Justin Clausen is just your everyday diva, dressed in heels and sequins belting out the classics of Aussie icons such as Tina Arena. You may even recognise his face from his 2019 stint on television series, The Voice. So get ready, ‘Justin n Jamie’ are coming to town in March. Jessica Cornish has an entertaining chat with the talented Justin Clausen discussing his current cabaret, He’s Every Woman, and what life is like for this performer these days.
WITH such a bold and larger than life presence on the stage, you may be surprised to learn that Justin wasn’t always the belting warrior he appears to be.
For a long time he lived with the fear that he “wasn’t enough” and petrified of being judged harshly for who he was.
But the past 12 months, after his experience on The Voice and countless performances of his current show, He’s Every Woman, Justin has been amazed by the overwhelming positivity and beautiful reactions he received from audiences across Australia following his blind audition on the reality TV show.
“They basically said ‘listen, we love who you are, what you represent and we just want you to be you’,” Justin says.
“Since it aired it’s given me a lot more confidence. The reaction I got from it was very very positive, it confirmed that I didn’t have to put up a guard anymore and the world is becoming much more accepting place of difference. Different is becoming the new normal.”
But as a child, Justin says the world was a different place and he rarely saw gay males like himself represented in everyday pop culture.
“When we were growing up there were really no males singing about males in songs. It was all females singing about males. So the way that we could go through our heart ache or happiness, when meeting a new guy or something like that was singing the big diva songs, so we decided to create He’s Every Woman and that’s how the show stands at the moment.”
He’s Every Woman is a celebration of the great divas of pop.
It gives audiences a chance to reflect and enjoy a mixture of well-known songs and lesser known songs of some of the iconic pop queens such as Cher and Whitney Houston.
Justin explains he has always been inspired by these strong women’s ferocity, independence and head strong attitudes.
That’s why he was so excited to use these songs as a vehicle to tell his story, accompanied by New Zealand born pianist and performer, Jamie Burgess. The pair were introduced through a mutual friend nine years ago and have been inseparable since.
“I love singing with Jamie, we mesh so well together, so that’s a beautiful thing. I feel like when we’re singing song it’s just us in the room and it’s just great to be able to sing and celebrate with your best friend.”
Apart from getting to sing with his bestie every night, a highlight for Justin in the show is a musical theatre medley that the duo perform together.
“It’s a mashup of I don’t know how to love him from Jesus Christ Superstar and I know him so well, which featured in the musical Chess.”
Another special moment in the show for Justin is a segment where he explores his relationship with his mother, which is followed, of course, in true cabaret style by a song.
“It’s a song by Tracey Chapman, Baby Can I Hold You and every time I sing it I get so emotional. It helps the audience have a cathartic moment and brings us all together in the room.”
Although, when Justin was a child he didn’t always have the life of a performer on his radar.
He had initially aspired to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a dentist, which seemed like an unexpected choice for a child who spent his free time re-enacting Julie Andrews, The Hills Are Alive, out in the paddocks of his grandparents East Gippsland farm.
He soon came to his senses and realised that performing on stage was much more his style and a whole lot more fun. Yet, like many Australian performers, Justin also spends his free time working as a music teacher in Melbourne.
“It’s a lot of fun and I get to see the new generation of performers coming up and out,” he says.
“I get to pass on my knowledge of the industry to them and share all of the things I’ve gone through and experienced. So that maybe it might be a little bit easier for them in the future.”
Justin explains that in a time of such darkness and despair that the world needs joy.
“We have a fun show! It’s light hearted and people need it. They need to laugh, they need to be taken out of their words for an hour and just escape for a little bit,” Justin says.
He’s Every Woman will be performed at the Mildura Arts Centre foyer on March 5, 2020. 7.30pm. $30 full price, $27 concession.
