JAMES ‘JIMMY’ HUTCHINSON
Niagara Falls, Canada, February 12,1943. James Hutchinson makes his first personal appearance in the Niagara Falls General Hospital under the name Jimmy Marco. Little Jimmy learns to play piano, cello and to tapdance. After his first orchestra rehearsal, he quickly decides to trade the cello lessons for singing lessons. Vocal cords are so much lighter and less clumsy to carry! At fifteen Jimmy is already on stage acting, singing, and dancing in school and church productions. His talents for comedy, drama and showbusiness are already being put to use.
After completing highschool, he continues his vocal lessons and attends Hamilton Teachers' College. Four years in the classroom proves to him that his childhood dream to become a "movie star" has to be fulfilled and so he leaves teaching to continue his education as a performer at McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. Singing in professional church choirs, synagogue quartets and playing piano and singing in a bar as well as some scholarships help to finance the costs of his years at McGill. In 1969 he makes his professional opera debut in the Opera Guild of Montreal's production of Madama Butterfly.
Shortly thereafter, he tours Europe with LES GRANDS BALLETS in a production of Carmina Burana. Europe is where he wants to be in order to continue his operatic studies. The choice is between London and Zürich and not wanting to be "...a foreigner in my own language", in 1971 he chooses for the Internationales Opernstudio, Opernhaus Zürich, Switzerland.
In Switzerland he plays in various productions and gradually makes German his second language. His love for food and cooking find him in the kitchen filling his free time. Even today, he is an excellent cook and specializes in Italian dishes. His banana cake and Christmas Cookies have been appreciated by friends and colleagues in every production in which he has ever played.
From 1971 he leaves the mountains of Switzerland for the neighboring country of Germany where he lives and works until 1985. In the civic theaters of Lüneburg, Koblenz and Aachen, Jimmy is seen in Opera, Operetta, Musical, as well as Ballet, children's theater and plays.
1985 and once again he moves across the border to another country and a new language. This time it is to the Netherlands and to OPERA FORUM, the national touring opera of Holland which is based in the eastern city of Enschede. With more free time on his hands, he begins giving singing lessons and specializes in "light theater music and Musicals" - which is then relatively new to the country. This is the beginning of his career as singing teacher and vocal coach.
A monthly promotion program for the Opera called Forum on the Upbeat finds him at the piano accompanying himself, singing and entertaining the crowd with his favourite songs from the Great White Way. Soon he is being asked to entertain at parties, conventions and in small theaters throughout the country. And so, HATS OFF TO BROADWAY is born.
A successful audition for the challenging role of "Judge Turpin" in Steven Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, is the turning point in his career which leads him away from the opera and to the "Musical" world of Holland where he is still active as a performing artist, as well as vocal coach to many of the stars. Today he lives in Amsterdam where he gives singing lessons in his own studio. As an actor, vocal coach, and jury member for singing competitions, he is frequently in demand for many television programs, commercials and films. Appropriately, he has named his business JIMMYSICALS. |
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