in to this mature person, who has her heart broken and figures out life isn't all just peaches and cream."
Mathers said the untold story of the witches of Oz, set long before Dorothy dropped in, was one of those shows that appealed to everyone, from kids who liked the flying monkeys, to older audience members who connected with the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda.
"I can't wait to come home but I think my mum is the most excited out of everyone," Mathers said.
"Ill be in the one place for eight weeks where she can take me out for coffee every day if she wants."