Editors' Notes

 

Everything happens for a reason
Even if we don’t quite yet understand the ‘ why’ ~
But the progression of one’s life makes perfect sense when it’s reviewed in hindsight...

This month we take a look back at the evolution of MiG Ayesa’s career as a performer.

MiG started in Australia doing television, modeling, and theatre. His passion however was to write and record music. He moved to London to pursue his dream and through a series of events landed ‘the best job of his career,’ at least up until then, starring as Galileo Figaro in the Queen musical, ‘We Will Rock You.’ That job has opened doors to further opportunities, bringing him that much closer to fulfilling his dream.

Stacy had the pleasure recently of talking with MiG’s good friend, actress, Kylle Hogart who worked with him on three productions in Australia. She was a doll to interview and Stacy is excited to share what Kylle had to say about working with MiG! Meanwhile, Gisele takes us behind the scenes with another of MiG’s friends, Peter Johansson, the current Galileo in the London production of ‘WWRY.’

As the pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, you see the picture unfold...

Have a MiGGy day, eh ~ Miggy love and squishes! Stacy and Gisèle

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Both Australia and Canada celebrate the summer with an early August bank (civic) holiday on the 7th. Happy long weekend to both! And while it may not be a long weekend for the folks in Singapore, we wish them a wonderful National Day on August 9th!

Did you know that it’s National Hot Dog day in the USA on July 23? Cheers to the creator of
the tube steak!

We’re so pleased to announce an addition to our newsletter ‘art’ department and thank Jenn Green (Squishy) for all the beautiful art work you see in this edition as she steps in while Tammy is away on holidays! Welcome aboard Squish!

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Features...

He’ll Always Be Miguel To Me   

by Stacy Swim

Let me take you back to the 1990's, 1990 through1995 to be exact.  Some of the top television shows and movies were ‘ Beverly Hills , 90210,’ ‘Saved By The Bell,’ ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘Terminator Two: Judgement Day,’ ‘ Jurassic Park ,’ ‘Forrest Gump,’ ‘The Lion King,’ and ‘Braveheart.’  Music from 1990 through 1995 included Suicide Blonde (INXS), Vogue (Madonna), Losing My Religion (R.E.M), Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana), I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston), and Kiss From a Rose (Seal).  As far as fashion goes after the glamorous and flashy clothes with quarter-back sized shoulder pads and jeweled embellishments and chunky jewelry of the late 1980's, the 1990's gave way to more minimalist clothing including screen-printed tops with no shoulder pads!  Meanwhile in Australia in 1990, MiG Ayesa and Kylle Hogart were working together and had become good friends.  Kylle met MiG at a Samboy Chips commercial where they were the featured talent.  What are Samboy Chips, you ask?!  Well, Samboy Chips is one of the largest brand of potato chips in Australia .  They are thick, crinkle-cut potato chips that come in a variety of  flavors such as chicken and salt and vinegar.   

As I said, Kylle and MiG met and became good friends on the Samboy Chips commercial in 1990.  Let’s move on to 1991-1992.  MiG was on his way to a communications degree at Macquarie University in Sydney when destiny came calling.  He auditioned for the role of Ritchie Valens in ‘Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story’ no less than three times before finally winning the role and making his professional stage debut in the Australian production in 1991.  MiG has said about playing Ritchie, “The Ritchie in the movie [‘La Bamba’] is very different to the Ritchie in the play.  After all, it’s the Buddy Holly story, not the Ritchie Valens Story.  It’s a good part - he’s a funny guy and he’s significant because he’s there at the end.”  While doing my research I read how MiG kept stealing the show.  His cousin Suzette said, “The Buddy Holly Story was an adrenaline-filled, lively and fun show with great music.  But it wasn’t until my cousin MiG strutted out on stage, singing ‘La Bamba’ with all his heart that the audience got up on top of their chairs to dance and sing.  The energy was unbelievable.  It was when I was sure he was going to be a star.”  So when Kylle told me she had seen many of his performances and “worked at the Victoria Palace Theatre [ London ] as crew doing electrics backstage ... and I ended up follow spotting Miguel” I had to ask if he really did steal the show.  “Yessiree!  He totally stole the show in Sydney , Melbourne ,  London AND on the Australian tour!  He would always have crowds of fans waiting for him outside the stage door!”  Kylle confirmed.

After MiG left the production ‘Buddy,’  he auditioned for the role of  “money-grubbing landlord” Joe in the Australian kids television show ‘The Ferals’ in 1993.  Kylle also auditioned  for ‘The Ferals’ but for the role of Robbie.  Obviously, they both won their respective roles!  Since I didn’t know much about ‘The Ferals,’ I had more research to do.  Here is a description of the show from TV.com: “The Ferals are the original urban wild bunch.  Rattus the rat, their leader, is tough and streetwise - and constantly arguing with Modigliana, the cat with a definite sense of style, if not taste.  Along with Mixy the rabbit and Derryn, the not-too-bright dog, they hang out in the shed at the bottom of Joe’s garden.  Living next door are the science student Leonard and guitar-playing medicine student Robbie.  They’re never too far from trouble, but always have maximum fun.”

