He's something of a Bond aficionado, recently producing The Music is Bond . . . James Bond, to mark 50 years of Bond film music, played by the Christchurch Symphony and APO orchestras respectively.
Not that music was his initial aspiration, that was law, East Brewster his first and only firm.
Tim's stage debut was in his intermediate years at Hamilton prep school Southwell, playing in Oliver! and Noah's Flood. At Western Heights he played the piano for school productions. From there on in he nursed a hankering for musical stage work but took himself by surprise when he confided that to the star of the London production of Phantom, Dave Willetts.
"After law school, I'd taken six months' OE and being a real 'stage door Johnny' I struck up a conversation with him, said I had an eye on show business and he said 'go for it', that was exactly the incentive I needed."
Back home, his mum mentioned the RMT was auditioning for Evita.
"I scrabbled around in the broom cupboard where she kept the old papers, found the ad for the auditions, contacted the musical director Ursula Schraar (Our People, February 26, 2011) who put me before director Duncan Whiting.
"I was pretty intimidated, the voice was a bit rough around the edges, I thought I was awful, but he cast me as Che, a great experience."
To keep body and soul together he joined East Brewster doing conveyancing and criminal work, but confesses the job came a distinct second to theatre. His second local lead was Me and My Girl, reprising it in Tauranga.
"My first paid show, by then I'd really got the bug and auditioned for the national tour of Chess; when I heard I was in I resigned [his day job] on the spot, didn't stop to think about common sense, I just wanted an artistic career."
Time with Dunedin's Fortune Theatre followed.
Auditioning for Harry M Miller's New Zealand tour of Jesus Christ Superstar he was offered a
spot in the ensemble while understudying the lead, but declined "I didn't want to be understudy to some celebrity, I really wanted to tackle Marius in Les Mis [Les Miserables] which was also auditioning, then Harry Miller called me from Sydney saying, 'Listen, Tim, where do you want to be in five years?' "I think he was shocked someone had the temerity to turn him down. He said if I accepted the understudy, I could play Peter."
Tim swallowed his pride and accepted.
While in Superstar, he auditioned for Sydney's Phantom, scoring the lead but the realities of show biz bit, Miller refused to release him; he had to wait some time to win back the role.
Coincidentally, two days into the show he met Willetts who asked him if he'd ever got into theatre. "I was able to say, 'I'm playing the Phantom'-such a bizarre coincidence."
From Phantom he moved to Sunset Boulevard in Melbourne, cast as the lead's best mate and yes, his understudy. That lead man was Aussie superstar Hugh Jackman.
This was after missing out on his coveted Les Mis role. "At the time I considered I'd been robbed then I had this epiphany, realising I was at the whim of other people's fancies, that I wanted to do my own thing, produce my own concerts."
The legendary Hollywood conductor, the late Russ Garcia, became his mentor.
Tim's first Lakeside appearance was slotted around his Aussie days. "Ian Edward rang me for Rob Guest's phone number then, as an afterthought, invited me to sing Music of the Night."
Successfully auditioning for the BBC competition in New Zealand, he returned to London, rejected a couple of "down stage" roles, was shortlisted for the Royal Shakespeare Company's Secret Garden but prayed he wouldn't get it.
"I knew it would be great fun but when it ended I'd be back in noman's land, people finding me too old, too short, too tall for plum roles."
He took a sales job. "It was bloody hard work, months of making nothing, then I hit a purple patch, made a huge commission, coupled it with the BBC prize money, came home and used it to fund my first album."
It's place of release? Rotorua. "Where else? It's home."
Since then, he's concentrated on producing and performing in concerts, made more albums, appeared in touring shows, most recently South Pacific, taking time out from hosting the midnight to 5am Newstalk ZB talkback spot.
And he's married "to the most beautiful wife", [Anne-Maree, a deputy principal]. I first saw her in Christchurch, while in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Baritones, I was guilty of pushing Dame Malvina [Major] aside so I could meet her." They're parents of two pre-schoolers.
"Every time I wish I had done this, that or the other I realise the birth of your children is redemption in every way. They've made me much more comfortable in my own skin."
- Lakeside's 20th anniversary concert is on February 20.
TIM BEVERIDGE:
- Born: Rotorua, 1966.
- Education: Selwyn Primary, Southwell prep school (Hamilton), Western Heights High.
- Family: Parents Tony and Mary Beveridge, wife Anne- Maree, daughters Rosie and Lily.
- Interests: Family, music, theatre, flying (obtained private pilot's licence 10 years ago), "vegging in front of the telly".
- On directing Lakeside: "It's a huge challenge to go into something so big and exciting that hopefully enriches people's lives."
- Personal Philosophy: "Treat everyone with respect until they convince you otherwise."
