JOHN VAN KLAVEREN meets Robert Tripolino, a multi-talented star of stage and screen who overcame rejection to find his starring place in the performing arts.
A rejection turned out to be the making of rising musical theatre star Robert Tripolino.
After dedicating years to ballet, at 18 Robert had to face the fact he wasn’t quite good enough to crack the rarefied citadel of the Australian Ballet.
The rejection stung but led to another direction that has turned the dancer into a genuine triple threat as he added acting and singing to his repertoire.
If the name rings a bell it’s probably because Robert’s family has run an accountancy business in Geelong for years and is also behind the redevelopment of the Palais, on Moorabool St.
It seems quite a jump from accountancy to the theatre but Robert says his family’s love of the arts was the driving force behind his early ballet years.
It’s also the motivation behind the family’s Palais redevelopment, set to include an arts hub for a range of artistic and theatrical expressions.
But the family connection also gave Robert some business savvy, crucial for any performer.
“It’s called show business for a reason – and I learned the business side of it from the family really well. You always hear of artists being taken for a ride. It’s secondary to the creative side but still important,” Robert reflects.
He credits then-Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) course co-ordinator Martin Croft – also from Geelong – with convincing him to swap pirouettes for production numbers.
“I fell into it really, through the encouragement of others,” Robert recalls.
“It was all very new because I knew nothing about musical theatre. I had been interested in music but never really thought about singing and acting.”
The novice took himself off to London where he saw West End shows for two weeks as he immersed himself into a whole new world.
But he soon realised it was a world for which he was never destined, with his ballet background becoming nothing more than a useful addition to his dance repertoire.
Just how far can this young star go? Geelong Coast magazine – out now.