I knew I had heard about MiG playing Joe on ‘The Ferals’ somewhere I just had to remember where.  Aha!  I had interviewed his friend Sarah Eldridge for the December newsletter!  During that interview she said one of the first things they talked about was “how I didn’t like his character in ‘The Ferals,’ but that he was nothing like his character to which he said ‘Thank God for that.  Joe was misunderstood though.’”  I recently asked Sarah to expand on that and she told me, “MiG played Joe King, who was a bit of a pain in the neck really. ...  His character, Joe, was the annoying one of the three humans in the show.  He was pretty self-involved and ... had these grand-schemes to build himself up.”  Then I asked her about Kylle’s character Robbie.  “She played the smart, pretty blonde girl ... She was very cool!  Every little girl wanted to be her!  But her character was awesome, charismatic, beautiful, and fun,” Sarah informed me. Then she opened up about the show itself, “It was an after-school staple of many of my friends!  It was aimed at the 8-12 age group, but I was in high school and we all watched it too!  It was one of those shows that kind of everyone watched but were embarrassed to admit they watched, but watched it in private anyway!  The fashion was very 1980's and tragic, but it was a lot of fun!”  “Rah”, owner of MiGCentral, echoed Sarah’s sentiments: “‘The Ferals’ was hilarious and I would have watched it regardless of MiG’s involvement.  MiG’s character Joe Wayne King (say it out loud to get the gag) really lived up to his name, and being so different to the real MiG, shows what a great actor he really is.  Kylle’s character Robbie was very sweet and I always enjoyed watching her.”

Now I was armed with information when I asked Kylle about ‘The Ferals!’  Kylle said Robbie and Leonard, played by Brain Rooney, were roommates and lived next door to Joe.  She also said Joe was never unlikeable just not-so-bright, that they would play practical jokes on Joe, and when he walked in the room they would say, “Oh, no, here comes Joe.”  Kylle noted that MiG was “great at being animated because of the puppets but able to pull back and be real.”  She went on to admit that Robbie was a “funky, hip rock guitarist, but I couldn’t really play guitar!  I faked it well!  Robbie had a guitar in one hand and a medical book in the other!”  I told her about my conversation with Sarah and her response was, “I received mail that a lot of girls wanted to be like her,” and agreed that they had a ‘cult’ following!  Then I had to ask what MiG was like to work with.  She revealed, “MiG is hysterically funny to work with and he loves to experiment.”  Did she have any stories to tell?  “I WISH I did!!  Because we never really worked together again after ‘The Ferals,’ I don’t have any funny work stories, but we did have some awesome times ... he has always been funny and makes light of any situation.  He has always been an entertaining person to be around, I know everyone who knows him would attest to this!!” 

‘The Ferals’ ended in 1995, and Kylle moved to Los Angeles in 1996.  I wondered what she is doing now.  “When I came to LA I started working a lot BEHIND the camera as a personal assistant, publicist’s assistant, PA [production assistant], and a film producer.  As we speak I’m continuing to rake in over 1100 volunteer hours as an animal keeper at the LA Zoo.  And now I’m focusing on finding a good agent to bring me back in to the game and concentrating on my photography and on finishing a couple of children’s stories I’m working on at the moment.  I also have a conservation show I want to pitch to Travel or Discovery channel! I’m a BUSY BUSY girl!”  So busy in fact that when I asked her if she’s seen MiG since his move to Los Angeles , she said no!  They have talked on their cell phones and emailed but haven’t actually seen each other!  While I was telling her about my MiG experiences she said that,  “He is generous and sincere to everyone.”  She also noted that I call him MiG and said, “He’ll always be Miguel to me.”  That prompted me to ask what she thinks about MiG becoming an international rock star and she ended with, “It’s what he’s always wanted and I knew he would always make it.  I’m not surprised at all, just VERY proud of him and I wish him all the love and luck in the world!!”

 

He Will Always Be The Same...

by Stacy Swim and Gisele Williams

We recently ‘met’ Australian musician and actor, Nick Hardcastle on myspace.com.  In his comments, he thanked us for supporting his friend, MiG.  Curiosity getting the better of us, we had to ask him how he knew MiG. “I actually met MiG at an audition for a play, he was already in ‘The Ferals’ at the time…I was a teenager that had just moved from the North coast to the big smoke and it was my first real theatre audition.  MiG and I sat in the green room waiting together and he was friendly and very encouraging.  He left a really good impression and made me feel a lot more at ease about my big move.  Funnily enough I have been working with one of his Feral co-stars, Modigliana for the last four years.” 

