The Oz Connection

Down Under is up all over Las Vegas showrooms. Between singing group Human Nature at the Imperial Palace and schwinging group "Thunder From Down Under" at Excalibur, a distinct Australian presence can be felt. Aussie performers also number among the casts of "Ka" (3), "Jersey Boys" (1), "Viva Elvis" (1) and "B -- Beatleshow Tribute" (1).

"I think the Australian culture has a lot to do with it," says Adam Steck, producer of both Human Nature and "Thunder From Down Under."

"Americans love Australians," Steck says. "They're easygoing people. There's a certain realness to them that really translates into people liking them."

Nationality is the primary distinction between "Thunder From Down Under" and "Chippendales: The Show," for instance.

"Girls love their accents," Steck says. "And the guys are just approachable and down to earth."

Steck says this culturally ingrained lack of ego also makes Aussies preferable as hires. He says Human Nature -- which in May inked a two-year, six-night-weekly deal with the Imperial Palace -- "couldn't be more humble."

"They're huge in Australia, a multiplatinum act," Steck says. "But they've come here and started from the ground up."

Peter Saide, who plays Four Seasons keyboardist Bob Gaudio in "Jersey Boys" at The Venetian, suspects his countrymates of making better all-around candidates for Strip musicals.

"I feel like we have a really varied skill set as performers," says Saide, who began singing, dancing and acting with the cast in November. He explains that show business back home is "very small and extraordinarily competitive."

"It's more difficult to be a specialist performer in Australia," he says, "so a lot more performers have multiple feathers in their cap."

One of Saide's most impressive feathers is the ability to transform a "good on ya" accent into impeccable New Joisey-ese every night.

"It's not really a big deal to us," Saide says, explaining that accent mastery is required of all Australian acting students.

"Very rarely are we going to be in a show where we're not required to do an accent," Saide says, "because there are not a lot of musicals written about Australian people."

To Human Nature's Andrew Tierney, a stronger Aussie work ethic is the biggest shrimp on the barbie.

"We are so far away and we do feel that need to just be as good as you can be -- to be taken seriously and get a break," says the keyboardist/vocalist, who dreamed for decades of making it in the native country of his Motown idols.

"Coming from Australia, you feel the bar is set over here and you've got to work hard to be noticed."

Whatever the reason so many Australians are here, Steck says he plans to continue exploiting the trend.

"I'm sure there's many more down there," Steck says. "I'm continuing to look."

Contact reporter Corey Levitan at clevitan@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0456.