Madhav Menon on stage. Photo / Supplied
If anyone asks "is there a doctor in the house?" when Hamilton Operatic Society's production of Les Miserables opens at the Clarence St Theatre today, the answer will be a definite yes.
There will be a doctor on stage for much of the show, plus several in the audience, probably a few hospital theatre nurses as well and definitely some of their patients or former patients too.
The new production of the popular musical has operating theatre meeting musical theatre, with Waikato Hospital cardiologist Dr Madhav Menon a rising singing talent of the Hamilton Operatic Society. He already has a fan base in the medical musical soiree scene.
Not that the heart specialist with the trained high baritone voice is likely to make a song and dance about his performance abilities. He's much too modest for that and had to almost have his stethoscope twisted to be persuaded to take on a singing role in Les Miserables.
Dr Menon says he has long found music to be a nice go-to to deal with the stresses of his work.
He is a self-taught guitarist and has been playing and singing on and off since he began medical training at Waikato Hospital in 1996. Later he trained in the United States and returned to New Zealand in 2008 to become a consultant at Waikato Hospital.
"Personally I find music offers a nice balance with work," he says
He developed his skills with guitar lessons from Geoff Ragg and singing lessons with Scot Hall of Cambridge.
"Geoff rekindled my interest, opened a whole new world." It was Scot - an established talent of the New Zealand stage - who introduced Dr Menon to musical theatre. Two years ago Dr Menon took on a small back-up singing role when Hamilton Operatic Society staged Mama Mia.
Les Miserables is a much bigger challenge. It is arguably the world's most loved musical of all time with a total of 54 songs.
Scot Hall is one of the leads, playing Inspector Javert, and it was Scot who persuaded Dr Menon to take on a busy company role.
"It is a very active role. I play a constable, a drinker, a student, a factory worker and a judge - all involve singing and costume changes - and I've never done any acting before," Dr Menon says.
While he doesn't get stage fright he does admit to a "healthy kind of nervousness" before going on stage and strongly encourages others to try something different.
"Not enough people are involved in activities outside of work. They are so engrossed in work and then retire and don't know what to do. It is always good to develop other skills," he says.
He also finds that his musical side can help with medicine.
"Music can connect people at a very basic level. Just last week I connected with a patient through music - it was an Italian man facing a risky stent procedure, high-risk angioplasty. Talking music calmed him down.
"The operation was a success and now he will be coming to the show," Dr Menon says.
"I have even had a whole operating theatre singing along, including the patient.
It was a 3am emergency case. We usually have music playing and one song was Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up. I starting singing along and all joined in, even the patient (who was awake and under local anesthetic)."
In fact Dr Menon has high praise for his work colleagues who play a big part in his being able to be in Les Miserables. Apart from practice and rehearsals the show itself runs for 14 nights.
"I told Scot it was too much for me, but I will be able to be in the show for all 14 nights because I have amazing colleagues. I told them this was coming and they have swapped my calls to cover for me.
"Of course I'll then cover for them later, so I'll have a double hit of calls after the show.
But those colleagues who do get a night off during the Les Mis season will be at the show to support their singing cardiologist. He also has a few private patients who follow their doctor's musical adventures and are also booking seats.
You could say that from fixing tickers to selling tickets, this medical man seems destined to be a musical heartthrob.
Hamilton Operatic Society's Les Miserables will premiere at Clarence Street Theatre today and run a strictly limited season of 14 shows.
Tickets are on sale now through Ticketek.