“MiG has been a very encouraging influence on me in the industry,” Nick went on to say.  “He was only one of three people I invited to my house to watch my debut appearance on ‘Home and Away’ (a famous Australian soap) back in 1997 and we have supported each others endeavors always along the way.  It was a friendship that was born out of running in the same circles and having mutual friends.  I hung out with him when I visited London and was lucky enough to be his guest ... at the closing night of ‘Rent’ on the West End .  In 2000 he and I recorded a song together that ended up being responsible for me getting a development deal with Fox Television.  I’ve still got the recording and may bring it back to haunt him one of these days.” 

“I’m really proud of him and have always believed that he would eventually earn the fan base that he deserved,” Nick replied when we asked him for his thoughts about MiG.  “I’m glad that ‘Rockstar’ was able to provide that for him and I can’t wait to see what happens for him in the future.  I can be confident of one thing though and that is that he will always be the same kind and generous person he was when I first met him in 1995.”

And Then There Was London ….

By Gisèle Williams

MiG Ayesa has always dreamed of becoming a songwriter and recording artist. He was, in fact, a successful stage performer in Australia and although he was singing as much as he could, it was not enough for MiG. He wasn’t satisfied. Looking for more in his life, MiG resolved to proactively pursue his dream. Realistically, he knew he’d have a tough go of it in Sydney so in 2002 he made a life-altering decision. With his new bride, Simone de la Rue by his side, MiG moved to London, England in the hopes of securing a publishing and recording deal for his music. And so begins MiG’s ‘Cinderella’ story!

Living in London is very expensive and in order to make ends meet, MiG turned to his theatre roots, reprising his role as Angel in London’s West End production of ‘Rent’. This was a move that would open the door to a very successful run in a different production: ‘We Will Rock You’ which is now in its fifth year at the Dominion Theatre. "I was introduced to Brian May of Queen and Mike Dixon, the show's musical director, by a colleague on Rent called John Maher,” MiG told the Salvation Army War Cry magazine in July 2005. “They suggested that I audition for Galileo the following week. I did so, but did a terrible audition...They gave me a second chance so I was able to show what I was capable of.” In 2003, MiG became a member of the ensemble cast and understudy for Tony Vincent’s Galileo Figaro and Nigel Planer’s Pops. In November 2003, MiG took on the lead role of Galileo, full time, and for six nights a week played the part to sold-out crowds for nearly two years.

We Will Rock You ~ The Musical by Queen and Ben Elton

“The time is the future, in a place that was once called Earth.  Globalization is complete.  Everywhere, the kids watch the same movies, wear the same fashions and think the same thoughts.  It’s a safe, happy Ga-Ga world.  “Is this the real life?  Is this just fantasy?”…..Legend persists that somewhere on Planet Mall instruments still exist.  Somewhere, the mighty axe of a great hairy guitar god lies buried deep in rock, placed there in a golden age against a time when it would be needed to inspire the kids anew.  The Bohemians need a hero to find this axe.  A crazy rebel with a heart of solid rock who will draw the guitar from the stone and play the ancient anthems,” is how www.thisistheatre.com summarizes the story line of this Queen inspired production.  Full of music and energy, the show will run until at least 2007, making it the longest running production at the Dominion Theatre!  How better to learn about the challenges of being Galileo than to ask Galileo Figaro himself?  No, not MiG Ayesa but his ‘mate’, Peter Johansson who is today’s Galileo! 

Born and raised on a farm in Sweden , Peter was quite pleased to learn that he’d secured a place in the ensemble cast of WWRY prior to his move to London in 2003 to be with his then fiancée, Lydia .  “I used to compete in tennis and football (soccer) as a kid.”  Peter told me, “Music became my main interest when I was about 15 years old.  But I always knew that I couldn't do any other job.  It has to involve music in some form.  I like a lot of different styles of music, as long as it has a groove, but if I had the chance to record an album it would be acoustic based stuff...That’s my goal.”  He went on to describe, “I saw the show [WWRY] just after it opened in 2002, and decided that one day I was going to play Galileo!  It’s always been a dream to star in a west end show, I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.” 

MiG starred in the 1000th performance of the musical on his 35th birthday, January 12th, 2005 .  I asked Peter what it is that makes this particular production so special that it’s a constant sell out.  “The story of the show is basically a pisstake on modern computer programmed music…We have a fantastic band that play everything live.  I think the reason we’re still selling out is above all Queen’s fantastic music! But also, we have some of the best singers around (and I’m not talking musical theatre singers...) and a fantastic sound.  So it’s more of a rock concert experience for the audience, which is a bit different from  most musicals.  Our audience leaves on a high and that makes us leave on a high too which is a great feeling!!”

Of course I asked Peter if he had any stories to share about working with MiG.  “My first year in the show I was ensemble, and Mig was ensemble with cover Galileo and Pop, so we used to sit next to each other in the dressing room, I would have my acoustic guitar and we would jam away.  We could have written a lot of songs that year only he was always on [stage] for his covers…The odd times when he actually was on [ensemble] we used to have a lot of fun.  Mig’s always up for a laugh and is a bit of a joker, so there was  never a dull moment backstage…Unfortunately, I missed Mig’s final show [July 2, 2005].  It was my wife’s final show of Saturday Night Fever, at the Apollo Victoria Theatre so I had to be there.  But I’ve heard it was a pretty spectacular night!!”

 

When I asked Peter how he felt assuming the role of Galileo from MiG, he replied, “It was a bit scary, but I saw it as a challenge.  Most people that see the show, see it for the first time, so I kind of had to stop thinking about trying to please all the Mig fans by trying to copy anything he did, and come up with something that would work for me.  It’s so easy to criticise yourself as an actor and end up as really paranoid comparing yourself to others.  We’re very different looking, Mig’s 5”7 and dark, while I’m 6” and blond, so I think that was the thing that the WWRY fans had the hardest time getting used to. Also MiG had to go through the same thing when he took over the part from Tony Vincent back in 2003.  Tony created the part of Galileo and had a huge fan base, so I thought if Mig can do it, I should be able to.”

Peter and MiG have written songs together. Preferring to write the music than work the lyrics, I asked Peter about his collaboration with MiG. “’Move On’ started as a riff, and then we came up with the melody. Some time passed until Mig wrote the lyrics and recorded a background. Then I laid the guitars and we did all the backing one afternoon before the show.” Would Peter be interested in having MiG record their song? I had to ask. “It would be great if he would include the song on future albums. We’d better leave the guitars to someone else, but I’d love to sing backing vocals.. I’d love to work with Mig again in the future, but I’m sure he’s got excellent writing partners these days, so we’ll see…We do work well together, and he’s a great inspiration for me both as a friend and a musician!”

Wrapping up my interview with Peter, I asked him what he wanted MiG’s fans to know about MiG. “I just like to say that Mig is a role model for all performers, he is always in a good mood which affects the working climate in the theatre in a very good way! He is very professional, and almost never missed a show, although Galileo is probably one of the hardest roles you can play. I hope I get the chance to write music and perform with Mig in the future!! Can’t wait to hear his album!!”

 

Postscript

So from Australia there was London .  And from London now we have America !  Of course we know that last summer MiG left ‘WWRY’ to compete for the chance to front rock band INXS in ‘Rockstar: INXS’ and although he didn’t win that prize, he has since secured a publishing and recording contract with none other than Universal Music Group!  Again with his lovely wife, Simone proudly at his side, MiG moved earlier this year from London to Los Angeles, California and is in the process of recording his first album which is set for release on August 22!  Is MiG’s dream finally coming true?  We believe it is and we couldn’t be more excited for him.  

“A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving if you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true.”

From Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ ~ Music and lyrics by: Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston

             

Index

-Editors Notes
-Stories and MiGbits
-Editorials
-Advice Column 
-Interviews
-Concert Dates
-MiGSpeak

 

MiGSpeak

"Follow every opportunity that comes your way. You never know when one thing is going to lead to something else." ~MiG Ayesa

 

Appearances

Jul 20, 8:00P: Park West - Chicago, IL
Jul 27, 8:00P: Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
Aug 3, 8:00P: Paradise Rock Club - Boston, MA
Aug 15, 8:00P: Araneta Colleseum - Manila 

Advice Column

To submit your Advice Column Questions, please PM Sunshine, hellola, starstacy, canukfan 

 

 

News Recap

-LATEST NEWS

-MiG's NEW OFFICIAL SITE!!!!:
Still in the works, but looks GREAT! Be sure to register for updates! www.mig-music.com

-The MiG ONLINE TEAM Update Site!!:
These updates will come from MiG's Online Team, the other one comes from the label. Sign up Now!! ;)

-"The MiG Show":
Watch for "MiG Exclusives" on Verizon V-Cast during this season of Rockstar: Supernova! He will be interviewing contestants and hanging backstage! If you don't have V-Cast, you can see clips here: http://rockstar.vzwshop.com/

-CD Release:
A RELEASE DATE OF AUGUST 22 HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED! (See below for Approved Official Artwork for the CD!!)

-Street Team Formed and in Full Swing! Sign Up Here!

-Promote MiG's MySpace, send messages and watch for updates!

 

MiG Nip